Widowers or Widows vs OurTime

Two different audiences, two different approaches

OurTime is built for singles over 50 in general. It is a large, well-established site owned by Match Group and it has a broad membership. For many older singles, that breadth is a real advantage: more potential matches, more activity, a wider range of backgrounds and interests.

Widowers or Widows is built for a more specific group: people who have lost a husband or wife and are, in their own time, open to meeting someone again. The entire site is oriented around that experience, which changes the feel of it considerably.

Neither approach is wrong. The question is which one fits where you are right now.

Understanding of bereavement

This is where the difference is most significant. On OurTime, you will meet people who have been through a range of life experiences, including divorce, widowhood and simply never having married. That diversity is fine, but it does mean that when you meet someone, you may find yourself explaining your situation, answering questions about grief, or navigating conversations with people who have not experienced what it is to lose a spouse.

On Widowers or Widows, every member is bereaved. You do not need to explain. There is a shared understanding from the first contact that tends to make early conversations gentler and more honest. People who have been through loss tend to cut through the small talk more readily and to be more patient with each other.

Pace and pressure

Larger mainstream sites are designed, naturally, around engagement: prompts to message, notifications, suggestions to upgrade. This can feel like a lot if you are someone who needs time to find your footing. OurTime is no different from any other site in this respect.

The experience on Widowers or Widows is quieter. You can join and browse without any pressure to make contact. Joining and searching are free, and there is no expectation that a first sign-up leads immediately to conversation. The pace is yours to set.

Safety and verification

Widowers or Widows checks all profiles and uses Scamalytics anti-scam screening. It is also protected by the Online Dating Protector programme. Bereaved singles can be targeted by scammers, so this level of screening matters.

OurTime as a Match Group property also has safety measures in place, though the scale of a very large platform makes thorough individual profile checking harder to guarantee.

Cost to start

Both sites allow you to create a profile and browse for free. Messaging and advanced features on both require a paid membership. Widowers or Widows follows the standard HubPeople platform pricing with a free tier and paid membership options available when you feel ready to upgrade.

Which is right for you?

If the shared understanding of bereavement is important to you, and if you would rather not have to explain your situation to every person you meet, a site built specifically for widowed people is likely to feel more comfortable. The community is smaller, but the connections tend to feel more considered.

If you want the widest possible pool of matches and are comfortable with a more mainstream experience, a larger platform like OurTime gives you more options at scale. The choice depends on what kind of experience you are looking for at this stage of your life.