BlackSingles Review — Where Is It Now?

If you are a former user of BlackSingles.com, or if you had been considering signing up for an account, you may have realized that something has changed. Although the domain is still active, if you want to sign up for an account you will be redirected to a site called EliteSingles. WTF?

What does this mean for you? If you were looking for a dating site that’s focused on the African-American community will registering for an account on EliteSingles offer you the type of user experience that you want?

We took a look at EliteSingles precisely to see where things stand. Here is our review.

— Pros and Cons of BlackSingles (EliteSingles) —

Pros

• Advanced matchmaking algorithm provides highly compatible results
• iPhone and Android apps available
• Well vetted and serious-minded user base
• Safe and comfortable user experience

Cons

• Premium membership is required to respond or initiate communication with other members
• Premium membership is costly
• While an excellent service, not an exact replacement for BlackSingles.com

— What Once Was —

BlackSingles.com had been a dating site dedicated to helping members of the African-American community find long-term romantic partners. The site had approximately 10,000 visitors per day.

The BlackSingles.com experience not only included effective matchmaking, but it also offered a community feel. In addition to the traditional communication features of a dating site — such as member email and online chat — it also had forums. These forums were well known for offering lively discussion on a variety of topics. Many members actually met their partners through the forums.

In 2016, BlackSingles became part of the larger Affinitas Media Group. This company operates a variety of dating sites and online networks throughout the world, including EliteSingles. In January 2017, all BlackSingles accounts were officially migrated to EliteSingles and all new requests for accounts were likewise redirected.

— The Way It Is Now —

There are some fundamental differences between EliteSingles and BlackSingles.com. The most obvious difference is that EliteSingles does not focus on a single ethnicity. EliteSingles describes itself as a dating platform to help professional men and women find long-term relationships.

Filtering matchmaking results by ethnicity is not their priority. Even so, by adjusting certain parameters in your profile there is a way to do so.

— Registering on BlackSingles (EliteSingles) —

You can access the registration process by clicking on the golden-colored button that reads “free to browse” on blacksingles.com, or by navigating directly to EliteSingles.com.

On the top portion of the welcome page there is a registration widget. You must select your gender, the gender of the match that you are seeking, and provide a valid email. You then click on the green “get started” button. At that point, you are asked to choose a password for your new account.

On many dating sites that would conclude the mandatory portion of the registration process. However, on EliteSingles the process is more involved.

— The Membership Questionnaire —

As a new member, you are required to complete a 120 question personality profile. Most of these questions are multiple choice. The questionnaire is designed to assess your level of social openness, anxieties, whether you are extroverted or introverted, and your overall level of agreeability. Plan on setting aside 45 minutes to an hour to complete the questionnaire.

— Available Platforms —

Elite singles can be accessed via your desktop browser as well as on mobile apps for iPhone and Android devices.

— Cost —

Similar to BlackSingles.com, there is a free and paid version of EliteSingles. The free version allows you to receive suggested matches generated by the site’s algorithm. However, the details and profile pictures of the members that are being suggested to you are blurred out. Free members can also receive messages from paid members but cannot respond or initiate messages of their own.

To remove all limitations, a paid membership is required. That will allow you to see the full profile details and images of your suggested matches. It also gives you unlimited access to all communication functionality. A paid membership also offers you access to an additional discovery feature that is swipe-based.

Premium membership on EliteSingles has a cost of $89.85 per month with a minimum 3-month commitment required. If you pay for six months in advance, the average monthly price drops to $69.95. If you pay for 12 months in advance, the average monthly cost drops down to $49.95.

Compared to the price structure of BlackSingles.com, EliteSingles is priced nearly four times higher. Of course, the level of technology used in the matchmaking algorithm is also much more advanced.

— The Members —

Due to its focus on precision matchmaking, EliteSingles has a very well-balanced gender ratio. Approximately 48 percent of members are men and 52 percent women. Also, the site claims that over 80 percent of its members have a minimum of an undergraduate degree.

— The User Experience —

During our testing, our testers received on average nine suggested matches per day. When you receive a suggested match, you can like the profile or specific sections of the profile. When you like a profile the other person is notified. You can also send a message to the member directly from their profile page.

In addition to the suggested matches that you receive from the Elite Singles’ algorithm, there is also a broader discovery feature. Referred to as “wildcard” matches, you are shown up to 20 of these profiles per day. Since these matches are based on simpler filtering parameters — such as your location, age range, and your stated preferences — these matches are not as precise as the site’s primary suggested matches.

We found the wildcard matches to be more akin to a glorified swiping feature. In fact, that’s exactly how you navigate through the wildcard matches — you swipe right when you like a profile, or swipe left never to see it again. When a mutual match is made, the option to contact the other member is activated.