Many people who have considered joining online dating websites, have been deterred by the thoughts of having to pay sign up fees for becoming members. If that has been your only consideration, you may want to take a look at free online dating sites. These offer most basic services for free and you may just meet someone on the website whose interests match yours. However, you should be warned that these free dating sites come with some advantages and some disadvantages, both of which we will list out for you so that you can make an informed decision.

Most free online dating websites make their money through other income streams like banner advertising, targeted advertising and so on. This way they ensure that most of the services they offer will stay free for some time to come.

Pros:
·    The biggest advantage of free online dating services is of course, that they are free! If for some reason you are unhappy with their services, you can always close down your membership and look for a website that offers you better services.
·    The sign-up process is fairly straightforward and you can start browsing profiles within just minutes of signing up. Further, you will be able to create a dating profile for yourself and even upload a few photos of yourself, if you so desire.
·    Most of the time, your identity stays a secret and the other person will know only so much that you reveal about yourself. If you wish to take the relationship to the next level, you may want to reveal some more details about yourself.

Cons:
·    The biggest disadvantage of free online dating websites is that there is no way of checking if the person you are in contact with is truly who the person says he or she is. In fact, there is no way of knowing if such a person even exists. This is where paid online dating services have such a big advantage. They have stringent screening procedures and also carry out their own background checks. Whatever information they find about the status of the person or about their criminal records, is made available to all paid members. This will save you from some very uncomfortable and possibly heart-breaking situations in the future.
·    Another problem with some of these free online dating services is that they are used as a front for marketing various products. The information provided by members is used to target them repeatedly to force them to buy these products.
·    Finally, there is no assurance that your privacy will be safeguarded on these free online dating services. If you have given too many personal details on the site, chances are they might be misused. Paid dating services are very vigilant when it comes to protecting the privacy of their members.

While making a decision on whether to join a free online dating website or a paid one, give careful thought to what you are gaining and what you are losing in each case, and then make your final decision.

You may have been considering joining an online dating service for some time now but have been hesitant after hearing about some really unpleasant experiences that a couple of your friends have had. Nevertheless, the majority of your friends swear by these services and assure you that you have nothing to worry about provided you join the right online dating service. So now, you say to yourself, how do you know which is the right online dating service for you?

Let us point some key considerations that will help you in deciding whether an online dating service is right for you or not.

1.    Before you begin looking at various dating service, you have to be clear about what you want from dating websites. You can find a variety of dating websites that cater to different needs of their clientele. If you are looking for casual relationships, you may have to look at a different kind of website but if you are committed to going in for a serious relationship, you may have to look at different websites. Being clear about what your needs are will save you from disappointments later.

2.    Most online dating websites offer members a trial period during which they can understand the kind of tools and services that they have access to as full members of the website. Though there may be some charges involved, these tools and services can be very powerful aids in your search for the right partner. On the other hand, if you are disappointed with what you see, you are at liberty to discontinue your membership and look at other websites. Some helpful services offered are – news alerts when profiles matching your requirements are listed, detailed profiles including background checks are made available, ability to block certain users if they are making you uncomfortable, ability to load more than one picture – even videos.

3.    Do not be tempted by websites offering free services. As they say in the online dating business, free can be expensive. Most websites that offer free services do so because they do not spend in services like background checks, privacy control, even simple screening of members. Imagine your mental state if you join a free online dating website, meet someone who you think you really like only to find after a few weeks that the person did not really exist. Not only that, your personal information is now being misused against you! Paid services will ensure you your peace of mind and protect your privacy.

4.    How well does the website allow you to be yourself? Can you write up a personalized account of yourself or are there too many restrictions on the number of words and number of photos you can upload? What other means can you use through the website to present a true picture of yourself? See which dating service gives you the best deal in terms of these requirements.

Once you have sufficiently researched all major online dating services based on these considerations, make your decision and be ready for the start of a new relationship.