2024 OurTime Reviews [Cost, Pros/Cons & More!]

OurTime was specifically created for seniors, so in theory, it seems like the perfect choice when you’re dating over 50.

But does this dating site actually work in practice? These OurTime reviews have the info you need to decide if it’s worth trying, or if you should spend your time and money on a site like Match.com instead.

And we're in a position to know. Thousands of older singles have hired us to do their online dating for them, so we know firsthand all the pros & cons of using OurTime.

We've been in the industry since 2009, and log into all the most popular dating sites and apps on a daily basis. In short, we know based on experience what sites work, and which ones are best avoided!

Use the links to jump straight to the topic you're most curious about, or start at the top!

The Good, The Bad & The Annoying

Like any online dating site, OurTime has its pluses and minuses.

On the plus side, it is an easy-to-navigate dating site that is owned by the same company as Match.com. They’re completely legit and know what they are doing.

On the minus side, there’s a fairly large overlap in users between Match.com and OurTime.

That means if you already happen to be paying for a Match subscription, OurTime might not be the best investment.

Between the two sites, Match.com actually has the higher volume of users in the 40+ age bracket, and their fastest growing demographic is users who are 50+. So it might be better to start searching there instead.

Both sites require a paid subscription to send messages. But if you can afford to be on them both, OurTime does have its fair share of attractive, eligible singles.

But before you sign up, here are some more pros and cons to ponder first:

OurTime Pros:

• You can easily filter your search results by zip code, making it easy to find singles if you’re a “winter in AZ, summer in NY” type.
• Setting up an account takes just a few minutes, and the site itself is easy to navigate.
• The live chat, voicemail, and private call features help weed out any scammers and fake profiles, and you can connect with your matches without having to divulge your phone number.

OurTime Cons:

• The user pool isn’t as large as a mainstream site like Match.com, so if you’re in a smaller city or rural area your matches might be limited.
• Posting a profile is free, but you will have to upgrade to unlock most of the site’s features, including sending and reading messages. Free users can only message their "Top Picks".
• If you’re a 50+ guy looking to date a much younger woman (i.e. in her 20s), you’re better off trying a “seeking arrangement” type site.

Verdict: Is OurTime Worth The Money?

If only one dating site fits your budget, go with Match.com. It's more popular with users of all ages, and you'll likely find many of the same 50+ singles. But if you can swing more than one paid dating site, OurTime can be a legit way to meet someone special.

Is OurTime A Free Dating Site?

No, although it is free to join. Writing a profile, posting pictures, sending Likes, and using all the search features doesn’t cost anything, but you’ll need a paid subscription to read and reply to your messages.

There’s obviously zero point in using a dating site if you can’t communicate with other members, so plan on investing in one.

OurTime costs around $24.99 for a single month, less if you purchase a longer membership.

Here is what you get with a Standard membership:

• Unlimited Likes
• Unlock conversations with matches
• Send, read and reply to all your messages

You can also opt for a Premium membership, which includes a few extra bell & whistles:

• All of the Standard and Free subscription perks
• Message read notification
• A monthly profile Boost
• Weekly Super Like
• Unlimited Rewinds
• Highlighted profile in search results, viewed me or favorited me
• Highlighted messages & flirts, so yours stand out

The Premium membership costs a bit more:

You can occasionally catch a promotional price, so keep an eye out for that if you're thinking about joining.

For an additional fee, upgraded members can use the “ConnectMe” feature to talk and text with other users via a computer generated phone number.

That means you can keep your personal phone number private.

You can leave voicemails on the site as well, or send messages in real time via a pop up window. ConnectMe is only available to singles in the US.

If you want more visibility, you can purchase a profile Boost. Each OurTime Boost lasts for 1 hour, and the site's algorithm will promote your profile so that more compatible potential matches see it.

Each Boost costs $2.49, unless you happen to catch a special where they are discounted to $0.99 each.

