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Relationships can make a big impact on our overall well-being. Whether it’s dating, intimacy, or companionship, social support can create enjoyment, relaxation, stimulation, and belonging. “Relationships involve sources of help or support, such as someone to confide in, ask for advice, and maybe get help with a ride to a doctor or social event. Relationships are also important for mental health–cheering people up and keeping depression away,” said Jason Flatt, professor of Social and Behavioral Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
The best online dating sites for seniors can help adults conveniently find more connections. When we interviewed online dating platform users 50 and older, we learned they often chose these platforms because their lifestyles and hobbies didn’t provide opportunities to meet many new people. OurTime is an online platform aimed at adults 50 and older looking for romantic and friendly relationships. We tested and reviewed the platform, uncovering all of its features, plans, and add-ons. Read on for our take and tips on how to get the most out of your online dating experience.
Compared to other online dating platforms we tested, we found there were more matches that users can go through per day. OurTime is an app that is part of Match Group, the parent company of popular dating apps such as Match, Hinge, and OkCupid. As a result, users on OurTime will see users from the Match network who have opted into being on the OurTime network. This can mean an expanded number of users to search from, which could make it easier to find a match.
From our focus group interviews, we learned that seeing a great match only to realize they are unlikely to be compatible is frustrating.
“A lot of times they’re like, oh, everything else matches. It’s just one thing that might be off … Like one of the most important things. I like people who have my interests. If they’re a total jock and they’re only into sports and stuff like that, I don’t see how we’re gonna be compatible, you know?”
— Focus group participant, 61 years old
Users on OurTime can set preferences as “dealbreakers,” meaning matches must meet certain preferences to appear on a user’s match queue. The variety of preferences and dealbreaker preferences on OurTime can help someone narrow down their matches to people with whom they are more likely to want to connect.
Though there are many potential matches to browse through, we didn’t like that free users could only message one match per day, which strongly encourages users who are serious about finding a match to pay for a membership. Free users who get messages from their matches also cannot reply unless the other user has a Premium plan that includes free replies. That means Premium members can message anyone, while free members can only have conversations with other paid members.
OurTime has a simple platform, but one of our testers ran into hiccups with the web browser version. In their testing experience, some pages did not load properly, and the sign-up process was out of order, which affected their decision to pay for a membership. Also, the “skip” button for optional steps was hard to find on our tester’s page.
“It sent me straight to men to like or not like, without me filling out my profile. It took me a long time to figure out where to click to fill out my profile. Then it asked questions I didn’t care to answer and I finally saw a little skip link at the top, but it was hard for me to see.”
— Reviews Team tester
Compared to other online dating platforms, getting verified on OurTime was simple. Users who are concerned about fake profiles may need to be more cautious on this platform or opt for a platform with more strict verification steps, such as SeniorMatch and eHarmony. For full details, read our SeniorMatch review.
Who may love OurTime
Who may want to avoid OurTime
Users can sign up for OurTime through its website (on a web browser) or by downloading its mobile app.
Here are the steps to follow when setting up your account from a web browser:
The steps to sign up for the mobile app are similar. Our tester noticed they were asked for a profile picture and verification earlier in the sign-up process before filling out a user profile.
OurTime lets you look for online connections interested in:
When signing up for the service, users can indicate their match preferences, such as age, height, and smoking status. OurTime uses its matching algorithm to show users others who match their preferences. All users can indicate whether these preferences are “dealbreakers,” where matches that don’t meet these criteria are hidden from view.
Users browse matched profiles, Like them if interested, or reject them if not.
If users Like a match, they can start a conversation. Free plans allow users to send one message daily to users that they’ve Liked, but haven’t Liked them back, while paid plans allow unlimited messaging to all users. If two matched users Like each other, they can start a conversation regardless if they’re on a paid plan or not.
The platform curates “Highlights” for you daily. Highlighted profiles are other users who match with you and have Premium memberships, which boosts their visibility. Users can only “Super Like” a highlighted profile, which means you’ll need to buy Super Likes as an add-on or have a Premium membership that gives you one Super Like a week.
Among our survey respondents, 68% (about 2 in 3) have encountered negative experiences (spam, scam, offensive material) on an online dating platform. Because it was so easy to get started on OurTime, our Reviews Team looked for ways the platform protected users’ safety and privacy. Here are a few aspects of the platform that we found could support users’ privacy on the platform:
Users that violate the platform’s rules can be blocked from seeing or contacting you, but can also be taken off the platform altogether.
Tips for connecting with others online safely
Connecting with someone online can be a convenient way to engage in meaningful social relationships. On the other hand, people online can be vulnerable to scams, fraud, or harassment. Here are a few essential tips on how to stay safe when messaging online, based on advice from our NCOA experts and our Reviews Team’s testing experience:
Our testers created both real and fake profiles to test the platform’s verification processes. We didn’t like that our testers could add any profile photo, name, and email to get started. Because SMS verification was the only other way to verify whether someone was a real person and not a bot, we think there is room for real people to create fake profiles on the OurTime platform.
Resources to get support
Relationships often require some degree of vulnerability. But if someone is experiencing abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation, there are resources to get help:
For some, dating and the risk of possible rejection or exploitation can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, depression, or unresolved trauma. Mental health treatment is available. See these resources to get the support you need:
OurTime has a free, Standard, and Premium membership. Free members can send unlimited Likes and message their Top Picks. Standard members also get to send unlimited messages and unlock conversations with matches.
