Matchmaking and personals websites have always been popular. They offer a low-maintenance, time-efficient way for busy working adults to find other singles who are open to dating. Instead of spending the weekends going to clubs and bars in the hopes of finding stimulating people to date, single adults can sift through the profiles of others based upon their likes, dislikes, goals and other criteria. Until a few years ago, most of these matchmaking sites charged a fee for membership. Though you could usually look at the profiles and pictures of eligible singles for free, initiating contact with them required a paid membership.

Free dating sites caused a dramatic upheaval when they surfaced years ago. Gone were the paid memberships. Instead, financed primarily through advertising, they offered people the chance to contact other singles without having to pay a fee. In essence, you could post your profile and pictures to attract other singles while having the opportunity to contact other people from your area or anywhere in the world. People rushed to take advantage of these services. Today, there are several high-profile free dating sites that have attracted millions of members who are looking for dating partners. Below, you'll discover 3 such sites that you should consider joining.

Created by Marcus Frind, PlentyOfFish.com is one of the few free dating sites that boasts a membership that rivals that of most "for fee" matchmaking and personals sites. Though PlentyOfFish doesn't have as smooth a design as many of the top dating sites, most members enjoy its robust functionality. There's a forum that attracts a huge crowd of singles from across the globe. This is a great place to meet potential dating partners. You'll even find parties that are coordinated in the forums that have drawn hundreds of PlentyOfFish members in the past. While the fast account creation and easy setup are obvious draws, the forums are what most members rave about. Getting involved is quick, easy and can lead to making friends and meeting singles in your area.

Another very popular dating site that doesn't charge for its services, OkCupid.com focuses on a menu of matchmaking quizzes and questions that are designed to help you find people with whom you have a lot in common. Taking a prompt from sites such as EHarmony.com (which takes members through an exhaustive array of questions to filter and match eligible singles), OkCupid seeks to increase the chances of exposing singles to others with similar tastes and goals. However, it does so quickly and the sign up process to join takes less than a minute. OkCupid offers many unique features that other free dating sites lack. For example, Facebook members can easily integrate their profiles into their Facebook pages to provide additional exposure to other singles.

If you're between the ages of 25 and 40, there's a lot to like about CasualKiss.com. They've been around for years and they try to cater to members' needs with a assortment of tools that can help them get the most out of the site. For example, besides the standard "people search," members have access to unique tools such as "Confessions." This allows them to read the confessions of other members and comment on them if they wish. There are also blogging tools, message boards and features that allow members to see who has viewed their profile. CasualKiss is one of the original free dating sites.

Dating websites such as Match.com, Eharmony.com and Yahoo! Personals can cost more than some budgets can stand. The fees they charge can add up. Some people stick around at those sites for months, looking for their potential mate. The main benefit of using the free dating sites listed above is that you'll have the opportunity to meet and get to know other singles in your area without paying a penny. If you're waiting to jump into the dating arena, take a few moments to explore the 3 sites above. You may find that meeting your perfect match doesn't cost a dime.

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