Specialized dating sites are becoming increasingly popular
as some people become overwhelmed by the number of users on larger websites and
opt to pursue quality over quantity.
It’s better to have 10,000 members who are looking for the same thing as
you than 10 million who aren’t. No
matter what your interests are, there’s a website out there for you. It would be impossible to discuss all the
different types of niche dating sites out there, but here are a few.
Hook Ups
Some sites have hook-ups rather than dating or relationships
as their primary focus. This does everyone
a favour as it reduces the number of incompatible people on websites intended
for more serious dating. Adult Friend
Finder is one of the most popular. It’s
a pay site but many women receive membership for free if they meet certain
demographic requirements. There appear
to be far more men than women on the site and female users tend to be bombarded
with messages. Inactive profiles,
obvious fakes, and sex workers and adult performers abound.
Affairs
Ashley Madison is a website along similar lines to Adult
Friend Finder, but it caters to individuals who are already married or in a
committed relationship. If you’re
single, you can still use the site, but you’ll have a harder time meeting
people as most of those on Ashley Madison are looking to have an affair with
someone who has as much at stake as they do.
Its slogan is “Life is short.
Have an affair.” There are many
complaints from men that there are few active women on the site and that the
relatively balanced gender ratio the site claims is closer to 10 men to every
woman. It claims to have 5.2 million
users. It’s a pay site that operates on
a credit system, rather than monthly fees, but you can respond to messages you
receive without payment. For this
reason, most women don’t choose to become paying members. Scammers and adult industry pros tend to send
“collect” messages that users have to pay to view. Few members have photos as they want to
maintain their privacy. It’s also known
that private investigators often check the site if someone suspects their
spouse of having an affair. The site
does have an Affair Guarantee if you fulfill a list of requirements in your
search. It’s more expensive than other
affair-oriented sites and women rarely respond since they receive so many
messages. It’s also been reported that
they charge some members $19 to remove their profiles.
Religious
There are many websites dedicated to introducing people from a particular religious background, but JDate.com is one of the most popular. It also has a reputation for amusing, sarcastic, self-deprecating profiles. Some users complain that there are too many non-Jewish members. Although more common on free sites, JDate.com has its share of abandoned profiles. It has around 500,000 members, fairly evenly distributed between male and female, but most of these are concentrated in urban areas. It provides a valuable service, however, as faith and tradition are important elements of compatibility. Users fill out questions relevant to their faith, such as how often they attend temple and whether or not they keep kosher. The service is open to gays and lesbians as well.
Pet Lovers
For some people a date not adoring their pet is a deal
breaker. This is where DateMyPet.com
comes in. It’s a pay site with over 10,000
members and based on their slogan of “Date me, date my pet.” It’s not only for those looking to date. People looking for friends and to set up play
dates for their animals are welcome as well.
Subcultures
If you belong to a particular subculture, don’t you want to
date people who “get it?” PunkMatch.com
is a pay site purporting to have many attractive punk members, but,
unsurprisingly, people have different ideas about what punk is and are often
disappointed when other members don’t match their vision. The majority of its users are in the United States
Jailbirds
For reasons beyond most people’s comprehension some folks
have always tried specifically to strike up relationships with incarcerated
individuals. Women Behind Bars caters to
this desire. Prisoners write to the site
about themselves and include a photograph and their release date. People can pay for their mailing address and
get in touch. Oddly, the profiles don’t
include the crime for which the women are doing time, which seems dangerous. The photos and information can’t be verified
and many of the pictures appear to be outdated.
Drug Users
People who regularly indulge in drug use usually look for
like-minded partners (or at least those who aren’t bothered by it). 420 Dating is a free site for pot smokers,
which unfortunately makes it a haven for scammers. There are far more men on the site than
women.
Height-Specific
Little People Meet is one of only a few dating websites
catering to little people and it’s the one with the most members. It’s a pay site and there’s not much you can
do without paying for full membership. There’s no customer service number
available. It’s difficult to find
reviews written by users of the site.
Mental Illness
No Longer Lonely is a dating website exclusively for those
living with one or more mental illnesses.
It’s free for the most part, though there are some paid options. These don’t tend to interfere with general
use of the site, though. It makes it
easy to avoid people who are unwilling or unable to date someone with a mental
illness. However, the site acknowledges
that it’s had problems with people harassing members, criminals joining, and
romance scammers looking to prey on the vulnerable.