Premium memberships also include the following features:
The cost of a premium membership depends on how long you sign up for at a time. We found that OurTime users on the mobile app weren’t shown all the plans available on the platform, but instead saw only four out of the possible seven options. Also, users interested in the six-month Premium plan will find it slightly cheaper to purchase it through the web browser ($108.84) compared to their mobile app ($109.99, a difference of $1.15).
| Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | $19.99* | – |
| 1 month | $33.99* | – |
| 3 months | $69.87 ($23.29 per month) | $74.97 ($24.99 per month)* |
| 6 months | $90.84 ($15.14 per month) | $108.84 ($18.14 per month)*† |
| 12 months | – | $155.88 ($12.99 per month) |
* Offered on mobile app.
† $109.99 ($18.34 per month) on mobile app.
Users can also pay for add-ons called Boosts and Super Likes. A Boost pushes your profile to the top of your matches’ lists for 60 minutes, which gives it “four times more visibility,” according to the platform. Premium monthly plans include one monthly Boost, but you can buy more as add-ons to your premium membership. Super Likes let other users know you’re interested by inviting them to message you for free and gives your profile priority placement if your profile meets their preferences.
Here are the costs of add-on features to the OurTime premium membership:
Since Standard memberships don’t come with all Premium features, users signing up for Standard plans are offered monthly pricing for certain features, called Power Ups. A few examples of Power Ups are:
Standard and Premium members are offered Private Mode as an add-on to their memberships. Private Mode allows users to make their profiles visible to only the users they choose. It costs $9.99 per month.
All prices do not include tax.
You can reach OurTime customer service by filling out a contact form on this page.
OurTime accepts credit card or PayPal as payment forms.
The Reviews Team researched more than 20 online dating sites and personally tested five as well as their accompanying apps. Our testers didn’t go on dates, but we evaluated the online experiences that lead up to a date or connection. Based on independent research and consultation with experts, we determined these factors to be the most important when evaluating online dating sites:
To better understand the online dating landscape for older adults, we hosted focus groups, conducted surveys, and spoke to experts.
Our June 2024 online dating survey asked 500 older adults which online dating sites they prefer, what motivated them to use an online dating app in the first place, and more.
We learned that 40% of older adults used online dating sites to find a long-term romantic partner. The top motivators for pursuing online dating instead of in-person dating were:
While 67% of respondents have met in person with someone they connected with through an online dating site, 38% of respondents report encountering fake profiles or someone trying to scam them. This prompted us to pay close attention to each site’s safety guidelines and privacy policies.
In July 2024, we sat down with nine older adults (age 51–77) to talk about their experience with online dating sites. We gathered helpful insights to inform our testing, including:
From our July 2024 online dating focus group participants:
I don’t hang out at clubs anymore. I don’t go to bars. So, it’s hard to meet people, you know, just walking around the street and everything. You don’t know if someone’s married or not, or engaged. So it’s just difficult to meet people my age.
Female focus group participant, age 61
I’ve had nothing but positive benefits from online dating as far as meeting people that I would’ve never met otherwise. And whether it was a new friendship or a new relationship, it’s definitely been a good experience.
Female focus group participant, age 53
We spoke with eight experts on online dating, including a licensed sexologistⓘ A specialist who studies human sexual behavior. , a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and neuropsychologist. We asked about the value of connectedness for older adults, the benefits and drawbacks of online dating, and how people can choose an online dating site that’s right for them. We used expert insights to inform our recommendations for the top online dating sites for older adults.
“Online dating can increase self-esteem, build social circles, and lead to intimate relationships. The quality of one’s relationships directly impacts one’s mental and physical health outcomes, so even if dating only leads to more quality friendships, it’s worthwhile. And, of course, dating could lead to an incredible romantic relationship, perhaps the best of your life!”
– Jessica Anne Engle, LMFT, dating coach, and founder of The Relationship Center
| Starting monthly cost for premium features | $12.99 | $44.90 | $15.99 | $13.95 | $3.32 |
| Free messaging? | Limited | No | No | No | One person per day |
| Match system | Algorithm based on profile | Compatibility quiz | Algorithm based on profile | Personality test | Algorithm based on profile |
| Target age range | 50+ | 18+ | 50+ | 50+ | 18+ |
OurTime is an online dating platform that includes preference filters and dealbreaker filters that allow users to sift through other users to find matches based on an algorithm. We recommend this platform for people who are well aware of their ideal match criteria to take advantage of its many filtering options.
Our testers found the platform was easy to use, but those who didn’t pay for a membership felt limited in their options to interact with others on the platform. During testing, we ran into technical difficulties on a few occasions, so we wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who isn’t patient with sites or apps that go down from time to time.
There are two paid plans to choose from and various add-ons features on the platform. We recommend any purchases be made on a web browser to see the most options available.
OurTime is free to sign up and use. It has a Standard membership starting at $15.14 per month and a Premium membership, which includes more features, starting at $12.99 per month. There’s also a one-week Standard plan for $19.99.
Yes, OurTime has an app for iOS and Android mobile devices.
SilverSingles and OurTime are both online dating platforms targeted toward people 50 and up. The platforms differ in how they match users to each other. Also, a SilverSingles premium membership starts at $13.95 per month, which is higher than the starting cost of a OurTime premium membership$12.99 per month). Finally, the cost of premium membership on SilverSingles varies depending on whether the user signs up via a web browser or the mobile app. In contrast, OurTime has two types of paid memberships, Standard and Premium, which come with different features.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
