There’s a lot of information on the web about the best Christian dating sites, but as Christian singles ourselves, we haven’t found much of it to be truly helpful in our decision-making process. We wanted to hear from other Christian singles about what was working for them, so we figured instead of complaining about it, we’d try to help solve that problem. We’re givers like that.
Best Christian Dating Sites Rankings
Monthly Price Range
Number of Members
Ease of Use
Christian Filters
Best Deal Link
Read Reviewsize>
Visit eHarmony
$19.95 to $59.95
Tip: How to Get an eHarmony Free Trial
High
Simple
Excellent
60% Off 6-Month Membership! Use this link with this code at checkout: SINGLEROOTS60
Read Reviewsize>
Visit Match.com
$16.99 to $36.99
High
Quite a Few Details
Fair
25% off discount link for Match.com
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianMingle
$16.99 to $32.99
High
Option-Overload
Good
20% Off Link!
Use this link and promo code at checkout: Dating20
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianCafe
$8.99 to $34.97
Medium
Option-Overload
Excellent
10-Day Free Trial
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianCrush
$12.99
Low
Simple
Excellent
2-Week Free Trial
We started by creating a comparison chart and detailed resource of the best Christian dating sites. We update it regularly as we get feedback from readers and do further research. Hey, we’re just trying to help a brother or sister out and keep it real. Just doing our part…
So before we go any further, let’s agree that we’re going to accept online dating for what it is: a tool that aids us in the search for Mr. or Miss Right. There’s no shame in using tools.
We’ve searched high and low for reliable information that would guide us to make an informed decision when choosing the best Christian dating sites, and there really aren’t many places that offer information from actual Christians.
We’ve done our share of online dating, and we just thought we’d offer our experience and research to those of you who want it. A piggyback ride, perhaps? After all, we’d at least like to think our money went to something more useful than some awkward first dates.
We update this page as new information arises, so check back often. And if you have anything to contribute to the discussion, we’d love to hear it. Use a pseudonym if you don’t want to use your real name. There’s no shame in that either. We just want to hear your take on any site you’ve had experience with. But keep it classy, kids. We’ll delete comments that are spammy or rude.
DOLLA-DOLLA BILLS, Y’ALL
Everyone wants to talk about money first. This is evident from our own lives, our conversations with friends, and from the surveys we’ve conducted among online Christian daters.
Money is a big issue.
So let’s talk scratch: Just because a site costs less doesn’t mean you’re necessarily getting a good deal. That being said, just because it costs more doesn’t mean you get a better site either.
Many of the seven sites we’ve reviewed offer a free trial membership. While you’re probably not going to fall in love in ten days or less, miracles can happen. And if you want to test-drive a site, a free trial is a good way to go.
But if you’re ready to go all in, you should know that many factors can change the price of subscription to a Christian dating site. Depending on how long you commit, you can easily make the price per month decrease. The average price for a one-month membership on Match, Chemistry.com and Christian Café runs close to $35, Christian Mingle is priced for about $30 for a month, and eHarmony will cost you around $60/month.
Suffice it to say: If you’re choosing strictly based on price, then Marry Well is the front-runner at $5.99 for a one-month subscription. You can get six months for $25 on Marry Well (less than one month on Christian Mingle).
Price :: SingleRoots Recommends:
Match.com
Christian Mingle
Christian Cafe
BUT WHAT ABOUT FREE CHRISTIAN DATING SITES?
For starters, if you’re new to the world of online dating, don’t start with one of the free Christian dating sites and expect to get a good idea of how things do or do not work.
Free online dating sites are like the Wild West, anything goes. It’s easy to set up a profile, and it’s easy to abandon it because users have no skin in the game. There’s something to be said for paying for online dating. For one, people are more likely to be serious about dating and finding like-minded believers when they have to use their own money to do so.
That said, there are some free Christian dating sites out there. Here’s a quick run-down of the few we’ve come across:
Christian Date had less than 100 men in the 22-40 age range in the entire state of Texas. They had less than 200 women in the same age range. Numbers aren’t on your side with that site.
Fusion 101 is a free Christian dating site that is based in the U.K. After setting up a free registration we got to a screen telling us there were over 600 people in line ahead of us waiting for their profile to be approved. Ours would be evaluated within the week, but if we wanted to Fast Track it, a guy named Edward, who is the creator of the site, could do so if we sent him $3 (pounds, maybe?) via PayPal.
Christian Dating for Free is one of many in the eDating for Free brands (including, but not limited to, SinglesHindu, Free Dating Jewish, and LDS Singles Free). When you go to the site, you don’t have to enter an email address or anything to sign up, which means anyone on the internet can see your profile without so much as an email address for registration. Real Christian Singles works the same way.
There are other free Christian dating sites that are not specifically “Christian,” but Christians use, like OKCupid and Plenty of Fish. And while you’ll probably have no problem getting matches on either site, weeding through the overabundance of matches to find like-minded Christians poses its own problem. [Check out our more extensive OKCupid Review or our Plenty of Fish breakdown.]
