Paid Dating Sites Vs. Free Sites – Do You Get What You Pay For?

I think it’s mildly amusing when people dismiss dating sites you have to pay for like Match.com, Eharmony.com and of course WeLoveDates.com, simply because they aren’t free.  The best line I hear is, “I don’t have to pay to find a girlfriend/boyfriend.”

On the other side of the coin are the people who put their money where their mouth (or heart) is and fork over their credit card in hopes of finding the one.  They are, no doubt, hoping that the people on these dating sites are more serious about their love quest than those on the free sites.  “You get what you pay for” is one of their favorite lines, dismissing the free sites with an easy cliche’.

I think there are pros and cons to both paid and free online dating sites…

Free Online Dating Sites.
Pros-

• Well, it’s FREE. No hassle! Just put up your profile and hit the ground running!
• If you don’t find what you’re looking for, it’s not like you wasted any money, right?
• Great for the beginner online dater…stick your toe in the water, you know?

Cons-

• Well, it’s FREE! These people haven’t had to go through any hassle to put up a profile. They’ve just…hit the ground running.
• They probably have the mentality of…if I don’t find what I’m looking for, it’s not like I wasted any money, right?
• Because there aren’t any costs or hoops to jump through, you will have to weed through a lot more horrible profiles to find a diamond in the rough. But I know it can be done!

Paid Online Dating Sites.
Pros-

• In my opinion, people who tend to go through the trouble of paying for something, are usually more dedicated and committed to it. Usually…
• There are generally a higher number of “serious” profiles on sites like this, and the profiles tend to be more in depth, with more questions, matching capabilities and quality search results.
• Any fee will act as a buffer between you and someone who is just trolling the internet for a date.  Paid sites tend to attract online daters who have tried the free sites before, and aren’t looking to mess around.

Cons-

• You may be disappointed because you’ve PAID…and have yet to find someone. Your expectations might be higher than if you hadn’t spent a dime.
• Unsavory characters are everywhere, and being a jerk has nothing to do with if someone is willing to type in a credit card number or not. So, while you think those who pay=those of quality, not true.
• Some paid dating sites seriously make you jump through hoops before you ever email the person! I found this a bit annoying-I just don’t have this kind of time, and I’m a big girl-If I want to email someone, I WANT TO EMAIL HIM…I don’t need to go back and forth and answer random questions about if we both like apples or not.

What do you guys think about paid sites vs free sites? I’d love to hear!