Back in the day Yahoo! was one of the most popular websites out there and with that came a number of features and services. From Yahoo! News and Yahoo! Music to Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Answers, and the ever-popular (though short lived) Yahoo! Personals the site was your one-stop shop for everything you needed. But times have changed and though Yahoo! still offers a lot of those great services some have been retired, including the popular dating site.
In 2010, Yahoo! Personals was retired and replaced by Match.com. In fact, if you go to the site today and click on Dating, you’ll be taken to Match.com’s site and asked to sign up for their service instead.
But what about those singles out there who are looking for a Yahoo! dating experience but aren’t sure which app to try? Here are some alternatives.
1. Plenty of Fish
If you’re looking for another free dating experience without a lot of fuss, Plenty of Fish (also known as POF) might be the site for you. Even though the site has a somewhat outdated design the old school feel might be just what Yahoo! Personals lovers are looking for. Not to mention the majority of the site is free.
2. Match.com
Perhaps the most obvious alternative to Yahoo! Personals is the site that actually replaced it—Match.com. Match is arguably one of the most well-known dating sites out there and one of the biggest. (In fact, Match Group, the company that owns Match.com, also owns Plenty of Fish, OkCupid, Tinder, Hinge, OurTime, and a few other dating apps. That’s pretty big!)
However, unlike Plenty of Fish, Match.com isn’t free, so be prepared to pay. If you’re looking for a more traditional dating app experience and a site with a lot of features, Match might be good for you.
3. Zoosk
(Full disclosure: The Date Mix is owned and operated by Zoosk.) Similar to Match.com, Zoosk is a dating site that offers a lot of different features and ways to meet people. And even though you can sign up to check things out for free, just like Match you’ll have to pay if you want to message people and actually start using the app. For those who like having more features and extra security features like Photo Verification and Military Verification, Zoosk is a good option.
4. EliteSingles
If you’re looking for a more mature group of singles, EliteSingles may be a good Yahoo! Personals alternative. Unlike Match, POF, or Zoosk the site uses a personality test to help connect you with people and then sends you three to seven people a day they think you’ll like. It’s also a paid site but you can sign on and check it out for free before you purchase.
5. OkCupid
If you’re looking for another free site that has a diverse group of singles, OkCupid can be a good Yahoo! Personals alternative. It’s probably one of the most diverse dating apps out there that supports polygamy and other non-monogamous relationships, transgender and gender fluid singles, and a variety of other non-heterosexual options.
Similar to EliteSingles it uses a large questionnaire to get an idea of your personality and match you with people but the questions aren’t mandatory so you can skip them if you’d like.
6. Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge
Even though they’re not a lot like Yahoo! Personals in terms of the design and experience, if you’re looking for an alternative you still may want to try out one of the many swipe dating apps out there. They’re free and easy to use, and even though many cater to a younger audience, they’re growing in popularity among older singles too. (Tinder has become so popular that older and younger singles both use it.)
The main difference in swiping apps, is that they use what’s called a “double opt-in” feature that means both people have to like each other before either can send a message or talk. That means you “match” before chatting.
No matter what site or app you choose, there are a lot of options out there. And don’t feel like you have to use just one. A lot of people like to use multiple dating apps (as many as two or three) to meet different people and get a feel for what works best for them.
Though the time of Yahoo! Personals is over, your time enjoying meeting people online isn’t! Try out a few different sites and see what you like best.