Here is a closer look at some of the top free online dating websites that are currently available.

Number one:
OkCupid - mix of social networking, compatibility-testing and online dating

Overview from OkCupid directly

• "What is OkCupid? It's a totally free matching service. It's also extremely accurate, as long as (a) you're honest, and (b) you know what you want. We don't claim to evaluate you perfectly, but we do claim to find someone who claims to fulfill your claimed requirements, exactly."


• "We aim to be the best matching service on every front: superior technology, better math, better psychology. And of course, it's free, unlike all the others."

• Access to all of the OkCupid tools, quizzes and matching features, after sign up which takes about 30 seconds to complete


• Standard dating site fare, which includes emails, instant messaging, photo galleries, journals and search functions


• "QuickMatch" feature, which is pretty much instant matching. This allows you the ability to see exactly where you and someone else match up, same interest, hobbies, etc.


• Friends can tag your profile with recommendations


• List of similar users to yourself or others


• Ability to create questions for the rest of OkCupid to take and match other users with. But you first need to answer a certain number of questions yourself.

Unique features of OkCupid

• "FlagMod" feature, which is found under "Fun Stuff", this lets any user look at photos that other users have deemed inappropriate and decide whether or not the photo should be removed


• There are either no ads or very few ads on the site, which in most cases free online dating sites are covered in ads


• "Stalker" feature, this lets you see who has looked at your profile recently and unlike other dating sites the "stalker" option can be turned off


• Integration with Facebook so that OkCupid users can place their entire profile or their answers to any of the dating quizzes on their Facebook page.


• Matching is based on a friend or enemy basis along with on a dating potential.


• The complex matching mechanism allows its members to create quizzes and tests on thousands of different topics.

OkCupid Membership Costs

• Completely free, no hidden charges

Number two:
Casual Kiss - great choice for the younger set because most members are under the age of 40, with a very strong concentration in the under 25 age range

Overview from Casual Kiss Directly

• "The best (and cheapest) dating site! Where else do you get blogs, clubs, chat, and community all in one nice little package?"

What a membership with Casual Kiss includes

• People and Search: Dating personals, dating clubs, local dating events, and which members are celebrating a birthday on that day


• Words: Confessions, which is where dating members admit their most intimate secrets to all other members and members can comment on that secret. Other parts of this section are blogging, message boards, horoscopes, dating advice, and dreams, which is the same as confessions is instead about members dreams.


• Media: Hot or Not, video messaging, voice messaging and photo albums


• Interact: Who's seen me, who's interested, who's voted for me, blogs I am mentioned on, address book, subscriptions to message boards and blogs. My secret crush, my reject list, who's winked at me, and my voyeurs

Unique features of Casual Kiss - these are constantly being changed and updated

• Option to blog, post a photo diary, and send eCards to other members


• "Voyeuring" feature which shows you who has looked at your profile recently


• Can vote for Member of the Week and Hot or Not


• One-click search feature for other members who are looking for a "one night stand", this is actually defined by Casual Kiss as "members who are looking for a quick date in the next 24 hours"


• Networking feature that is similar to Facebook or MySpace


• Chat room which includes text chat, but also includes webcam chat with users from all over the world


• Ability to change the look and color scheme of the Casual Kiss site based on your personal preferences

• This website has fluctuating fees that have changed greatly over the past few years. Currently the website is free; the main webpage even states that you don't need your credit card. But there is still a link on every member's page to a subscription offer. What happens when you click this link is that you are told that there is currently no need to pay for services at this time, but "when required" there will be a $5/month or $14.95/year fee for full access

Number three:
Plenty of Fish - considered to be the first successful free dating site model on the internet

Overview from Plenty of Fish directly

• "I created plentyoffish.com because I was tired of seeing faceless corporate dating sites preying on singles. Finding love is not about handing over a monthly fee to a dating site that only cares about making sure you stay another month to pay them again."

What a Plenty of Fish membership includes

• Instant messaging


• Smiles


• Compatibility testing and matching


• General dating


• Geographic forums


• Hot or not photo rating system


• Can see who has looked at your profile


• Ban certain types of users from contacting you


• Add people to your personal favorites list

Unique features of Plenty of Fish

• List of "who loves me", which is people who have added you to their favorites


• Search for members by the University that they previously attended


• Ability to see if someone has read your email and/or deleted it


• Best feature is their forums, which range in topic from dealing with a broken heart to non-dating related debates.


• In the forums many people take it upon themselves to organize events and meet & greets for everyone to attend.

Plenty of Fish Membership Costs

• There are no costs or fees to join Plenty of Fish

Number four:
Connecting Singles - geared towards US-based users

Overview from Connecting Singles directly

• "Meet by choice, not by chance. Many online dating services claim to be free, and then surprise you with charges for features such as contacting other members, extensive searching, viewing profiles or photos, etc. Connecting Singles is a totally free-to-use online dating service (everything free) for singles. All features on Connecting Singles are without charges, fees, credits, coupons or surprises.

What a Connecting Singles membership includes

• Fully featured dating site, which includes the following


• Instant messaging


• Email


• Photo galleries


• Forums


• Local singles event calendars


• Different search options to find someone special


• Caters to those in the US, Canada, UK and Western Europe


• Open to people of all sexual orientations


• Options for people who are looking to date or for longer-term relationships. Or you can look for activity partners and pen pals

Unique features of Connecting Singles

• Reviews and approves every profile and photo posted to the site for quality assurance purposes


• Drop-down lists to show your demographic information, on this site these lists are more detailed than other sites


• Example - there are 13 different options to choose from when describing your hair color


• Forums are well used and are great to read, but general forums are more heavily trafficked than the regional ones


• Fantastic blocking service which allows a user to define who they receive a message from. This allows you to easily eliminate a lot of unwanted spam or contact from people who are looking or wanting a different type of relationship than what you are looking for.

Connecting Singles Membership Costs

• There are no fees to use any portion of the Connecting Singles website