Ultimately, though, the problem with free Christian dating sites is that if most people are going to use a free online dating vehicle, they’re going to use one of the more popular mobile-only dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, or Coffee Meets Bagel. Setting up a profile is easy on these apps, and it’s usually tied to one’s Facebook account.
For more discussion on free dating options, check out our reviews of the Best Christian Dating Apps. Until someone comes along and creates a killer Christian dating app, it’s still far more difficult to find someone on an app than a traditional online dating site. It’s possible, but it takes a lot more work than it does on a traditional site like eHarmony.
NUMBERS, I NEED NUMBERS!
It’s hard to figure out what kind of numbers these sites are pulling in. They’re not too keen on publishing exactly how many active members you’ll have access to.
A recent Christian Mingle commercial states that they have gained 2 million members in the past year alone. What does that mean for your search? Well, anyone can create a free profile on the site (or most sites). Just because there are a ton of profiles does not mean that there are that many actively paying members in which to communicate with.
Match.com is the first and oldest online dating site, having been around since 1995. In 2012, they had 1.9 million paid subscribers. It’s more difficult to pinpoint eHarmony’s numbers, but they’ve had about 33 million members since it came on the scene in 2000.
Marry Well is still a new site, and a quick search from a metropolitan area such as Dallas/Fort Worth showed a much smaller selection of profiles than the sites that have been around for years such as eHarmony, Match, Chemistry.com, and Christian Mingle.
Here’s what you need to consider: If you live in a small town or rural area and you’re not into long-distance relationships, the number of online dating profiles within your geographical region is already slim. You’ll need to either expand your driving distance or choose one of the sites that boast millions of profiles to choose from.
With the exception of Marry Well, all 5 of the other sites generally include hundreds to thousands of profiles for Christians to choose from that are within a reasonable driving distance (under 2-3 hours). Marry Well has potential, but it might be a bit longer before we can wholeheartedly recommend it for its large membership. Christian Café has more than Marry Well, but they still don’t offer anywhere near the numbers of eHarmony, Match, and Christian Mingle.
Membership Numbers :: SingleRoots Recommends:
eHarmony
Match.com
Christian Mingle
WHERE’S THE EASY BUTTON?
For some people, technology can still be a bit daunting. You’ve managed to conquer Facebook, but online dating is a brand new world and you might not want to seek help from a friend.
If you’re searching for the easiest site to use, the answer is probably going to be eHarmony. It’s pretty straightforward—you get sent your daily allotment of matches and you can communicate with them or close them out. There is a lengthy initial questionnaire on eHarmony, but it’s nothing high tech. Chemistry.com is pretty straightforward, too, with a less-lengthy questionnaire.
Most of the other sites give you more control options, which also translates with more details to learn how to navigate.
If you’re a little more confident in your internet savviness, Marry Well shouldn’t be too difficult. Both Match and Christian Mingle gives users the ability to chat, and Christian Mingle even offers a prayer room (because evidently they think we totally want to spend time in prayer with perfect strangers on the internets). Christian Café offers chat options, too, but more than anything, Christian Café just seems outdated. It is the least easy-to-use of the sites and could stand a fresh, new aesthetic.
Ease of Use :: SingleRoots Recommends:
eHarmony
THEY WILL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY…OUR PROFILE?
We want to point out that while these sites aren’t all explicitly “Christian dating sites,” we know that a great deal of Christians use them to find relationships. Our research shows that Christian corporations do not necessarily own even the ones that have “Christian” in the company name. In fact, Christian Café and Marry Well are the only two sites in our review that are owned by Christians and could be considered Christian dating sites exclusively. If you feel this is an issue, we urge you to do your own research and find a site that is aligned with your convictions.
However, we believe the best Christian dating sites can be websites that are not technically for Christians only. You just need to set your search parameters carefully and answer your questions in such a way that reflect the priority you place on spiritual matters. But even when you’ve done that, some sites can still make it hard to find like-minded believers without having to click on every single profile you find interesting only to read further and find out he/she rarely attends church.
Match.com only provides a few multiple-choice questions about religion and church services. Christian Mingle makes things a little easier by allowing members to answer questions similar to Match’s, along with some denominational information. Christian Mingle also includes some short answer questions about faith.
Chemistry.com proved to be the most difficult site when it came to finding other like-minded Christians, since they only allow you a small portion of the profile for including your own words. The rest are multiple choice answers, and of those, only a few discuss faith.
While it’s true that you have to sit through the lengthy initial personality profile with eHarmony, there’s something to be said for it. Especially when paired with the option to designate how important your match’s spirituality is. Our experience and our research shows this results in profiles that are more aligned with what we were looking for.
Marry Well was created by couples who have a history with Focus on the Family, and their mission is “to help people form good marriages for their good and God’s glory.” The idea is to engage singles (pardon the pun) as they walk the road all the way to marriage. Marry Well doesn’t want you to stop being a part of the site once you enter a dating relationship. They want to provide you with resources and community all the way until the wedding day. It is because of this, we believe, that most of the members of the site are usually committed Christians.
Christian Café also has fairly detailed settings such as denominational preferences, church affiliation and involvement, and faith level and does not require a lengthy questionnaire. It can be useful for people who do not want to devote the time it takes to evaluate yourself and your interests on eHarmony.