The price will also go down when you purchase multiple Boosts at a time.

OurTime Tokens

Depending on your location, members can also purchase Tokens that can then be used to access additional features:

• Notify Me - You’ll be notified whenever a specific member logs into OurTime over the next 7 days, and lets that member know you’re interested in them.
• Promote Me - Your profile will be placed at the top of local singles’ search results for 60 minutes.
• Match Me - This puts your profile into a specific member’s daily matches, so you can see if the interest is mutual.
• Virtual Gift - These are images you can send a match you’re particularly interested in. You can choose from a selection of 8, ranging from a single red rose to a diamond necklace for 75 tokens.
• Reply For Free - A paid subscriber can pay for a free member to have the option of reading their message for free.
• Echo - Receive an alert when there’s mutual interest.

Notify Me and Match Me both cost 20 tokens per use. Promote Me costs 55 tokens.

Safety & Privacy On OurTime

Online safety is a paramount concern on any dating platform, but older daters should be extra cautious about who they interact with, and what personal information they share.

Seniors are often targeted by scammers. According to the FTC, a full third of the 2 million fraud reports it received in one year were targeting adults 60 and up. Losses were more than $1.6 billion, and that's only from the people who reported it.

Dating apps and romance scams are a match made in heaven, but you can avoid falling victim to them by recognizing red flags and following one golden rule:

Never send money, cryptocurrency, or gift cards to someone you've never met in person.

Ever. For any reason. No matter how urgent or compelling they make the reason sound.

Parting people from their hard-earned money - and in some unfortunate cases, their entire life savings, is a scammers full-time job. They're good at what they do, and when they prey on feelings of loneliness and isolation, it's not difficult to understand why so many people fall for it.

If any of these red flags pop up, be extra cautious about continuing to communicate:

• Your match always has an excuse for why they can't meet in person or get on a video call. This is often due to a job that requires frequent travel, or they're stationed overseas.
• They quickly suggest moving the message exchange off the dating site to a platform like WhatsApp or email.
• They are overly complimentary, seeming to want to move the relationship forward very quickly. For instance, they may say they're falling in love, they've never met anyone like you before, etc...
• Something just seems "off". Whether it's how messages are worded, photos that seem too perfect, or you're just getting a weird vibe, listen to your instincts.
• They ask for intimate photos. Exchanging sexy photos with someone you're dating isn't uncommon, but unfortunately when you're dealing with a scammer those image can be used for blackmail. It's generally safest to wait until you've met someone in person before sharing photos like that.
• And the big one: They ask for money. This could be immediately, or months into the conversation. Often the amount will seem negligible at first, maybe a few hundred to help with a car repair, medication they can't afford, etc. As long as you're willing to pay, the requests will keep coming and the amount needed will grow ever larger.

Scams targeting seniors don't always include romance. You may find a match offering financial advice that turns into an investment "opportunity". But the golden rule holds true: If you haven't met someone in person, never send as much as a dime.

Dating platform are doing what they can to weed out these opportunistic bad operators. OurTime has several features in place to keep your identity private until you’re ready to introduce yourself to someone.

Their ConnectMe feature gives you access to a web-based system where you can text and talk without sharing your personal phone number. Limiting your personal information is an added layer of protection against scammers, fake profiles and unwanted advances.

And if another user ruffles your feathers, you’ve got the option to block their profile at any time. Plus, you can report any questionable behavior to the company, and they’ll take it from there.

Go to the settings tab and click on help, and you’ll be redirected to another page that serves as a customer service and frequently asked questions section all in one.

There you’ll find an Advice & Safety section that includes dating and safety tips. This is also where you can report a concern and any security issues.

Getting Started On OurTime

If you decide to give OurTime a try, setting up an account couldn’t be easier. You can sign-up online through the OurTime dating site, or download the OurTime app from Google Play or the App Store.

When you first join, you’ll be prompted to give your first name, email, zip code, and date of birth. Then you’re prompted to create a password, choose your gender and the gender you’re seeking.

