It was a love connection from the very start.  OkCupid has become one of the most popular dating websites online thanks to the fact that it’s free.  Match.com is one of the most popular dating websites online thanks to its layers of compatibility, screening service, and success at pairing up couples thanks to a survey process that helps you find your best match.  Now, apparently, OkCupid and Match.com are pairing off.  IAC, parent company of Match.com and Chemistry.com, is buying OkCupid for $50 million.  Chemistry.com and Match.com are paid subscription services; OkCupid is completely free.

“We know that many people who start out on advertising-based sites ultimately develop an appetite for the broader feature set and more committed community, which subscription sites like Match.com and Chemistry.com offer, creating a true complimentary relationship between our various business models,” said IAC’s CEO, Greg Blatt, in a statement about the acquisition.  “2010 saw record growth both for Match and OkCupid, and we believe coordinating the adjacent business models will help fuel continued growth for both.”

I don’t foresee Match.com or IAC messing with a good thing.  OkCupid is profitable thanks to ad sales and is the most popular free dating website online since the demise of Yahoo Personals.  I figure that’s why it will stay free, while Match.com remains subscription-based.  Still, the cross-promotion possibilities and the ability to swap a profile from the free to the paid site is going to be put into place sooner, rather than later.  You’d be crazy not to dangle that carrot in front of the hungry audience of lonely singles.

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