American Dating Services

WHAT WE FOUND: Successfully Dating is an easy to use site that offers plenty of dating fun along with your membership. We like the profile form, it allows you plenty of room to describe yourself and what you'd like in a match, but we didn't like all the profile simple answers to the regular search-type questions. Be sure to use the open text areas by describing yourself more that can be seen through the preset questions. You'll have fun, once your profile is verified, by using the fast searches and the chat system. You can send members 'smiles' to show your interest, we like that easy introduction feature. The search methods are well throughout including simple and advanced searches as well as instant matching based on your preferences and searching for members that are online when you are, which can lead to meeting in the chat room. The video messaging is easy to use and fun.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Free trial includes access to all features for 3 days. Messaging, video messages and live chat are fun things to do at this site. Lots of advice articles and movie and book reviews.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Complete the Great Expectations online confidential profile and you'll soon be contacted to discuss your matchmaking options. Once you become a member you'll provide a more complete profile, have at least one interview with a relationship counselor and make a video recording profile. Currently available in the USA only, in these cities: Atlanta, GA, Austin, TX, Baltimore, MD, Birmingham, AL, Bonita Springs, FL, Boston, MA, Charlotte (Fort Mill, SC), SC, Cherry Hill, NJ, Chicago Suburbs, IL, Chicago, IL, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, Detroit, MI, Ft Worth, TX, Ft. Laud/Palm Beach, FL, Grand Rapids, MI, Hartford, CT, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Irvine, CA, Jacksonville, FL, Kansas City, MO, Las Vegas, NV, Long Island, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Manhattan, NY, Miami, FL, Milwaukee, WI, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN, New Hampshire, NH, Orlando, FL, Palo Alto, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, Pittsburgh, PA, Portland, OR, Providence, MA, Richmond, VA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Francisco, CA, Sarasota, FL, Seattle, WA, St. Louis, MO, Stuart/Treasure Coast, FL, Summit, NJ, Tampa, FL, Upland, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Walnut Creek, CA, Washington DC, Vienna, VA. Visit the website to see any new areas that Great Expectations has opened a new office.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Match.com offers free membership with no time limit so you can try the service, and become  a paid member only when you feel you hare ready to start dating.  And a lot more

Read our complete review here.

WHAT WE FOUND: Signing up is fast and easy, only two basic pages of limited information is asked, takes about 2 minutes to complete. Choose one or both of the dating sections “Dating Relationship” and “Intimate” profiles to be completed. Based on your selection of the sex of person you want to meet your profile will be available to like-minded members (straight or gay). When uploading your picture you also have the option to choose whether your picture is public, anyone can see it, or private, you have to give the person permission first; to allow Lavalife to use your public information and picture in their advertising. Choose “Yes, promote me now!” if you are willing. Once you’re a member you can view and search for people to contact, complete your profile with more information about you, including a voice message, videos and adding more pictures. Complete the “backstage” if you want to add more to your profile but only allow the other members you give permission to see it. Subscription is required to initiate contact and send unlimited Instant Messages and emails. There is an online magazine “Lavalife Magazine” to complete the fun of being a member. Answer polls, read advice articles and enter current contests and promotions. We really like the easy navigation of Lavalife, the choice of features and areas to show your profile, being able to update your profile and have it included in an “Updated Profile” section to add to the exposure you’ll get to other members. Overall, a fun, active service that will introduce you to like-minded singles fast and often.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Free to join and create a very complete profile of yourself. Lot’s of active areas that will keep you logging in at Lavalife. Free to reply to messages and instant chat requests and always free to send “Smiles” to people you find interesting and might want to meet. Subscription required to initiate contact, send unlimited Instant messages and emails. Lavalife also has phone telepersonals and mobile phone dating options. Straight, same sex and adult areas available.

WHAT WE FOUND: American Singles remains one of the top dating services. It is free to post your ad, include up to 4 pictures, send "Flirts" and Instant Messages as well as view the message boards and read the advice articles. The local search option is great, our test found lots of singles in small towns as well as large cities, proving the popularity of this service. American Singles is a nice way to start the dating experience for you. You will have to be a premium member to contact other members but you are free to respond to instant messages and send instant messages to other members that are online.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Free membership includes your personal profile with pictures. Free to send ecards and IM's. Premium members can initiate contact with other members.

WHAT WE FOUND: The Yahoo Personals service is only for people that live in America or Canada (currently) although we do expect international versions to come out soon. To post an ad you’ll need to be a Yahoo member so you’ll be prompted to do that first before you join to post your profile. There are 7 steps to posting your profile but they don’t take very long to complete. Begin with the type of ad you want to post, or not post. What this means is that you can keep your profile private so it is not included in the general search results, but if you answer an ad that person can read it. Next give yourself a name for your ad. We recommend that you do not use your Yahoo username, but use something else for your ad. This will keep your privacy intact in that people won’t be able to easily guess your Yahoo email address. The next steps will allow you to post information about yourself, about the type of person you are looking for and the type of relationship you are interested in beginning as well as upload pictures and become a subscribing member. Posting your profile is free but to be able to send and reply to messages you must be a subscribed member. Once your profile is approved, this takes about 24 hours, you can also add a voice message and a video message to your profile. The search system is fast and easily customizable using zip codes, city names and “Importance Levels”, so you can narrow down your search and find the singles that you really want to meet. You can also “Be a matchmaker” and search for a match for a friend. The friend will then have to become a member, but it’s a start to not being single anymore. The “Mutual Match” system allows you to easily be matched with people that have the same likes and dislikes as you and will automatically alert you so you can send them a message (once you’re subscribed to send messages). And don’t forget about the Yahoo Instant Messenger chat program: once you have subscribed you can instantly chat with other subscribed members when they are showing as being online. With Yahoo being one of the largest web destinations, you should become a member to see all of the profiles of people that are in your area. You’ll be surprised there are so many singles so close to where you live.

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: You’ll need to be a member of Yahoo to join and it’s free to post your profile. Add voice and video messages to your profile. Chat using Yahoo IM. Add up to 5 pictures with your profile. Become a subscribing member to send and reply to messages. Straight and same sex personals available.

WHAT WE FOUND: With more than 4 million members and a great free trial you should sign up and see all that FriendFinder has to offer. Your free personal ad can include your picture and even your video! Hang out and chat, read the Relationship magazine, browse the personals of others, you can even suggest a FriendFinder Poll Question! Pay particular attention to the Cupid Service and the new Members listed at the bottom of the front page, they'll be delighted to hear from you! You are not signing for a paying membership by filling out the profile form, so feel free to do it once you enter the site. Good Luck! Sign up for a GREAT FREE MEMBERSHIP PLAN!

WHAT YOU'LL FIND: Free membership includes picture and video personals, chat rooms, e-mail ad match service and a newsletter.