Oasis Dating versus Match Australia

Are you ready to try your luck with online dating? Have you listened to your friends telling you the highs and lows for too long? So where do you go from here? One of the first questions you will be faced with is do you want a free dating experience or is there better value in using a paid dating service?


Below we pit two of the Australian online dating heavy weights against each other. Oasis and Match have been two of the most talked about and reviewed dating sites on our oasis blog as such we compare reviews from two of the leading Australian dating websites oasis vrs match with very interesting results.


- Oasis – one of the fastest growing free dating sites in Australia.

versus

- Match Australia - the largest of the global dating brands.


Oasis Active

Oasis Active free dating: With any free service you are going to have to weigh the cost savings against the quality of services. With regards to oasis active this tradeoff comes in the form of banner ads, fewer features and potentially a lower standard membership base. Now that’s not to say oasis active membership is of a lower standard than match or other sites but with any free service you are going to have to contend with a higher level of scammers. Generally people not paying for a service are not going to take it as serious.

In terms of the ads on oasis active I did find them somewhat distracting with banner ads on every page and some quite strategically placed below search results so they were quite easily confused with actual results. That said it is free and someone has to pay the piper.


Oasis Active does have a live feel with most of the emphasis it seemed on the live chat service although it was a little clunky and difficult to manage multiple chats. It did have an ‘approve or decline’ contact service which was at least one layer of screening although a little frustrating if you initiate the contact. It was easy to block people and it had a social feel as it provided a list of chat contacts.


Oasis Active is certainly one of the better free dating sites; it is a relatively new design, easy and fast to get started and quite simple to navigate. As all free sites I came across a number of members simply looking for sex chat and some questionable profiles (scammers can create fake profiles). Given the ease in which I created my profiles I would imagine it would not be difficult for a scammer to set-up theirs so one should keep their guard up as this is par for the course on free dating sites. In oasis actives credit they have designed the site to minimize this risk as best as possible.


Oasis Active Pros:

  • Free
  • Easy to sign-up and get started
  • Simple to navigate
  • Generally lots of people live online


    • Oasis Active Cons:

  • Too many distracting ads
  • Limited features particularly search and match functions
  • Somewhat clunky chat, you need to be accepted before you can contact
  • I personally found members to be more interested in sex chat than dating
  • Limited screening of members
  • Limited support


    • Oasis Active Rating: 4 out of 5 stars overall for dating in Australia!

    oasis active



    This review was posted in our blog by Cindy Hay July 2012!

    Match Dating Australia

    Match is a global leader in online dating. Established in 1995 it is one of the longest running online dating sites and with an estimated 20,000,000 worldwide users (approximately 1.5 million in Australia) it is very likely the largest.


    Match offers a free sign-up and seach with limited contact functions however if you are serious about finding that special someone on match; in practical terms you will have to pay a monthly fee (something in the order of $20 depending on length of term). I found if you spend the time to set-up a comprehensive profile and (as with all dating sites) add quality pictures it is money well spent. I was particularly impressed with the amount of people taking this online dating thing so seriously with lots of comprehensive local profiles to choose from with pic, interests etc.

    Match seemed to me to be a site for people seriously looking for a soul mate. Most appear willing to put the time in setting-up quality profile and frequently check mail and available online. If you are looking for certain characteristics in a partner, match has some nice features including 'chemistry" an advanced matching service which is a great icebreaker ’we are a match’. It has key word and advanced search functions to find just the type of person you are looking for; with interests in common, in your location etc. This by no means guarantees success however. There are a lot of dos and don’ts, egos, attitudes and issues still facing us singles out there. So don’t be disappointed if all the cute guys or girls are not knocking on your door. You must be proactive, friendly and approachable but I found the atmosphere positive and upbeat.


    I did get the feeling the profiles on match were all real and were there for serious dating. I was comfortable in making the first approach and I did have mail and contacts coming in. Match has a number of advanced features, is a well polished system and has a safe and serious dating feel which I liked. Any questions I had were addressed quickly and generally it was everything one could expect from a leading dating system.


    Match Australia Pros:

  • Smooth, easily to navigate system
  • Superior search and match features
  • No ads
  • Lots of comprehensive profiles to choose from
  • A higher bench mark for members so more confidence profiles are real
  • Generally members are there for dating and relationship


    • Match Cons:

  • You have to pay
  • You have to provide more information about yourself including credit card
  • One must be prepared to put the effort in setting up a profile, pics etc.
  • No guarantee that matching of interests is going to help you find a compatible match
  • You may be more disappointed if you don’t find a match on a paid service


    • Match Australia Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars for dating in Australia!

    oasis active

    Oasis Advice:

    One important statistic to remember is that 20% of the profiles get 80% of the attention. If you want to have more success with online dating put less emphasis on people’s looks, spend more time reading peoples profiles and more time on your initial emails to these potential matches. It should go without saying put some character into your own profile (a little humor goes a long way) and of course put up the best photo you can of yourself.

    There are many very nice, honest, intelligent and successful people out there who could make very good partners with you however may not be as photogenic, poetic or quite frankly as attractive as you would like them to be. It is very easy to be critical when you're browsing through a long list of profiles but you may be your own worst enemy. Try and be a little more open minded, a little less defensive and less focused on looks. We live in a very critical society and scrolling through a directory of photos is not helping matters. Try and look passed the photo and try to read into what people say about themselves with an open mind 'don't be so critical'.

    Also very important is only date locals. Chatting or engaging with people in far away (often exotic) places is only asking for trouble. If they are locals it is easy to establish their credentials this will minimize the risk of being scammed because believe me they are out there.

    Oasis Active, Match, RSVP, eHarmony, POF they are all very good sites with well thought through features to help in your quest for a partner, date or even a friend. Knowing what you are looking for will help; not having too high an expectation and understanding the pitfalls of online dating will also help. Remember the sites are simply the venue they attract people just like you who are looking for someone (some good, some not so good, some downright bad). How you approach it, the people you search for, chat with and possibly meet depends on you. Do not be too critical of the site if you have a bad or boring experience. Be positive, be careful but not too suspicious of people and you will get out of it what you put in. Obviously some people are more cut out for this type of thing but hey what have you got to lose. Relax, exercise some common sense, enjoy and jump in; millions of people are doing it.

    Oasis Quick Tips:

    My number one safety tip is: only date locals. Ask specific questions that only locals will know. Spend some time chatting online before meeting someone. When you are ready, meet in a public place maybe with a friend but don’t invite them over for drinks. A quick coffee at a local coffee shop in the middle of the day is great. Don’t have too high of an expectations, approach it as meeting a new friend. Exercise common sense but don’t be too suspicious. If someone sounds too good to be true they probably are so be cautious. Never lend anyone money for any reason (that is just silly) and don’t give out too many personal details online. Relax, ask about them, talk about things they are interested in, don’t compare them to your last boy or girl friend. Most important enjoy the experience remember we are doing this for fun :)

    Oasis Disclaimer:

    Oasis Active and Match websites and trademarks are owned by their respective companies. Oasis network the owner of oasis.com.au has no relationship with either company. Opinions in this review are opinions of the writer's only and do not reflect the views of oasis network, its owners, staff or associates. Reviews, comments and opinions are extracts exclusively from our blog they are not edited or checked for accuracy. If you find any inaccuracies or incorrect information please contact us If you  would like to write a review or comment on this or any of our reviews please feel free to add your comments to our dating blog at oasis.com.au/wordpress.