Meet up quickly. Chemistry is almost impossible to assess through emails alone. Meet up soon, so you can be sure there really is a spark. If the person you’re chatting to keeps putting off the chance to meet, ask yourself why.

Report suspicious behaviour. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable or gets abusive, don’t hesitate to report them to the website.

Check the site has signed up to the ODA. If you’re in the UK, make sure your chosen dating site follows the Online Dating Association code of practice. Enter the site’s name into the ODA’s free ‘Check a site’ tool to find out if it’s registered.

Don’t pay for the same service twice! Many dating sites are owned by the same company and/or share a database of members. For instance, Classic FM Romance, The Telegraph Dating and Smooth Radio Singles all use the same database as each other. We’ve made sure all the services we mention below are separate from each other.

The best dating sites for 2022

eHarmony is a right old pain to join. Before posting a profile, you have to wade through dozens of soul-searching multi-choice questions about yourself and your approach to life. After that, you can’t see people’s photos until you’re a paid-up member, and even then you can only see pics of people you’ve been ‘matched’ with.

It’s hard work, but that’s the point. eHarmony is committed to filtering out time-wasters and matching you with genuine potential partners. If you’re a woman who’s fed up with the torrent of “winks” you get on other sites, eHarmony will come as a big relief. And if you’re a man on eHarmony, women will know you’re serious.

All adults are welcome here, but you may prefer one of its sister sites for a more focused search. eHarmony Gay Dating focuses on same-sex relationships; eHarmony Lifestyle Dating focuses on cultural background; and eHarmony Single Parents matches lone mums and dads.

Premium plans, which let you send unlimited messages and see who’s viewed your profile, are priced roughly in line with eHarmony’s rivals. As with most of these sites, the pricing isn’t an exact science – there are generous discounts if you return after months away, even if you didn’t pay for premium membership before.

2. Match: Best dating site for quick replies and wide choice

You can do more for free on Match than on eHarmony. You can search profiles using powerful filters, check for people nearby using the Around Me tool, publish your profile, receive “winks” from interested suitors, and see everyone’s photos � all gratis.

That makes Match a winner if you want to dive straight in, but it does mean there’s less quality control. The moment your profile is published, which you have to do before seeing prices, you’re battered with attention. So if you want a ton of options and a date tonight, Match is the place to come. If, on the other hand, you want to ease your way into online dating, you’ll find Match a bit “too much”.

You’ll have to subscribe to send and receive messages. This will cost different amounts depending on how long you want to commit to Match for, with the longer contracts being cheaper.

Match’s sister site, Affinity, uses the same database but adds eHarmony-style compatibility testing. Match also hosts events where you can meet singles face-to-face in a secure environment.

3. OkCupid: Best dating site with a completely free plan

OkCupid is like a vivacious younger version of eHarmony, although they are separate entities and don’t share a database. Like eHarmony, OkCupid makes you sit through numerous compatibility questions and has a focus on getting to know you, heart and soul. However, it’s much more open to non-traditional matches and casual relationships than eHarmony is.