Christian Filters :: SingleRoots Recommends:
eHarmony
Marry Well
Christian Café
SAFE AND SECURE FROM ALL ALARM
There’s something unnerving about communicating with someone you hardly know. We’ve all watched Law and Order; we’ve heard the horror stories. There’s nothing wrong with being safe.
Your first option for safety on any site is to not use your photo. Girls like to say that only the guys care about looks, but that’s not true. Even the holiest of girls wants to see if his eyes look honest and kind (or if his hairline is receding or if his belly shows too much beer consumption) before she meets him for coffee. So not using a photo isn’t really going to reap a bumper crop of hot dates for most people.
eHarmony prefers you use your first name on your profile. Sure, you can create an alias, but for the most part, member profiles include legit names. The other sites allow you to create a user name, which sometimes can tell you more about a person than 10 profile questions.
But what happens if you get the one match who falls in love with you and won’t stop emailing and trying to communicate with you? You’re a good catch; it can happen.
Blocking profiles is an option for Match, Christian Mingle, and eHarmony users. The terms of use and privacy policy page are not updated on Marry Well, so it is difficult to determine what steps they want you to take in order to curb eager stalkers. Christian Café also gives users the option to keep unwanted communications at bay with their mail block, but they can still view your profile.
Privacy/Security :: SingleRoots Recommends:
Match.com
eHarmony
Christian Mingle
CONTROL ISSUES
When it comes to finding the best Christian dating sites, Control Freaks, we’ve got you covered.
You want all of your matches and you want to make your own decisions! You know what’s best for you and not some computer program. And you don’t want to have to sit around and wait until Day 37 when said computer program drops him/her in your inbox. If that’s you, you won’t like eHarmony or Chemistry.com.
But, you’ll be happy to know that the other 4 sites give you access to all of their membership profiles, as well as the ability to communicate on whichever level you choose. It’s important to note: While Marry Well doesn’t keep you from communicating with anyone, they discourage women from initiating actual relationships with men. That might fire some of you up, and others might find it refreshing. Jesus loves us all.
Personal Control :: SingleRoots Recommends:
Match.com
Christian Mingle
Christian Cafe
IS THERE AN APP FOR THAT?
If you get an email or a wink from a match, you want to be able to see who it is while you’re at work or at the mall. We know…we do too. It’s just the way things are now. No one waits until they get home to get on a site. In fact, most people find it difficult to wait until they get to a red light.
And that’s not counting the myriads of people who primarily use an iPad or a tablet instead of an actual computer.
If this is you, you’ll be happy to know that all of the sites we’ve reviewed–with the exception of Chemistry.com and Marry Well–offer you mobile apps. Now you can find true love in the palm of your hand while traveling the world.
For more info on the best Christian dating apps, check out our review.
Mobile Options :: SingleRoots Recommends:
eHarmony
Match.com
Christian Mingle
Christian Cafe
We need your help! We know that not everyone will agree with our reviews, but that’s the beauty of our plan. When we update our reviews, we want them to be influenced by and include feedback from you. Share your experiences (both good and bad) in the comments below! We’re listening and constantly making updates to our posts
Current Online Dating Deals:
Last updated: 2/15/2017
eHarmony (USA Offers):
Special Promo Link & Code: Get 60% Off a 6-Month Membership at eHarmony.com with code SINGLEROOTS60
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Match.com (USA Offers):
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Match.com (UK Offers):
Free Registration at uk.match.com
ChristianMingle.com:
NEW! 20% off link for Christian Mingle - Use code: Dating20
Review Your Matches for FREE at Christian Mingle!
Christian Cafe:
Get a 10-day ChristianCafe.com FREE trial
Christian Crush:
2-Weeks Free for Members with a 100% Completed Profile, plus, unlimited smiles and messages.
Best Christian Dating Sites Rankings
Monthly Price Range
Number of Members
Ease of Use
Christian Filters
Best Deal Link
Read Reviewsize>
Visit eHarmony
$19.95 to $59.95
Tip: How to Get an eHarmony Free Trial
High
Simple
Excellent
60% Off 6-Month Membership! Use this link with this code at checkout: SINGLEROOTS60
Read Reviewsize>
Visit Match.com
$16.99 to $36.99
High
Quite a Few Details
Fair
25% off discount link for Match.com
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianMingle
$16.99 to $32.99
High
Option-Overload
Good
20% Off Link!
Use this link and promo code at checkout: Dating20
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianCafe
$8.99 to $34.97
Medium
Option-Overload
Excellent
10-Day Free Trial
Read Reviewsize>
Visit ChristianCrush
$12.99
Low
Simple
Excellent
2-Week Free Trial
See All 2017 Dating Site Rankingssize>
In accordance with FTC guidelines, we declare that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase an item through that link, SingleRoots will receive a commission. We only recommend products or services we believe will add value to our readers. Just keeping it real. Gotta pay the bills, yo.
The post Best Christian Dating Sites in 2017 :: How to Pick the Right One for You appeared first on SingleRoots.