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Can You Count on SilverSingles for Good Online Matches? My Honest Take

Author:
May 09, 2025
Contributor
Silver Singles Review
Image by Brat Co./ Stocksy / mbg creative
May 09, 2025
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As a 58-year-old single woman looking for love, I've had a front row seat to the world of online dating. Once drowning in stigma, dating apps and websites are now one of the most common ways for people of all ages to meet—and it's for good reason. Why wait for a chance encounter that may never happen? Instead, a dating site significantly increases your chance of finding a match by helping you find like-minded singles.

Over the past five years, I've tested out countless apps in the quest for connection: Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, and even Facebook Dating. But it wasn't until I downloaded SilverSingles that I experimented with a dating site specifically geared to those who are 50 and older.

For these folks, the world of online dating may—or may not!—be a new experience. That's why I was eager to find out whether a SilverSingles membership was worth the cost. After testing out the app firsthand (and curating reviews from other testers), I'm sharing my honest take on whether SilverSingles is worth the download.

SilverSingles

What is SilverSingles?

Owned by Spark Networks, SilverSingles is dating app and website targeted to those who are 50+. Launched in 2002, it has undergone several iterations since launching—but has always focused an older audience.

And while many of us might not like admitting we fall into the "silver" demographic, Spark networks bet correctly that we want to find a way to make connections when the chance of a meet-cute seems to be higher in a doctor's office than at the grocery store or a dance bar.

While SilverSingles isn't the only dating app catered to those over 50—there's also Our Time–it stands out from competitors by leaning into compatibility scores for matching rather than allow users to endless swipes.

When you sign up for SilverSingles, you fill out an extensive questionnaire (more on that below) and answer questions about your dating goals. These personality profiles lend SilverSingles a closer resemblance to eharmony than more superficial apps like Tinder or Bumble.

This information is used to curate a new batch of matches every day based on compatibility scores, and you can message anyone who catches your eye from these recommendations. You don’t have to wait to be matched with a person before reaching out; if you see a profile, you can message it!

The SilverSingles website includes a number of features that go beyond the app, namely articles on members who met through the app, articles on rediscovering romance beyond 50, and dating tips on things like how to stay safe when online dating.

The sign-up process

SilverSingles goes out of its way to get to know its clients on a personal level. Users should set aside at last 20 minutes to fill out the personality questionnaire, which asks for answers to a number of getting-to-know-you questions that range from “things that are important to me in a relationship” to “is chatting with new people easy or you?”

The first type of question is answered with multiple choice options. Choosing more than one option—from the about 20 answers listed—is encouraged. The second type of question asks you to choose from a range of answers from “difficult,” to “comes naturally” and includes middle ground like “depends on the circumstances.”

Building out my profile took me about 25 minutes, and though sometimes I wished the questions would stop coming, I deeply appreciated seeing how my fellow singles answered when it came time to connect.

However, sometimes the questions seemed to overlap. For example, after stating what I liked to do in my free time, I was later asked to pick from multiple answers about what I did in my free time and the hobbies I enjoyed.

It should be noted that answering each and every question is optional; users can complete as many or as few questions as they’d like, but the answers do affect compatibility scores and the matching process.

screenshots of profile questions from silversingles app
Image by Jean Thilmany / mbg creative

When it comes to finding a relationship that holds the potential to bring happiness and contentment to a shared life, the extensive profile prompts seem worthwhile. Some may find the continued prompts cumbersome if they just want to get started or to browse potential matches—but they're likely not in it for the long haul.

After filling out the personality questions, you’re asked to upload photos. You can’t see others’ profiles before you begin, so I was afraid SilverSingles might not include images.You can include as many or as few as you’d like, though I’d wager the most successful daters have at least one photo associated with their account. The average number I saw appeared to be around three.

My advice is to preselect the photographs you want to use, including one that shows your full body and another that depicts you doing one of your favorite activities, like jogging or picnicking.

How SilverSingles works

Depending on how thorough you want to be—and really, the more thorough the better—you’ll want to set aside close to one-half hour to fill out the profile. Once you complete the sign-up process, SilverSingles takes over to curate potential matches.

The algorithm is based on the Five Factor Model of personality. This groups personality traits into five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Happier matches will be with people whose personality traits closely resemble yours, so the SilverSingles thinking goes.

“We know that your dating success rests on meeting people who share a similar outlook on life,” SilverSingles says. “And we can say with some confidence that we’ll only suggest matches that are both accurate and in line with what you’re looking for.”

Silver Singles Review
Image by Jean Thilmay / mbg creative

When you’ve completed your profile, you’ll be shown with “your first ten matches” based on your compatibility score. Each one notes how far away the match is from you. SilverSingles did match me with people outside the range I’d selected. I didn’t mind, but others very well could.

Once you see your daily matches, you can click on their pictures to learn more, then choose to write a note to any that appeal. The answers my matches gave really did help me feel I knew them, at least a little bit, and was not “walking in cold” when I matched with them. 

You’re presented with new matches every day. I found reading their answers to personality questions invaluable when deciding who to correspond with. In fact, this dating app gave me the most insight into users’ personalities than any other site I’ve used. 

SilverSingles

How much does SilverSingles cost?

Let’s start with the basics. Love is priceless. But even so, you can’t begin online dating without considering the app’s price point.

  • $191.99 annually
  • $137.99 for a six-month package
  • $98.90 for a three-month package
  • $59.99 per single month

While there is a basic, free version, it’s a fairly bare-bones package. With it, you can complete the personality test and view basic profiles and receive recommended profiles, but will have limited ability to communicate with other members. I think of the free version as a way to get a feel for SilverSingles and to determine if you’d like to continue.