Philosophy
The Atlasphere is an online community dedicated to fans of
Ayn Rand, the author of Atlas Shrugged and
the Fountainhead. It has over 15,000 dating profiles. Members can also contribute articles and
essays. Some obviously feel it’s worth
the fees as it can be hard to meet people interested in Ayn Rand and
objectivism (particularly if you’re under 30).
Sugar Daddies
There are a large number of websites trying to match sugar
daddies and sugar babies in “mutually beneficial” arrangements. SugarDaddie.com is one of these. There is fee to initiate contact with another
user, so most women don’t initiate. It
doesn’t verify users’ incomes. Anyone
can join if they are over the age of 21.
Many women’s reviews suggest that female users may come into contact
with rude, entitled, and psychologically abusive men. The focus of the male users seems to be on
sex rather than on dating or on relationships.
Geeks
Geek 2 geek (gk2gk.com) is exactly what it sounds like: a
dating website catering to nerdy people.
It claims to have over 200,000 members, but many of its profiles appear
to be abandoned. Without paying for membership, all you can do is wink at other
users, expressing your interest. The
site claims that this allows people to determine whether there’s any mutual
interest before shelling out for the service.
The gender ration seems rather imbalanced.
Music
Tastebuds.fm is a unique dating site that uses radio website
the last.fm to match users based on their musical preferences. That’s right: no more having to beg your
partner to wear earphones during Tom Jones marathons. Each user must either have a last.fm profile
or list their three favourite artists or bands.
Oh, and it’s free.
Ivy League
The Right Stuff Dating seeks to match people who have
graduated from or who teach at elite American universities. The website appears amateurish and there are
several complaints about the customer service.
The pool is small and there is a fee whenever you want to get in contact
with someone. The quality of the
profiles, however, appears to be higher than on other websites.
Accents
If you’re a lady who enjoys British accents, give Date
British Guys a try. Most of the
gentlemen are located in the UK UK
STIs/STDs
Positive Singles is one of the best dating websites for
people with STIs (formerly known as STDs).
It’s a pay site, but it’s free to respond to messages that you
receive. There are few scammy profiles
because they are approved b a real, live person. There are more than 100,000 members and
active message boards concerning life with an STI. The service is available for both gay and
straight individuals.
Agriculture
If you live and work on a farm or on a ranch, you probably
have a hard time meeting new people or trying to date people from the
city. Farmers Only is a pay website
brings together people who understand the lifestyle that accompanies
agricultural work. It seems very
successful, likely because of members’ willingness to relocate and shared
values.
Fetishes
There are a variety of fetish dating sites out there; some
are broader and some are more specific.
Diaper Mates provides free chat and polls for adult babies and the
people who love them. The very existence
of such a site is no doubt reassuring to its users and leaves them feeling less
isolated, even if they never meet someone in person.
Cougars
Yes! Mrs. Robinson is one of several websites dedicated to
cougars and their younger prey. It’s a
pay site that seems geared toward casual encounters. There’s dating coach available through the
site and “Mrs. Robinson” keeps a blog about her dating experiences.
Chubbies and their
Chasers
Cuddly Lovers is a site for big, beautiful people and the
chubby chasers who love them. It’s a pay
site that claims over 13 million members.
It offers audio and video chat.
Erotic photography can either be blocked or viewed. Users can also fill out a “Sexual CV”, a sort
of resume for intimate encounters.
Tattoos
Tattooed Singles caters to those with tattoos and the people
who prefer their lovers to come decorated.
As the popularity of tattoos grows, so one might expect a site like this
to expand as well, but customers who have tried this pay site complain that
there are too few users. Perhaps tattoos
are no longer niche enough to support a pay site.
Gay Men
When
it comes to websites for gay men, Adam4Adam is one of the most popular, likely
because it’s free and has a large number of users. There are even ways to make a profit on the
site, as escorts aren’t discouraged and men can charge for video chat. Most of the site’s revenue is generated by
ads. Some users find the messaging
system confusing. Others have expressed
a concern that some people aren’t
being honest about their HIV statuses. It seems to be used to find friends with
benefits and casual hook-ups than for dating.
Race
Black People Meet is probably the best website focused on
introducing people of African descent.
It’s one of the largest, too, with over 1000 people signing up each
day. It’s a pay site. Users can record audio or video greetings for
their profiles and can suggest that sort of things they like in a first
message, providing guidance to those interested in getting to know them. Gays and lesbians are welcome. Unfortunately, the matching system doesn’t
take personality into consideration.
Single Parents
Local Single Moms is a pay site that allows people to build
video profiles about themselves and their families. It also has audio and video chat
capabilities. Reviews online, however,
mostly portray it as place to meet potential hook ups, rather than
partners.
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