7 Legitimate Russian Dating Apps And Sites [That Really Work!]

Russian women are some of the most beautiful in the world, so it’s no wonder you want to meet someone special on a Russian dating app or site!

But unfortunately romance scammers and fake profiles are practically a dime a dozen, and it’s not always easy to tell which ones are legitimate Russian dating sites - until now.

Keep reading to find out the 7 best apps and sites for dating in Russia. And at the very end of the article, you’ll get a rundown on the “PPL” scam, so you can avoid getting ripped off in your quest for Russian romance.

RussianCupid

If you want to meet attractive Russian women online before planning a trip, give RussianCupid a try.

Geared toward linking Western men with relationship-minded Eastern European women, it’s one of the most legitimate Russian dating sites out there.

The site is run by Cupid Media, one of the most trusted names in the international dating industry.

It’s free to set up your profile and search for intriguing women using an extensive array of search criteria. You can filter your matches by information like languages spoken, religion, willingness to relocate, and other key criteria like physical appearance, occupation, and lifestyle.

Upgrading to a premium membership allows you to get incredibly detailed with your search, including bust, hip, and waist measurements.

You’ll also need a premium membership to initiate a message exchange with any of the Russian women you find intriguing, as standard (free) members can only reply to messages from members with a Gold or Platinum membership.

This is what you can do at all 3 membership levels:

Here are what the premium memberships cost on this Russian dating site:

Download the RussianCupid app on Google Play.

Elena’s Models

Like RussianCupid, Elena’s Models is a popular way for Western men to meet beautiful Russian women.

Unlike some other Russian dating sites, Elena’s Models allows you to contact women directly if she chooses to share her personal email or phone number with you.

When you first sign up, you can browse through profiles, send up to 20 “expressions of interest”, and view the last 10 women who checked out your profile for free.

But free memberships expire after 1 month, so you’ll either need to upgrade to a premium membership or pay a small one-time contact fee for each member you’re interested in messaging.

Here are the “pay as you go” costs:

And here are the 3 membership levels Elena’s Models offers:

Elena’s Models has been in business since 1999, and if you’re serious about meeting the woman of your dreams, this is one of the best Russian dating sites to start your search.

Download the Elena’s Models app on the App Store.

Teamo.ru

Teamo is a popular Russian dating app and site, particularly with women who want to find a long-term relationship or marriage.

Signing up requires taking a lengthy personality test which is designed to reveal 17 different characteristics. Those traits are then used by the site’s matching algorithm to determine which profiles you will be presented with.

The test consists of basic questions like occupation, religion, level of education, etc, as well as more abstract questions like this one where you choose 3 pictures that fit you:

Signing up, taking the personality test, downloading the app, and viewing your matches is free on Teamo.

But if you want perks like the ability to see all the available photos for each profile and unlimited messaging, you’ll need a premium subscription:

You can also purchase “coins” to unlock premium features on a use-by-use basis. For instance, 10 coins will allow you to see all the pictures in your match’s photo album, or you can order a horoscope for 29 coins to see if the stars are aligned for the two of you.

Coins can be purchased in bulk:

The Teamo app is similar to Tinder, but it goes one step beyond swipe-right-or-left by adding a “Maybe” option. As on the site, there’s also a feature where you can vote for the most attractive of two profiles.

Many of the Russian women you’ll find on Teamo don’t speak English, so you may need a little help from Google translate.

Download the Teamo app from Google Play or the App Store.

Mamba.ru

A truly international dating site, Mamba is a magnet for beautiful single women living all over the world. And it also happens to be one of Russia’s most popular dating sites.

Whatever type of relationship you’re seeking, from flirting and hook ups to dating and marriage, you’ll find like-minded women on Mamba.

There’s an Encounters feature where you can swipe through the profiles, and you also have the ability to use detailed search criteria to find women who match your idea of an ideal partner.

All the important basics, like browsing profiles and reading/sending messages, are free.

You can also subscribe to a premium membership to unlock additional search criteria like weight, height, and sexual preference. You’ll also be able to browse profiles invisibly and undo your last swipe.

A VIP membership costs $2.99 for 10 days, $5.99 for 30 days, and $11.99 for 90 days. Or you can “pay per use” each time you want to access a premium feature.

