EliteSingles Review

By Rachel Martinez Updated on: March 4, 2024 Fact Checked by Jonathan Hartley

Talk about online dating and EliteSingles often comes up as a well-respected platform. For one thing, they take pride in stats like over 300,000 new members joining some months, resulting in a huge dating pool. Also, their security features, personality test and having educated members are some of their primary selling points.

The platform has been around since the early 2000s. The online dating scene has evolved, though, and we wanted to see if EliteSingles is still competitive with similar sites. We took time to test out all its features and discovered some new ones that weren’t part of the original design, so it does seem like the brand improves over time.

Still, we created a detailed review on all topics from security to customer support and matching options. With its personality test and compatibility scoring, it’s mostly suited for those looking for serious relationships, but use our feedback to see how it can help you find your next date, partner or spouse.

✅ What We Like

• Personality test for compatible matches: EliteSingles uses an advanced personality quiz for all users. As it’s part of the sign-up process, they have this data of all its users. This helps to formulate detailed profiles, and they can give all users suggestions of matches that they are highly compatible with. Compatibility plays a big role in whether a relationship can work or not, making this an ideal platform for people looking for serious, committed relationships.
• Robust, informative profiles and pages: The sign-up process obtains a lot of information about a person, ranging from looks to interests and future plans. This provides other users with a wealth of information to help determine if engaging in conversation may lead to a date or a relationship. The robust profiles help users make informed decisions, which prevents wasting time on matches you won’t really enjoy talking to or who you will eventually realize don’t have the same life goals and values as you.
• Smart design: The pages are rich with information, but the design allows for an uncluttered look. This helps make the platform more welcoming, and you feel relaxed utilizing the features, which is valuable for newbies who often feel daunted by the idea of online dating.
• Caters to certain disabilities: With an innovative Accessibility tool, users can adjust details on the page, such as text size, color palette, and much more. This makes it easier for users who are visually impaired, deaf, or face other challenges to still enjoy and optimize online dating.
• User base is vast, across the globe: Millions of people use EliteSingles, creating a large dating pool. Large numbers increase the chance of someone finding a good match. Also, EliteSingles users come from across the globe, so you can possibly find someone close to where you live, or use the platform as an international dating site.
• Get translated pages: A click on your country’s flag can prompt translations of the pages. This makes it comfortable for people from around the globe to use EliteSingles’ tools and benefit from its information.
• High safety standards: The platform keeps users’ data safe thanks to excellent encryption. Also, if you delete your account, none of your information or messages will be saved.
• Free membership also works: Even if you are a free member, you can take the personality quiz and receive information on matches that you may find compatible. You have a good chance of striking up a conversation with someone you spend the rest of your life with, without even paying.

❌ What We Didn’t Like

• Navigation can improve: Although it’s a user-friendly site in general, certain pages lack intuitive navigation. For example, from some of the Help pages, there’s no clear way to click back to your profile, messages, or matches.
• Only a few customer support options: This is a modern platform in many ways, but surprisingly they don’t have a live chat feature. Also, you can use their online form, but they don’t advertise a phone number to contact them.

💡 Features

💰  EliteSingles Pricing

You can use EliteSingles’s free membership option and enjoy certain features that already make it possible to find a good match. For one thing, all users must complete the personality test, so the platform has your valuable information to work with, no matter if you pay or not. Also, even free users get a few matches each day. There are simply some limits:

• You can’t see matches’ photos.
• Send Smiles, but not messages, unless someone messages you first
• No list of members who have visited your profile

Someone serious about finding a long-term partner will probably find it a good investment to spend money on an EliteSingles Premium plan. It offers you the following benefits:

• All communication tools
• See who visits your profile
• Know who has read your messages
• Profile photos are all visible
• As many as 20 Wildcard Matches every day

All Premium contracts give you the same benefits, but it’s your choice how long you want to join:

Having three options helps manage your budget, but it also shows respect for people’s different points of view. Not all users want to commit to a platform for a long time. You may know yourself well enough that you think you’ll only try this for a while before trying a different platform with a completely alternative approach, such as a niche site like BBWCupid or Bumble.

