It’s no surprise that people are enticed by free online dating sites. But is “something free” actually a thing, or do you “pay” to use the service in some other – often unexpected – way?
That leads us to Russian-Dating.com – a “free” online dating platform.
I’m always skeptical when I hear something is free, like when I’m offered a free pen after I signed up for a vacation give-away I’m not likely to win. So I set off to investigate the Russian-Dating site to see what it’s all about and whether or not it is even a dating service you should consider.
Spoiler Alert! I can’t in good conscience recommend Russian-Dating.com.
And here’s why.
Reasons Why You Can Trust Us
- Faithfully reviewed over 1000 International online dating and matchmaking services
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TOP3 Sites For Russian & Ukraine Dating
Russian-Dating.com - A Brief Intro About the Site
Like the name suggests, Russian-Dating.com is an online dating site in the Eastern European dating niche. This means if you are looking for a Slavic or Russian bride or wife, then you would consider signing up to the site and seeing if your soulmate is registered there.
My overall impression of the site isn’t good. On the outset, the website isn’t modern and it’s just so basic (and not in a good way).
Russian-Dating.com states that they are a “totally free Russian dating site” that was founded in 2010. That means the site has existed for more than two decades, but I’m dubious about the site’s success rate.
On the homepage, you can see who and how many people are online. I was disappointed to see that just more than 60 women and nearly 100 men were online when I logged on and the numbers didn’t change much when I opened the site various times throughout the day.
You can also see a few photos, names, ages, and country of origin of the site’s most popular ladies. It’s worrisome that the profiles are so public so if you are worried about safety and security that’s good to know; I know that I am concerned about safety and security.
If there are only so few people online, I can’t imagine the site has many people registered in total. And then that begs the question – will you find your soulmate among so few people and on a free service too?
While having thousands to choose from can lead to #Overwhelm and decision fatigue, having too few people to choose from ain’t better either.
The site doesn’t have a good reputation, and I’m not surprised.
Warning
How to Register on Russian-Dating.com?
Registering on Russian-Dating.com is easy-peasy – which dating sites will make signing up difficult when they want members? (#Exactly.)
Simply go to the homepage of the Russian-dating website and you can click on “Join Now & Start Dating Today” or click on the “Sign in with Google” blue button. There’s a third option too – in the menu bar at the top, you can click on “Join Now!”
Once you click on the “Join Now” links, another page opens. Here you need to fill in:
- Your gender (you can only choose between male and female #EyeRoll #VeryInclusive, I know)
- Your country
- Your username (which needs to be at least 2 characters)
- Your email address
From there, you need to fill out a couple more fields to set up your online dating profile.
The “Google” button takes you to accounts.google and here you need to sign in with your gmail account.
What Does the Profile Look Like? (Features and Functions)
Profiles on Russian-Dating.com are pretty similar in terms of the info and layout than on other dating sites. However, it is pretty basic. For example, there’s no “About Me” paragraph section or more than the basic information. I must say that making a decision to date someone based on this info isn’t going to give you an accurate reflection of who they are and whether they are right for you.
Oh, and I should mention that all the profiles are public, so your girlfriend or wife can track you down. (#JustSayin’)
Here’s what you see on a profile:
- Profile photo
- A few other photos
- When the photo was added
- How many times the profile was viewed
- When the person was last online and time duration
- Details about the person, such as their name, profile ID, country, state/region, city, age, marital status, age, zodiac sign, height, weight, etc.
- An ideal match description which only tells you what ages they are interested in
And here is a list of the common functions you can access from a person’s profile page:
- Send message
- Add to favorites
- Block user
- Report abuse
- Browse through their photos
Profiles in Our Review
Unlike some other International online dating sites, the profiles seem like they are real people. The photos aren’t edited or enhanced, and the photos don’t seem like they are picture perfect and belong on magazine covers.
Most of the profiles seem to be filled out, but since the profiles only require basic information and no thought, that’s not a surprise. When browsing through the profiles, some fields aren’t 100% filled in for all the profiles but key information isn’t missing.
Can I Use Russian-Dating.com for Free?
You can use Russian-Dating.com for free. The site doesn’t request any payment information and doesn’t require a membership or any credits to use the services they offer.
So simply sign up, search and browse, and click the “send a message” button to start chatting.
Usability Check of Russian-Dating.com on Desktop and Mobile
Firstly, Russian-Dating.com doesn’t have a mobile app for Android or iOS devices. You can only use the website on your PC, tablet, or phone’s browser. Responsiveness is better on a larger screen such as a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. On the phone, there’s some delay.
The website is easy to use because it is simple and basic in design. Plus, the dating platform doesn’t offer many services (or any, really). You can only:
- Register your account
- Sign in
- Search
- Browse through profiles
- Add profiles to your favorite list
- Send messages back and forth
- Report abuse or block a profile
So with so little in terms of offerings, Russian-Dating.com can’t be complicated to use (and it isn’t BUT that doesn’t mean you should use the service).
Russian-Dating.com Safety and Security
The Russian-Dating online dating service doesn’t offer much in terms of safety and security. I mean, the profiles are public, so anyone can find you and see that you are using the service.
The only “safety” features on offer is that you:
- Need to confirm your email address
- Can report abuse by clicking the “Report Abuse” button on the relevant profile or sending the customer service team a message
- Can block a profile if you no longer want to receive message from a certain someone
How Can I Reach Customer Support?
You can reach Russian-Dating.com’s customer support team by clicking on the Contact Us button on the top right (next to “Search”) or bottom right of the website (next to “Terms and Conditions” and “Privacy Policy”).
A contact page opens so you need to fill out a web form.
You need to type your name, email address, and your message. You also need to choose a subject from a drop-down menu:
- General question or suggestion
- Problem with my profile
- Problem with registration
- Report abuse
Once your message is ready, simply click the “Send Message” button.
Customers Reviews on Trustpilot
There is only one review for Russian-Dating.com on Trustpilot, and the company has an unclaimed profile. That already sends me some red flags.
Considering how basic and small on services the Eastern European online dating site is, I can’t imagine that lots of people would be happy – not when there are other better sites with matchmaking capabilities, better search functions, and well … more profiles that are detailed.
But back to the Trustpilot review.
The one reviewer rated Russian-Dating with 1 star, which is pretty bad. The reviewer details how even average-looking users are scammers where they want to exchange email addresses and then ask you for money.
Our Review Verdict: Too Many Red Flags
There’s no way that I would feel at ease recommending Russian-Dating.com. There are just too many red flags that popped up from when I first opened their website until I dived deep.
A few reasons why I’m not recommending Russian-Dating.com:
- The very basicness of the site. It makes me think that the site isn’t performing well, so why would the company invest more money and actually upgrade and modernize things.
- Almost no features. You can search and chat. That’s it. And that’s a no thank you, even if the site is free.
- The fact that the profiles are public. That’s a big safety and security concern.
- There are almost no real safety and security features on the site, making it a HUGE no thank you for me.
- Absence of an online reputation. In this day and age where we all read reviews and research companies and brands before we buy, the absence of a reputation is worrisome.
If you are looking for a Russian or Slavic beauty, there are reputable sites where you have a higher chance of finding your true love. Check out:
- My selection of the top Ukrainian online dating sites
- My guide on how to impress a Russian bride when you are dating her online
- My comprehensive how-to for chatting with Russian women so you can make a great lasting impression
Good luck!
