SilverSingles vs. EliteSingles: Which Dating Site Is Better?

SilverSingles vs. EliteSingles: Key Findings

As far as memberships and features go, SilverSingles and EliteSingles are strikingly similar, with the same term lengths and website interfaces. But there are some pretty key differences to be aware of.

• SilverSingles is mostly seniors, while EliteSingles is mostly people with above-average educations, which I take to mean college and graduate school.
• EliteSingles is cheaper no matter which term length you choose: three, six, or 12 months.
• Both offer in-person meetups through a company called CitySwoon, although EliteSingles has events in 12 cities across the U.S., while SilverSingles taps out at five.
• Because they’re owned by the same company, the sites are nearly identical in terms of security features, personality tests, and website and app layout and interfaces.

Pricing Comparison

No matter if you sign up for three, six, or 12 months, EliteSingles is going to be cheaper than SilverSingles, saving you anywhere from $6 to $10 a month.

Unlike sites such as OurTime, which starts with low prices then pushes members into a ton of costly add-ons, the only fees with EliteSingles and SilverSingles are for the memberships. Each site also offers free memberships, although you’ll need to pay to see unblurred photos. Additionally, SilverSingles makes you pay to message with people, while messaging is available for free on a limited basis with EliteSingles.

Membership Makeup

The member pool is the most important key difference between EliteSingles and SilverSingles. Spark Networks, which owns both web properties, even describes them differently on its website. EliteSingles is, according to Spark, a site that connects people seeking long-term relationships, allowing “professionals to have an ‘elite' online dating experience with someone whose values and personal preferences match their own.” SilverSingles, on the other hand, is marketed towards the over-50 crowd. So while the majority of EliteSingles’ members hold higher educations and are looking for serious relationships, most people on SilverSingles are 50 and older.

As far as numbers of members goes, Spark Networks does not advertise this information, aside from saying that as of 2018, 381,000 new members sign up for each website per month in 20 countries worldwide. I assume this number is aggregated from all their dating sites, which include Zoosk, Christian Mingle, and Jdate in addition to EliteSingles and SilverSingles.

But one way to gain some insights despite this lack of information is to look at Google Trends data, which reveals how often people search for certain terms.

It’s clear that, at least from August 2023 to August 2024, more people search for SilverSingles — over three times as much, on average, which suggests it has more members than EliteSingles. The more people there are, the more opportunities you have to find love, so this is a huge feather in SilverSingles’ cap.

Features

Because Spark Networks owns both SilverSingles and EliteSingles, the websites and apps are nearly identical in terms of features and functionality. You can see the similarities just by looking at their search functions. Here’s SilverSingles:

And EliteSingles:

The only differences (aside from fonts) are the actual members, as you can see. But you’ll take the exact same personality test, use the same messaging platform, and have the same privacy and safety features, which include encryption of sensitive data and verifications of all members.

Both platforms are pretty bare-bones when it comes to features. There aren’t extras like super likes, boosts, read receipts, video chatting, or anonymous browsing. Rather, these websites are very straightforward, which make them easy to use for someone not entirely comfortable with technology. You’ll view matches, like them, and message them — that’s it.

User Testimonials

Both EliteSingles and SilverSingles have been reviewed on Trustpilot and have ratings of 1.6 and 2.3 out of five stars, respectively. Additionally, SilverSingles has a 1.2 rating on Consumer Affairs, while EliteSingles does not have any ratings at all.

Users on Consumer Affairs appreciated SilverSingles for its safety features like encryption and member verification, the fact that it’s aimed at the over-50 crowd, and its personality test. But people complained about the limitations of the free membership, as well as the fact that they thought the search algorithm skews toward people who visit the site more often. Additionally, many users complained about billing and auto-renewal, like one woman named Mel from Atlanta, Georgia. She wrote in a recent one-star review, “They deliberately make it very difficult to cancel. You can’t even contact them, when you send them an email it bounces back. They keep charging you without your authorization.”

As far as EliteSingles goes, many people complained about fake profiles and scammers. One user wrote a lengthy review in August, 2024: “The only reason I am giving two stars vs. one is because they have warned me twice about scammers I had had contact with. In both cases, I suspected they were scammers. Both lived far away and were very attractive. I told each of them that the distance was a factor and both gave me some sappy response about distance not making a difference when you find your soul mate. I regret trusting the first one a little too much (just enough to share personal thoughts)…I have tried three other dating sites and have not met one scammer. This site seems to attract them. I think the name of the site gives scammers hope of finding successful, wealthy, and lonely individuals.”

Whatever site you end up using, make sure to steer clear of online dating scams. Never reveal your personal information, and protect yourself from identity theft.

Bottom Line

While EliteSingles has certainly carved out a niche for the long-term-relationship-seeking, highly educated crowd, SilverSingles is for you if you are looking to date a fellow senior. Aside from its older membership base, people Google SilverSingles three times as often as they search for  EliteSingles, so you should find plenty of options. That being said, if you want to learn more, read my SilverSingles review.