The best dating sites for women — find love, friendship, and everything in between

Being a woman on the internet is hard. At times scary and exhausting, too. From Twitter reply guys to other forms of online harassment to straight-up cyberstalking, the internet can be an unforgiving and hostile place for women.

More often than not, women are bombarded with unsolicited advances, boundary violations, and creepy comments that make us question whether it's worth it to be online or not. It's a constant struggle to find genuine connections and maintain some sense of safety in today's virtual world. And as if dealing with narcissists and ghosting weren't enough, we now have to deal with the rise of deep fakes, which blur the line between reality and manipulation.

For queer women, the challenges are even greater. They may face fetishization, discrimination, and even violence.

Why is online dating so hard?

As you can probably tell, we're not in the business of sugar-coating things: Online dating is hard. In a time when ghosting, breadcrumbing, and catfishing are so common that there are reality television shows feasting off of heartbreak, finding a genuine connection with someone can feel like digging for a metaphorical needle in a digital pit of manure.

That said, finding your match online via an app or desktop dating site isn't impossible. With a bit of common sense, tough skin, and a pinch of research (which we've so carefully done for you), there is hope for our romantic future.

So, which online dating site is best?

We can't tell you what to do, and we honestly don't want to. But what we can do is provide you with good recommendations. Whether you're looking for a hookup, serious relationship, or you'd prefer to take things slow, we've done the hands-on work to ensure that each of the platforms in this list goes beyond superficial swiping and generic profiles (unless, of course, that's what you're looking for, which we'll state in the product description).

From sites that promote women-first messaging to apps that base connections on shared interests and values, these dating platforms offer a little something for everyone.