Best Dating Sites in Canada

All throughout human history, finding potential partners has been a difficult task. In some ways, it has gotten better in the modern age (for example, most Canadians are not expected to agree to marry someone without spending any real time alone with them, as might have been the case a hundred years ago), but in other ways, it has gotten more complicated.

In theory, dating websites are around to make modern dating convenient and manageable, but if online dating is unfamiliar to you, it can feel just as monumental and intimidating as old-fashioned courtship rituals. The trick to getting the most out of online dating is to find the right websites to use, so we hope to make that part a little easier for you. We reviewed all of the most popular dating sites and figured out which ones are best for which types of people. Read on to see which sites are safe, easy to use, and successful at helping people find exactly who they are looking for.

Types of Dating Sites

When online dating got its start in the 90’s, there were only a handful of sites; today, thousands of companies are trying to cash in on the online dating craze. This isn’t surprising, considering the fact that online dating is used by more than one-third of Canadian adults, but it can make it confusing to figure out which site is right for you.

People of different genders, ages, and sexual orientations, as well as people looking for different types of relationships, won’t have equal success on the same dating websites. By choosing a site that is ideal for people like you and the kind of partner you’re looking for, you will save time and effort in your search.

By gender

Dating Sites for Men

Everyone has heard of the idea that online dating is more difficult for men, and the data seems to prove this to be true. Nearly 60% of men who use dating sites feel disappointed with their experiences and the amount of attention they receive. While there’s no way to guarantee that you won’t ever be disappointed, you can make your online dating experience much better and have better luck finding partners when you use the right dating sites for men.

Dating Sites for Women

Women have almost the opposite problem: while few women complain of not receiving enough attention on dating sites, around half of women who use online dating report having experienced some form of sexual harassment there.

This is why many dating sites have implemented features to make women feel safer and reduce these unwanted interactions. For example, some dating sites require that the woman send the first message in a heterosexual match so that they are at least able to choose who they want to talk to. No matter what features they use, dating sites for women can make the process easier.

By age

Dating Sites for Young People

A few decades ago, when online dating was young, the users of dating sites were… less so. Dating sites back in the day were targeted towards the demographic that was young enough to be tech savvy but old enough to be worrying about their chances of finding someone before they “aged out” of the dating world.

These days, many younger adults are using dating sites because they prefer the convenience of online dating. However, since a lot of sites are still used mainly by young-middle-aged adults and older “young adults”, people under 30 may feel outnumbered in some of these spaces. Picking the right dating site for your age group will help you meet peers and save time sorting through unwanted age-gap matches.

Dating Sites for Seniors

Seniors are outside the typical online dating age range, too, just on the other end. As a result, they may feel like they shouldn’t be using dating sites since they will only see people much younger than themselves if they choose the wrong one.

The reality is that online dating is becoming a more popular way for seniors to find new companions, and it makes sense: at a certain age, you are likely retired and have a set social circle, so there may be no obvious way to meet people in real life. If that all sounds familiar, then these dating sites can help you find other seniors who are looking for the right person to spend their time with.

Dating Sites for Teens

Older people often think that teens don`t need to try online dating, but that isn’t always the case, especially in a COVID world. Normal dating, school dances, parties, and many other social activities have been off-limits for teens in most parts of the world for a year or two now, and dating sites can offer some return to those normal teenage interactions.

It’s important to take extra care with safety when meeting strangers online as a teenager, but as long as you are cautious, dating sites can allow you to hang out with friends and dates virtually, to make up for some of the things you’ve missed out on.

Dating Sites for 40+

People in their 40’s and 50’s are often in a tough spot when it comes to dating. They are still working professionals, but they may be as firmly set in their social circles as seniors are, which makes meeting new people difficult. Most people’s preferences regarding having a romantic life partner or being single are pretty consistent, so if you find yourself single and looking for a partner in middle-age, you’ve probably had at least one serious, long-term relationship that ended, for whatever reason. By using the right dating sites for people over 40, you can meet others who share some life experiences and understand what’s important to you now.

By purpose

Dating Sites for Hookups

We might be inclined to disregard dating sites’ reputations of being for hookups or being for serious commitment as cliche and misguided, but oftentimes, these reputations are based on truth. Many dating sites, whether they were designed for this purpose or simply happened to attract a casual user base, are best for meeting casual hookups. If that’s all you’re interested in, stick to this type of dating site, so that you know your matches want the same thing and you can cut to the chase.

Dating Sites for Serious Relationships

By the same token, you will have an easier time finding serious partners on a dating site for serious relationships. These sites will often require more information in the bio than hookup sites do, and they may even match you to potential partners based on their own “compatibility” algorithm so that you aren’t choosing potential long-term relationships based on looks and one-line intros.

Dating Sites for Marriage

While there is certainly some crossover with the sites for serious relationships, dating sites for marriage are generally designed to help you find “the one”: the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. When so many people are on dating sites for hookups, casual relationships, or even for interactions that could lead anywhere, it may seem like no other dating site users are looking for a future spouse.

In fact, around one-third of new marriages these days started with online dating, so don’t be put off by the fact of people who are looking for something less serious. As long as you know where to look, and which sites to use, you will be able to find your soulmate online.

By sexual orientation

Dating Sites for LGTBQ+ People

Sadly, there is still a lot of prejudice against the queer community even in 2021. A queer person on a dating site is significantly more likely to be harassed than a straight person, regardless of gender. This means that, when looking to use online dating, LGBTQ folks may prefer to use a site that is exclusively for and run by the LGBTQ community, or at least one that takes the acceptance and safety of the community very seriously. Luckily, many of these sites exist and are easy to use, so sexual orientation and gender identity should present no barrier to finding love or sex online.

Dating Sites for Polyamorous People

Even with the growing acceptance of the polyamorous community, finding new partners can be tough at times. It’s estimated that fewer than 5% of people consider themselves polyamorous, so there’s a much smaller pool to draw from, online as well as in-person. If you had to weed through conventional dating sites to find the 5% that are polyamorous and then chose from that 5% the ones you might be interested in, online dating would be impossible. Fortunately, there are dating sites for polyamorous people that make the process much less tedious and more fun.

Conclusion

We firmly believe that anyone who wants to find love online can, and the right tools and knowledge only make the process easier. With the info provided in this guide and the updates to come as information on these sites changes in the future, you should be able to find the perfect site that will match you with exactly the kind of person you’re looking for.