We review some of the web's most popular dating sites: Date.com, Spark, Match.com, Match UK, Lavalife, and PerfectMatch.

They say: "Established in 1997, we are a pioneering internet dating site offering free online personals. For over ten years, our website has helped thousands of online singles find their perfect dates."

With over 5 million members, Date.com is one of the most popular dating sites on the web. Basic membership is free and allows you create a profile and search profiles by location, age, interests, and 100 other personal preferences. Use the "Show Interest" feature to send your profile to ther members. If that person has Gold Membership they can send a message back. Subscribers to Date.com tend to be professional, educated, and serious about finding a successful relationship.

Advanced features, such as Email, Instant Messaging, Voice and Video greetings, Chat Room and a useful profile keyword search are available with Gold membership.

In addition, with Date Mobile you can search profiles of other singles and exchange text messages on your mobile phone via SMS (text messaging) or WAP (wireless).

They say: "Dating and finding love shouldn't be difficult. That's why at the NEW Spark.com, we focus on providing the highest quality online dating experience from day one by requiring that all of our members take a short, but detailed personality test called the Color Code. We also require all members to have a photo and allow all of our members to respond to emails."

AmericanSingles.com and Date.ca have combined to become the new dating site on the block, Spark.com. Unlike other dating sites, Spark doesn't charge you to communicate with other members. Everyone (free or paid up members) can respond to emails.

Age groups - 18+
Members - Millions
Cost - from $7.49/month.

They say: "Every year, hundreds of thousands of people find love on Match.com. Match.com pioneered the Internet dating industry, launching in 1995 and today serves millions of singles in 24 countries."

With a huge membership database, Match.com is one of the Internet's top dating sites. Full featured and easy to use, beginners and those experienced in online dating will have no trouble using this site.

Over 20,000+ members join Match.com daily and the site caters to all groups whether interested in Christian Dating, Jewish Dating, Asian Dating, Black Dating, Senior Dating or Gay Dating.

All communication between members on Match.com happens through an “anonymous” email network. The names and contact information of all members are kept confidential until a member personally decides to share the information with a potential match. All profiles and photos are screened by Match.com's Customer Care team for appropriateness before they're posted to the site.

Signup is free, with limited functionality. Non members can browse profiles and can be contacted by subscribers. Joining is recommended to get the best use from this site.

They say: "Match.com has one simple mission: to take the lottery out of love. It's been the idea that's inspired us since 1995, when we first had the idea of using this new-fangled technology called the Internet as a better way for people to find each other"

With a huge membership database, Match.com is one of the Internet's top dating sites. Full featured and easy to use, beginners and those experienced in online dating will have no trouble using this site.

Signup is free, with limited functionality. Non members can browse profiles and can be contacted by subscribers. Joining is recommended to get the best use from this site.

They say: "Lavalife is a vibrant and interactive community where singles gather. Quickly connect with local, like-minded singles with many ways to interact."

Well designed, full featured and easy to use, Lavalife.com allows you to create three distinct profiles; one for dating, one for relationships and one for intimate contacts all for the price of one membership. With over 8 Million members the cool, funky graphics attracts a hip younger crowd. Free members can view profiles, videos, and send/receive smiles. Full functionality with premium membership. Choose lavalife.com to email, IM, video webcam, or Lavalife by phone to chat, or hook up via Lavalife mobile

Membershp includes a 7 day FREE trial.

They say: "Perfectmatch offers you what other dating sites can't - highly compatible matches and advanced search tools, while we actively work with you to find the person right for you."

Rather than just being an online dating site, Perfectmatch.com is a community online matchmaking site of like-minded adults seeking long-term relationships.

Perfectmatch is based on the Duet® Total Compatibility System, the Compatibility Profile test developed by Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. The test allows you to choose your matches based on similarity and complementary factors. The approach is more refined, resulting in fewer, but more qualified matches, and the only online matchmaking system that tells you which traits your partner should share and which should be different. Use the Profiler results as a search tool and configure the Profiler any way you want, to experiment with other personality types. Millions of members, primarily between 24-55 years old.

Basic membership is free which includes the Duet® Total Compatibility System, ($50.00 value), comprehensive profile and up to eight photos, relationship advice written by Dr. Schwartz, Level 1 IceBreakers, Lifetime Connections monthly newsletter, love and relationship quizzes.

Full functionality with Premium membership includes Guaranteed perfect matches, generated by the Duet® Total Compatibility System, unlimited email, searches, Icebreakers (Level 1 and 2), unlimited access to member profiles, content and photos. There's also exclusive access to Dr. Pepper Schwartz herself, through the "Ask Pepper" feature.

Age groups - 18+
Established - 2002
Male/female ratio - 50% male, 50% female
Members - 4,000,000+
Membership - Free, Premium