If you do commit to a contract, you can pay with a credit card or PayPal.

📱 EliteSingles on Mobile

You can use your browser on your mobile phone, or download the Android or iOS app. You’ll find their links on the EliteSingles website, or you can check your app store.

The app design is user-friendly and makes good use of space, so you have most of the screen to view members’ photos. There are only some icons at the bottom of the screen, such as quick navigation links and the icons to like, message, or pass on a match.

For other tools, open the hamburger menu at the top left.

There are even handy tutorial popups to help you understand the various tools, so onboarding is really quick.

We found that pages load quickly and overall the navigation is intuitive.

When using the website on your mobile, it’s also user-friendly, although it doesn’t offer the icons over the bottom of the screen like the app.

🤔 How to Use EliteSingles

Do note that this platform is accessible around the globe. There are localized pages in certain countries, so page layouts may differ slightly from the steps and screenshots shared below. However, the basic premise stays the same.

Registration

Start your registration by stating your gender and accepting their policies. This will open the next window to type in your email address and password.

Straight off the bat, it’s clear that eHarmony aims to be inclusive, as you can select whether you want to match with the same or opposite gender.

Then you’ll answer a range of questions as part of the basic profile data but also the personality profile they’ll build of you, based on the Big Five Model of Personality. The questionnaire covers topics like:

Basic information:

• Marital status
• Education
• How important aspects like ethnicity, intelligence, partner height intelligence, and education is in your partner

• Height
• Ethnicity
• Satisfaction with own appearance
• Beliefs

Relationship goals, viewpoints, and personality:

• The role your partner should fulfill
• Date preferences
• How you perceive yourself
• Sexual desires
• Personal habits

Lifestyle:

• Smoking habits
• Hobbies
• Children
• Location
• How far you’re willing to travel to meet a potential partner
• Career
• Income

There are also some images to select from, that gives the platform insight into your preferences and personality. Just pick the one you find most drawn to – don’t overthink it!

All questions are easy and quick to answer, thanks to sliders or just requiring you to click on an appropriate block or circle.

Overall, the questionnaire is well-designed and the answers to select from are relevant, and it’s easy to find one that realistically applies to your life.

If you realize you answered incorrectly, simply use the back arrow and revise the information.

Some questions require typing, but if you’re in a hurry to start matching, you have the option to answer these questions later on.

After this, which takes less than 30 minutes, the platform can use the data from the personality test to find appropriate profiles. Their goal is compatibility in various aspects of life.

If your point of view changes, or you realize you should look for partners outside your usual ‘type’, you can make adjustments.

Simply use the editing option in your profile.

Remember that profiles with photos get much more notice, but EliteSingles allows you to skip this step and upload one later if you don’t yet feel comfortable showing this to the world. We like this level of respect for people’s privacy. It makes using the platform less intimidating for newbies or people with lower self-esteem.

You may want to make adjustments to your profile down the line. Note that certain changes require you to contact support. This includes changing your height, date of birth, where you stay, or what name is displayed. Your online form will require your reference number, which you’ll find under ‘Account’ in your profile drop-down list.

To finalize your registration, remember to check your email inbox and click on the ‘Finish your Subscription’ link.

Making Matches

Seconds after you complete the personality test, you’ll have your first possible matches to view. Just remember, you must be a Premium member to view their profile photos. To pursue possible matches, your most effective tools appear on the top menu bar.

EliteSingles is all about getting to know someone really well, so you can hopefully spend your life with them. So, ‘Messages’ is your first option. The other three menu options will display users’ profiles, whether it’s matches based on the compatibility rating, people who have viewed your profile, or random, wildcard matches under ‘Have you met’.

On the ‘Matches’ page, the numbers at the top of the images will tell you how compatible you are based on both your answers.

When clicking on ‘Have you met?’ at the top of your screen, your matches will be presented as a stack of cards. You can see the details of each individual, such as how friends describe him or her, and choose your response:

• Message
• Reject
• Like

Communicating with Matches

With EliteSingles, the main method of communication once you make a match is sending text messages to each other. All your messages appear on the ‘Messages’ page, and with the tab being far left at the top of the page, it’s easy to browse through your discussions with others.

