The Best Senior Dating Sites for Widows and Widowers
|
December 12, 2024
|
Key Finding
- SilverSingles and OurTime are primarily for seniors — people who are more likely to understand your marital status.
- Match is the most popular dating website for adults ages 50 and older. It’s used by 53 percent of online daters in their 50s, 51 percent in their 60s, and 41 percent in their 70s or older, according to Pew Research data.
- 27 percent of Match members are ages 50 and older, while, for SilverSingles, that number is even higher at 80 percent.
- OurTime offers the lowest monthly prices, starting at $12.99 per month.
Why Trust TheSeniorList?
We don’t just recommend dating websites. We test them out for at least two weeks each, rating them for usability, members, and website features. We also pay close attention to a website’s privacy policy, ensuring that the company protects your personal data and doesn't share it with third parties. Plus, we take a look at cost, measuring up similar websites next to each other.
Finally, to get a broader overview of what other customers think, we consult Consumer Affairs — a website where customers rate and review all types of businesses. By depending not only on our experiences but also on those of thousands of real customers, we gain a comprehensive view of each dating website and its ideal members.
The Best Dating Sites for Widows and Widowers
- SilverSingles : Highest Percentage of Seniors
- Match.com : Most Popular Among Seniors
- OurTime : Cheapest Option
1. SilverSingles
View Packages
Links to SilverSingles
What We Like Most:
- 80 percent of members are 50 and older
- Verifications on every new member
- In-person events in major cities
- Members live in over 20 different countries
Overview
You may be more comfortable in a digital environment composed mainly of other seniors — especially if you’re new to online senior dating. If that’s the case, consider joining SilverSingles, a senior-focused website where 80 percent of the people are 50 and older. Like any other website, anyone 18 and over is allowed to join, but most members are seniors seeking seniors. Given the fact that 71 percent of widowers and 69 percent of widows are 65 and older, other seniors may be more understanding about your marital status. You may even be able to meet another widow or widower who completely sympathizes with your experience.
The main drawback of SilverSingles, however, is its lack of Google searches. This means it has fewer members than a site like OurTime or Match. While OurTime has more than three times the number of searches, Match has over 37 times the number of searches. So, SilverSingles is certainly a much smaller pool than either site. However, you may feel more comfortable in this smaller pool, especially if the death of your spouse occurred recently. Dip your toes in the water with SilverSingles, which also offers a free version. However, seeing unblurred photos and sending messages will cost you something.
You can learn more about our testing experience in our SilverSingles review.
Pros
- Majority of users are senior members
- Sensitive data is not shared with third parties
- In-person events throughout the country
- Free likes, searches, and profile views
Cons
- Potentially fewer members than OurTime and Match
- Free version does not include unblurred photos or messaging
2. Match.com
What We Like Most:
- Used by 41 to 53 percent of senior online daters ages 50 and above
- Slick and sophisticated interface
- 1 out of every 4 members is age 50 or older
- Match Events to meet people in person
Overview
Match is the most popular dating site for seniors, even though it’s not a senior-specific website. While 31 percent of online daters across all age groups use Match, those numbers are much higher for seniors. Fifty-three percent of online daters ages 50 to 59, 51 percent of 60- to 69-year-olds, and 41 percent of people ages 70 and up have used Match. That beats out other popular dating sites like eHarmony, Tinder, and OkCupid — making it more likely you’ll connect with another senior.
Match’s member statistics show that its 50-and-over crowd is its fastest-growing demographic. Nearly 27 percent of its members are 50 and older, and 74 percent have completed some or all of a college degree. Additionally, 46 percent do not have children, while 22 percent have children who do not live at home. This means you can meet someone with a child-free house. The grandchildren can always visit!
To find other seniors on Match, simply filter for your desired age range. Although the percentage of seniors may not be higher than SilverSingles’, you will probably find more seniors on Match in terms of sheer numbers. You may even meet someone at a Match Event, although you’ll have to pay a little extra for this in-person dating experience. For more information, read our full Match review.
Pros
- No.1 website for seniors in terms of popularity
- 1 in 4 members are 50 and over
- Highest traffic compared to OurTime and SilverSingles
- Match events allow you to meet multiple people in person in a short period of time
Cons
- Not specific to seniors
- May make you visible on other Match Group services like Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and OurTime
3. OurTime
View Packages
Links to OurTime
What We Like Most:
- Specific to seniors
- Prices start at $12.99 a month
- Mandatory text verification on all profiles
- One-week and one-month contracts are available
Overview
Like SilverSingles, OurTime is a dating site for seniors specifically. But one major difference is its number of searches, which are more than three times as plentiful as SilverSingles. This implies three times as many members and thus three times the chance you’ll meet your future spouse.
OurTime and Match are both owned by the Match Group, so the user experience was essentially identical on both sites. It didn’t take us long to input basic information like our current marital status, as well as our dating preferences. Within minutes of signing up, we were browsing unblurred photos and sending out as many likes as we wanted. The catch? OurTime’s free online dating for seniors does not include messaging — unless you pay for a subscription, that is.
Fortunately, OurTime has the lowest prices of the three, ranging from $12.99 to $24.99 a month. While SilverSingles ranges from $24.95 to $44.95 a month, Match is in the middle at $19.99 to $39.99 a month. Another advantage of OurTime is its short contract lengths. We could choose term lengths as short as one week or one month, while both Match and SilverSingles require at least a three-month commitment. If you don’t want to commit to a long-term contract, OurTime is the dating site for you.
Get more information about OurTime in our full OurTime review or compare OurTime vs. SilverSingles.
Pros
- Prices start at $12.99 a month
- One-week and one-month contract lengths are available
- Focus on seniors
- Mandatory verification through text message
Cons
- 10 times less popular than Match in terms of Google searches
- Must pay to speak to matches
Are There Dating Sites Specifically for Widows?
There are dating sites for widows specifically, like Chapter 2, Widows Dating Online, and Dating a Widower, among others. However, these sites have a fraction of the traffic and membership of larger websites like SilverSingles, OurTime, and Match, in particular. Match has nearly 18 million visitors a month, OurTime has 6.4 million, and SilverSingles has 1.3 million. However, Dating a Widower has a little over 300,000, Chapter 2 has 12,239, and Widows Dating Online has a mere 1,168, according to SimilarWeb. Sure, it’s possible to find love with a fellow widow or widower on any of these sites, but you’d have more luck fishing in a larger pond.
Bottom Line
Although being widowed may make you feel alone, it’s very common among U.S. adults ages 75 and up — affecting 58 percent of women and 28 percent of men, according to U.S. Census data. But being widowed doesn’t mean your life is over, especially if you try online dating for seniors. Learn more about how to find the love of your life — whether online or off.