Next, you’re required to upload 3 photos before you can add details about height, ethnicity, or the kind of relationship you’re looking for.

OurTime also expects you to answer 3 topics, each with a 150-character limit. You’ll see things like, “I once got in trouble for” and “What I miss about the 80s.”

But the real meat and potatoes of your profile consists of the 4000-character Summary about yourself.

When you’re investing in a monthly subscription, you also want to invest the proper amount of time in setting up the most attractive profile possible. It will pay off when you attract the attention of more high-quality matches.

Choosing Your OurTime Dating Photos

Of course, you could have a profile penned by Hemingway or Dickens, but if your photos don’t pass muster you’re sunk.

You want to choose photos where you look like you’re enjoying life to the fullest - you’re happy, energetic, and having a great time.

Research has shown that for the 50+ crowd, these qualities are more appealing than just choosing photos where you look good.

Part of the allure is that the older you get, the more important building a relationship based initially on friendship (rather than sexuality) becomes. Make sure to include photos that give potential matches a peek at your daily life!

Need more advice? Check out our expert online dating photo tips!

The last step in setting up your account is verifying your mobile number. OurTime will send you a code via SMS, and you'll use that to verify your OurTime account. OurTime will place a badge on your profile to tell other members you’ve been verified.

The rest of your profile is easy to set up. Just tap the profile icon at the top right of the screen to bring up the profile editing page.

From that screen, you can fill out your particulars like education level, religious and political beliefs, ethnicity, etc. You can also add any additional information you’d like your matches to know about you, and answer the personality questions.

Pay attention to the Topics section because one of your answers will be the first thing users see below your profile photo. 

There’s also an “Interests” section that allows you to choose 3 interests from a selection of many. 

It’s important to complete this section, as you never know what might spark a connection with a match. This will also increase your odds of showing up in any “Keyword” searches your matches might do.

Time-Saving Search Tip

OurTime will suggest daily matches, but you’ll also have full run of the member database. This is one reason why OurTime is better than a site like eHarmony, where you can only view the profiles the algorithm selects for you.

The search process is pretty straightforward. You can search all the members using various criteria to filter them by your age or distance preferences, or you can narrow the field by “interests,” “have photos,” “online now,” or specific looks, personal details, and lifestyle preferences.

The keyword search is your best friend when it comes to messaging, because you can use it to save yourself a bundle of time.

Let’s say you want your ideal partner to share your passion for skiing. Do a keyword search for singles who have “skiing” in their profiles, and boom - you can send this skiing-related copy and paste message to any potential match who intrigues you:

And here’s the really great thing - all of them will assume you read their profile, because you’re mentioning a specific interest they wrote about!

Once you’ve got a handful of template messages you can send around your main interests, starting an online dating conversation will be a breeze. For more inspiration, check out these icebreakers!

If you're using this senior dating site for free, you can only message your "Top Picks" matches.

You'll get just a handful of them daily. To see your Top Picks matches, go to the Discover tab. You'll see a "Free Message" button you can use to send your icebreaker.

You Don’t Have To Go It Alone

Of course, starting the conversation is only the first step. You’ve got to keep it going long enough to build up trust and attraction, then recognize when it’s time to ask her out.

But don’t worry, no matter which online dating site you choose to use, you don’t have to try and figure everything out on your own. Writing your profile, selecting your best photos, knowing what to say in a message… this certainly isn’t something you learned in school.

Modern dating can be overwhelming and even frustrating when the technology and responses aren’t getting you where you want to be. If you want to get results fast, you need to do everything right the first time.

You probably have a mechanic, a plumber, or a yard guy, right? So why not have a dating expert at your disposal to help you navigate this new world and get dates with the people you really want to meet?

Here at VIDA, our team of professionals can handle everything for you, from start to finish. We do the hard work, all you have to do is show up!

Want to learn more? Click here!