Apart from texting, you can:

• Send Smiles to other profiles to indicate your interest. If you’re a free member, this will be the only communication you can do until someone opens a conversation with you.
• Like someone’s profile photo.
• Comment on a profile photo.
• Request that someone upload a profile photo

These options may be fewer than some other pages like eHarmony with its Icebreakers or PositiveSingles with chat rooms. However, it’s sufficient to initiate conversations. And when two people who are serious about finding someone to have a committed relationship have texted for a while, a first in-person date in a public place can help move the relationship along.

Optimize Your EliteSingles Experience

EliteSingles pages are rich in tools and features that help with the general experience, as well as making matches. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Wildcard Matches: The many success stories of EliteSingles prove that their matchmaking process works well. However, finding love is not a perfect science and you may just find your soulmate in someone who is completely your opposite. This shows the value of EliteSingles’ Wildcard options. You can get a few random profiles suggested to you each day. We suggest you start chatting with them, as you may just hit it off with someone completely different than what you thought you needed in this life.
• Email notifications: Enable the ‘Receive Email notifications’ in the email settings of your profile. You’ll know about new activities even if you don’t have time to open the platform at work. Just note that this may include marketing emails as well.
• Get to know yourself: Even on a free membership, you can view the outcome of your personality test. Look for the option underneath your profile photo. Learning about your natural inclinations regarding personality traits like agreeableness or extraversion can help you understand your reactions in a date setup. Use it for self-improvement or to monitor if you’re being your true self with your match.

• Accessibility: A standout feature is EliteSingles’ Accessibility tool. Look for the blue icon depicting a human shape, usually at the bottom left of your screen.

Click on this for the Accessibility window to open on the side of your screen.

You’ll be given a range of options to customize your EliteSingles experience according to personal preferences, but also needs. This is how they cater to differently abled individuals, such as:

• Visual impairment
• Epilepsy
• Color blindness
• Dyslexia
• Older individuals

Simply click on the toggle switch at the appropriate option and the pages will adjust – such as changing the color scheme or adding details – to become easier to utilize.

Do scroll down on that popup window as there are multiple settings you can adjust manually as well, including color, adding captions, and resizing the font.

👥 General User Experience

We found EliteSingles easy to use and one quickly becomes accustomed to the intuitive layout. Although there is loads of information to help you research individuals and compare profiles, the pages are uncluttered, creating a positive user experience.

Users from around the world can feel welcome and comfortable using the platform, as they do cater to many cultures and languages. Scroll down to the row of flags near the bottom of your screen, and if you click on the relevant one, a new tab will open with the information presented in the chosen language.

With special settings as found on the Accessibility window (see above), EliteSingles manages to create a very dynamic online dating experience for almost anyone.

One navigation feature we think they can improve on is how to return to matching after using other pages, like their ‘Help’ or ‘Imprint’ pages. There’s no quick link to your profile or main page. One option is to repeatedly click the ‘Back’ button of the browser. On some pages, clicking on the brand icon near the top will help navigate back to your profile too.

Finally, do prepare yourself for some marketing emails from the company. They share dating tips and other information with users. Some of these messages end up in your spam folders, though.

🔐 User Safety & Security

EliteSingles prominently displays its security benefits, such as being a Positive SSL Secured platform. You’ll find this seal on their home page.

Part of what makes it a safe platform is that EliteSingles uses encryption to transmit all users’ data. And if you terminate your profile, they will remove photos, personal information, and all your messages from their database.

Furthermore, the safety features include:

• Protected data: EliteSingles doesn’t share your personal information with third party role players.
• Fraud team: In-house they have a team that monitors activity and if they notice suspicious actions by users, they’ll investigate and take action to keep the platform safe.
• Advice: They offer good advice in their ‘Staying Safe’ section on how to safely use a dating site. Tips range from how to set up an in-person meetup to how to identify suspicious behavior.

We also liked how easy it is to delete one’s account, as some dating sites require elaborate processes, or the option isn’t in a very obvious place. On EliteSingles you’ll find ‘Delete my Account’ as a main item in your ‘Personal Details’. So if you ever feel bullied or dissatisfied with the platform, exiting is super easy. 

