To help answer that question, keep the following in mind: Free sites are geared toward casual daters, while paid sites tend to be for people looking for a serious relationship.Of course, it’s not always that simple, and there are exceptions.

It really is a consumer issue worthy of our attention." said Margot Gilman, money editor for Consumer Reports.

It’s aimed at time-starved professionals, who due to busy work and social lives simply don’t have the time to date.

Lovestruck helps put you in touch with people who are near you – be it where you work or live – to save you precious minutes or hours travelling to and from a date. The experts say: Perfect if you are looking for love in the city and want to approach dating with an informal first meet in your lunch break or after work.

But the key to finding the right site (or sites) for you depends on what type of relationship you’re in search of.

If you’re just dipping your toes back into the dating pool, free sites can be a great place to start.