5 Best Dating Sites For LGBT Singles Looking For Love

Dating sites aren't just for straight singles.

By Heidi Lee Munson — Written on Oct 13, 2019

Photo: unsplash / DeMorris Byrd

Seeking an LGBT relationship online is no different than searching through Tinder to find your targeted niche. LGBT singles can benefit from mainstream dating sites, such as Match or eHarmony, as both services cater to the LGBT community.

Gay and lesbian singles need to understand what they hope to gain from their online journey in order to select the right dating site.

The same online dating etiquette applies — be honest about who you are and what type of relationship you're seeking. If you are bisexual, the expectation would be that you list yourself as bisexual, even if you do not have that requirement for a potential match. The principle is no different when listing whether you smoke or drink.

So how do you get started? The hardest part of jumping in is knowing which dating site best suits your needs. Here's a breakdown of the top dating sites and how it works in regard to LGBT daters:

1. OKCupid

It's a free dating site that connects LGBT singles. With a mass following, finding someone to grab a drink with at the end of the workweek or to take to a wine tasting involves surfing profiles of members who live nearby with similar tastes.

OKCupid is a free site, meaning that you will never pay to access profiles or be able to contact members

The downfall is that a free site does not have any barrier to enter — anyone can click in and subscribe. As with any free site, you run the risk of meeting people who are less than committed to the search for "Happily Ever After."

OKCupid does allow members to block straight singles from viewing their profile, though, which is pretty nifty!

2. Chemistry

This LGBT dating site, which has 975,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members, does most of the work for you through strong personality matching results.

However, members of Chemistry.com are limited in their ability to search independently through profiles. The site caters mostly to relationship-driven singles over 35 using unique analytical questions, such as selecting a color to demonstrate your personality.

Members on this site are serious about their searches for companionship since a six-month subscription costs $160.

3. Match.com

Match.com has approximately 650,000 LGBT members.

Safety and discretion are important, so Match offers members a disclosure feature. This means that singles can reveal themselves only after they have accepted communications. However, the majority of the paying members keep their profiles visible, allowing for open searching.

Match.com also offers suggestions in the "Daily Five" and in search functions. Members create profiles using a questionnaire that showcases their interests, lifestyle, and values.

A six-month membership costs $100.

4. Compatible Partners

This the eHarmony solution for relationship-seeking LGBT singles.

The site guides member communication before ever showing member profiles. Once two members complete the guided process, the relationship is moved to "open communication." This feature provides members with the ability to send emails to potential partners, while still keeping anonymity.

While it's free to look at your matches, you cannot search for your own. You are strictly given matches based on the answers you provided. This service is not a "hook up" service, but for LGBT people seeking a lasting relationship.

There is a free membership, but it is limited. The subscription cost is $19.95 a month.

5. Senior People Meet

Senior People Meet has a better selection for LGBT individuals looking for mature singles.

While Match, eHarmony, and Chemistry have mature members, this site is becoming a favorite for both straight and gay older singles.