☎️ Customer Support

If you need help from EliteSingles, you can use these methods:

• Help: A Help page with information on popular topics. Use the search bar to find what you’re looking for.
• Online form: You can look for the ‘Submit a request’ link on Help pages. Unfortunately, they only display it at the bottom of articles, not on the main Help page. Also, then you still have to confirm you want to open the form by clicking on ‘Contact Us’. So, it takes a few clicks to get the help you’re after. You can attach files like screenshots to explain your issue. You’ll receive an email to confirm your request and answers can reach you within minutes or hours. However, we sent multiple queries and after 24 hours we have not yet received feedback on all of them.

Note: While typing your query, the tool will suggest articles that may contain answers, so you may get your answer sooner than waiting for a reply. This is a dynamic way of putting digital information within easy reach.

• Email: you can use [email protected] for sending emails.

They do provide a physical address in Germany, but no contact number.

In addition, they have a robust information page, that’s similar to an online magazine. It’s called ‘Imprint’ and you’ll find the link at the bottom of the site.

Here you’ll have categories like:

• Magazine: Read articles on a variety of topics, from date ideas to reviews on the platform itself.
• About us: Find out about privacy policies, contact options, and more.
• Help: Navigate to articles that help on a range of popular topics.

Scroll down, and you’ll find some quick links to available articles. They cover a range of topics, from dating advice to dating tips for specific locations to real-life stories. This is another section that proves why EliteSingles is an appropriate dating site for the gay community since there are relevant topics that can help this niche as well.

The search bar at the top right will mostly help you find articles, but also brand information, such as their policies and terms and conditions. We also like how the site supports you in small ways across all pages. For example, when typing messages, you can enable a spellcheck feature to pick up on your grammar mistakes.

For educated people who want to match with intelligent partners, details like grammar may matter more than users on Tinder. Use the tool so you don’t inadvertently cause someone to swipe past your profile just because of an accidental typo.

🎖️ How Does EliteSingles Compare?

It’s ideal to compare EliteSingles with a similar dating site, as this can prove whether its features are up to standard. It also helps to see what makes it special. For this reason, see our comparison table between EliteSingles and eHarmony.

In terms of numbers, both offer large dating pools, with EliteSingles having a slightly bigger active user base.

eHarmony has reported over 40 million users over the years, but because these sites are about helping people find lasting relationships, many members stop using the platform after a while. So, when we look at active users, EliteSingles has a few more users across the globe, but both groups are still big enough to give users a good chance of finding a match.

A feature EliteSingles is proud of is that about 85% of its users, specifically in terms of US data, are educated. Education can be a filter on eHarmony as well, but it’s less of a focus compared to EliteSingles.

Both of these platforms use a personality quiz as part of their registration processes, so both can provide high compatibility matches. We do think EliteSingles covered a wider range of topics with the initial questionnaire.

The experience for free members is very similar but eHarmony shares a lot about the personality quiz results. You can use this to understand yourself better and determine your needs as a person and a partner.

Note that eHarmony is slightly more expensive than EliteSingles.

Each platform has some standout features. The accessibility tool really impressed us on EliteSingles and on eHarmony there are loads to help you easily communicate with new matches, such as Icebreakers. So, while both are worth the investment of getting a paid membership, shy people may appreciate the eHarmony online dating tools.

Discover Elite Matches, Pursue Serious Relationships

Visit EliteSingles

EliteSingles Review

Enjoy Compatible Matches, even on Free Membership

Visit eHarmony

eHarmony Review

🏆 Final Verdict: Is EliteSingles Right for You?

It’s clear that EliteSingles is a well-thought-out platform, with many features that make it easy to use. It’s a standout platform for anyone needing accessibility features, like helping someone with color blindness have a better online dating experience.

It is definitely more focused on people who want a long-term relationship, as compatibility is a primary goal, rather than just helping members find casual hookups.

We appreciate that even a free version can help you enjoy online dating. But if you want to invest in your dating life so you can find your life partner, a membership may just be what you’ve been looking for.

❓ FAQ