Mamba has some English speakers on it, but you’ll likely need to brush up on your Ukrainian or Russian, or use Google translate.

To download the Mamba app, go to Google Play or the App Store.

Tinder

You’d be hard pressed to find a large metropolitan area where Tinder isn’t popular, and it’s definitely worth a swiping session or two while you’re in Russia.

You likely know the drill: swipe right when you like someone, left when you don’t. If you both “like” each other, you can start sending messages back and forth.

Tinder definitely has a more casual dating vibe than Teamo and RussianCupid, although you will find a few women who are seeking a more serious relationship or even marriage on it.

Tinder is a totally free Russian dating app, with the only caveat being you’re limited to swiping right on up to 100 profiles in 12 hours. You can hit that limit pretty quickly in a large city like St. Petersburg that’s packed with attractive women.

You may want to consider upgrading to Tinder Plus for unlimited right swipes, or even Tinder Gold if you only want to swipe through the Russian women that have already “liked” your profile. Tinder Platinum allows you to send messages before matching, and also unlocks Priority Likes.

Upgrading Tinder starts at $7.99 for one month.

For a comprehensive Tinder review, go here.

Use Tinder online, or get the app from Google Play or the App Store.

Travel Girls

Got a trip to Russia planned? If you want a Russian beauty to give you a personalized guided tour, check out Travel Girls.

While not a dating site per se, it links women from all over the world with guys who’d like a travel companion - and it’s packed with attractive Russian singles.

If you’re looking for more of a fling than a long-term relationship, Travel Girls could be the perfect place to find it.

And who knows, you may even find the perfect Russian girl to tour the world with, if that’s how you roll...

While checking out profiles is free, plan on upgrading to a premium membership if you’re serious about using the site. Free members can’t read or send messages.

A full membership to Travel Girls costs $69/1 month, $156/3 months, or $199/6 months.

eDarling

eDarling is another “serious” dating site like Teamo that relies on a mandatory personality test to match you with compatibile Russian women.

This is a legit Russian dating site, as it’s owned by the same parent company that operates EliteSingles.

You’ll want to upgrade to a premium membership if you use eDarling, as free users have limited access to features. You can send smiles and “likes”, get a handful of matches daily, and see your personality test results, but that’s about it.

Here is what comes with a paid subscription:

And what it costs to upgrade:

One thing to consider - while you’ll generally get high quality matches, especially if you’re over 35 and living in a big city, you can’t freely browse through profiles of all the Russian singles nearby.

If you want to scroll through matches to your heart’s content, stick with RussianCupid or Tinder.

To download eDarling, go to Google Play or the App Store.

What You Need To Know To Avoid The Common “PPL” Scam

“PPL” is short for “Pay Per Letter”, which is the pricing structure used by many questionable international dating sites. Basically, you’re paying a fee for each and every message you send or receive, and for every minute you spend video chatting.

You’ll typically pay these fees by spending credits, which you purchase in bulk as needed. The credits are automatically deducted from your account as you communicate with women.

One of the big problems with the PPL pricing structure is the dating sites have a huge financial incentive to ensure you’re getting flooded with messages from gorgeous women who seem *very* interested in communicating with you.

Another problem is these messages are usually sent via an intermediary agent or a “supplier”, rather than directly from the women you’re supposedly exchanging messages with.

You’re usually barred from contacting your matches directly, as they aren’t allowed to share their personal contact information with you. That makes it almost impossible to verify whether or not they’re legit.

Before you provide any credit card or other payment information, take a close look at the Terms & Conditions for any Russian dating site or app you’re considering using.

In general, it’s best to stick with sites such a Elena’s Models and RussianCupid that check these two boxes:

• You get unlimited communication in exchange for a flat membership fee
• You are allowed to contact your matches directly at some point, instead of having to pass your messages through an intermediary

Sadly, PPL sites are not the only international romance scam you need to avoid while you search for your soulmate.

With so many unreputable dating sites out there waiting to take your money in exchange for empty promises, why not work with a service that has already helped dozens of guys successfully navigate a trip to Eastern Europe?

With VIDA’s team of dating experts by your side, you can finally meet the beautiful Russian woman of your dreams. Wherever you live, and whatever your relationship goals may be, VIDA can help you fulfill them.

If you’re ready to change your life, click here.