Dating Services Reviews

The services offered at Matchmaker.com are very similar to those offered at its big sister site, Date.com, and cover the basic needs of an online dating service. Seemingly geared towards a younger generation of daters, Matchmaker.com offers basic features but nothing exceptional. While it does provide a large user database and all of the necessary tools for users to successfully date online, it doesn't offer much more than any other run-of-the-mill dating site.

Signing Up
Becoming a member at Matchmaker.com is quite simple and requires only a little basic information such as your email address, name, zip code and birthday. Once you have entered this info, you will be asked to fill out a quick questionnaire detailing your appearance, religion, education, etc…After answering the questions, you will be asked if you would like to upload a photograph. After this, they will ask you if you want to download their toolbar. Finally, after you are asked about the toolbar, you will be taken to your homepage on Matchmaker.com.

Profile
The profile at Matchmaker.com includes many different ways for you to express your personality clearly and honestly. Instead of filling out the profile options with multiple choice questions, you will have the ability to write whatever you want. The profile at Matchmaker.com includes many text boxes and interesting essay questions to allow for honest and natural answers. By allowing the users to type their own answers, they will have a better chance of meeting someone compatible.

Features
Although Matchmaker.com is not a pioneer in the online dating industry, they definitely provide the essential tools for people to meet online, get to know each other, and eventually get together for a date.

When you sign up for a free profile at Matchmaker.com, you will be able to utilize some of their features but not the ones necessary for communication. With a basic membership you can create and post a profile, post a photograph, browse the profile database and send simple "expressions of interest." If you would like to experience the full array of features offered at Matchmaker.com, you will need to pay a monthly fee for their Gold membership.

The most important aspect within an online dating community is communication. Matchmaker.com provides multiple ways for its users to communicate with each other. On top of basic email messaging, users can also utilize the instant messenger feature. For a more personal approach at getting to know each other, try out their audio or video messaging system. They also offer chat rooms where you can get involved with the Matchmaker.com online community and discuss different topics.

The search options, available to free members, allow users to easily and clearly navigate the available singles on the website. Whether you are interested in a broad search to browse through or a specific search to find that perfect woman, you can utilize the quality search tools at Matchmaker.com to get just the results you need.

The "Site Activity" box at the top of your home page also provides insight into the statistics of the site. You will be able to see up-to-the-minute numbers on how many users are online, who is chatting, who has looked at your profile and how many new members there are near you. It will also give you the number of new members from the current month.

The free downloadable toolbar is another feature that many sites offer but still provides convenient services. With the Matchmaker toolbar, you can always appear online, receive message alerts instantly, have quick access to Date.info, and can instantly search the web with a Yahoo! search bar.

Matchmaker also offers a gift service through which you can show interest in another user of the site. While many dating services offer real gifts to send to other users, the gifts at Matchmaker.com are simply icons on your computer. You will essentially be paying to send a picture that suggests how you feel about the recipient. Although the gesture seems honest, the service doesn't seem to have much use. If the gifts were real, it would be different.

Pricing
Although the pricing structure at Matchmaker.com is quite simple to understand, it is difficult to locate. To see the prices, you must join as a free member first.

With a Gold Membership at Matchmaker.com, you will have access to the chat rooms, instant messaging, email, audio and video chat, an enhanced profile and top rankings on search results.

For a one-month gold membership, Matchmaker.com will charge $34.95. If you would like to join for a three-month commitment, they will charge $23.32 per month. If you commit for six months, they will charge you $16.66 per month. Finally, if you choose to join for an entire year, they will charge $11.66 per month. These prices are not bad, but they are higher than Date.com.

Other Reviews
The general reviews of Matchmaker.com are both good and bad. 100BestDatingSites.com gave it a 4 out of 5 and ranked it #9 on their list. Matchmaker.com received a 4 out of 5 at both DatingSites.org and No1Reviews.com. At DatingSitesReview.com, the site received a 1.5 out of 5. At DatingDame.com, Matchmaker received a 2.5 out of 5.

Conclusion
Although Matchmaker.com does not offer anything truly unique for the online dater, it does provide the basic, essential tools for people to connect and possibly come together. With almost the exact features as Date.com, its sister site, it is odd that Matchmaker.com charges more for its service.

As mentioned in our review of Date.com, these types of websites seem to cater to a younger online dating community. With video chat and a downloadable toolbar, Matchmaker.com is a great place for people under forty or so to meet and connect. If you are looking for a dating site where you can casually search through and browse the available singles to slowly discover who you like, this is the place for you. If you are looking for a comprehensive compatibility match, look elsewhere.