The fee is on par with other dating apps, but I liked that SilverSingles doesn’t offer tiered memberships. What you see is what you get, which can be refreshing compared to what's currently on the market—like trying to determine if you should get Bumble Premium or Boost or simply buy a Bumble Coin.

Like other dating sites, the fee drops if you purchase a six-month or annual subscription rather than pay the monthly—or, in some apps' case, weekly—fee.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation is easy through the app and on desktop. When it comes time to cancel, you just maneuver to “subscriptions” in your phone settings and choose cancel next to SilverSingles. On the desktop version, cancellation is also one click, located within “user settings.”

My experience on SilverSingles

I appreciated the personality test. It resulted in “compatibility scores” that rated how much I had in common with male users in my geographical area. And the men I was matched with did seem to have a great deal in common with me. That said, once the “compatibility scores” got into around the 80% range, they didn’t seem to matter much; around this range of compatibility, I wasn’t blown away by the amount we had in common.

To be fair, I only felt a “zing” of commonality with a few people, which mirrors real life. I appreciated that members who are active on the platform are rewarded with the best quality matches, as this helps ensure I won’t be sending notes into a black hole.

Eventually, I stopped looking at the “percent in common” scores and relied on my own insights after reading their profiles. The extensive profiles provided a ton of information, and I appreciated knowing more about my connections than I did on other apps. 

While other apps allow you to swipe to your heart’s content—depending on the package you’ve purchased—the limited number of matches presented each day by SilverSingles didn’t bum me out. The quality felt more important than the quantity, and I liked feeling the matches had been specially selected for me. I also liked not being overwhelmed by a large number of matches to wade through.

Summary

Ditching swiping for curated profile matches prevents the burnout of online dating. While compatibility scores felt less meaningful around the 80% connection level, it's still possible to find matches based on in-depth profiles.
Pros
  • While you can only choose woman or man as your preferred date (or how you identify), SilverSingles does offer you the choice to match with either a preference for women or men, making it available to LGB dates.
  • Personality test based on The Five Factor Model allows your matches to be ranked on compatibility scores
  • The user dating success stories featured on the website offer hope for those who feel down on their luck
  • Very detailed profiles help make dating decisions easier
  • The most active site users are presented first in your “dating queque”
  • App available on desktop of mobile
  • New matches appear daily (& you're limited to prevent overwhelm)
Cons
  • No category for “they” in the choice of how to identify yourself or whom you seek in a dating partner
  • App can be a little hard to navigate at first; it’s hard to tell at a glance where messages to you reside
  • Presented matches sometimes live outside users’ stated choice of distance
  • While new matches appear daily, the number becomes less with time
  • Compatibility with matches (based on your personality test) varies and sometimes you can disagree with results
  • It takes quite a bit of time to set up a profile

Is SilverSingles worth it?

I would reply with a resounding “yes” to this. Keep in mind, I am a female looking for a male, so I may not get as many scammers or bots as I’ve heard that men do when online dating (but I've had them on other sites!).

Because SilverSingles requires users to fill out its personality test, I feel it’s easy to see how committed people are to using the site. It was relatively easy, I felt, to tell who had spent time carefully considering answers, and they were appreciated. The extensive test really helped understand how much in common you’d have with a potential match, and how serious they were about finding love. 

I didn’t like that the site matches you with people beyond the stated range you’re willing to travel for love. My 100-mile range seemed generous. But when I did see someone outside that range (though still under 300 miles), I felt like I had a lot in common with, I did contact them. Why not? Others who very much don’t want a long-distance relationship will likely not look kindly on the distant matches.

Summary

Yes! SilverSingles is a great way to pare down the dating pool thanks to the robust profiles. I didn't run into many scammers (which can be common!) and the profiles make it helpful to see who was also really on the dating site to find love.
What other reviewers say:
  • "It seems like it’s a place for people who are new to online dating, intimidated by the process, recently separated from a long marriage, or retired. That being said, their algorithm is pretty detailed and the matching is better than many sites. I met my current man on SilverSingles, we’re both separated after long marriages and we get along pretty well. I’m 52, he is 62. I should add he is a four-hour drive from me." — HumbleType_2751, Reddit
  • "The quality of men overall is much higher. Yes, definitely less matches to choose from, but you are not sifting through the riff-raff. Almost 100% are educated, successful, and many are looking for a significant relationship. I am very physically fit so I tend to get matched with men that are fit as well." — HaymakerGirl2025, Reddit
  • "I met a lot of retired men from this site, and I learned that I’m not the best match for one at this point in my life. Overall, I preferred Match and Bumble because there were more men that lived closer to me. I would definitely give (SilverSingles) a try." — Reddit user
  • "I met two guys over 100 miles away and dated a few times a nice man who is in my area, but six years older, which was outside my preferred age range." –Mojellen, Reddit
  • "I like that you get to meet people your own age with this app. But there’s no way to video chat or call within the app, which is important when you don’t want to give out your personal number. You should also be able to sort your matches from highest to lowest." –AppleStore user

FAQ

Is SilverSingles good for serious relationships?

I would have to answer with a definite yes! In my mind, people who spend time filling out the personality test and reading through others’ answers are the type of people seeking a serious relationship. It is very refreshing not to feel as though you’re flipping through a deck of “potential match” cards and quickly sorting them based on appearance and a few lines of text.

Is SilverSingles good for seniors?

This 58-year-old tester (the author) says “definitely.” I’ve used dating apps off and on for the past four years. I have never been asked such a thorough series of “getting to know you” questions, and certainly not at such a granular level.

SilverSingles

The takeaway

If you're looking to date based on commonality and intention, SilverSingles is a top choice. In my opinion, the dating site and app are curated specifically for people who know themselves well—and know exactly what they're looking for in a connection. Most of us have been both lucky and unlucky in love, but with SilverSingles, these experiences can become a catalyst for finding a meaningful connection.

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