Most people only know Ashley Madison as the dating website for cheaters, but our Ashley Madison review seeks to go beyond the labels and get to the heart of what this dating network has to offer single and not-so-single daters.
Launched in 2002, Ashley Madison has drawn in over 80 million members. Currently, the website and app facilitate more than 1 million affairs each month.
We’ve got a comprehensive overview of the features, pricing, and perks of an Ashley Madison account. Plus, you can check out our reviews of other popular dating sites if Ashley Madison doesn’t quite fit what you’re seeking.
Our Ashley Madison Rating: 4.2/5
Ashley Madison doesn’t judge people based on their marital status. This dating platform offers an open-ended dating space where people can privately explore their options.
Throughout its 20-year history, Ashley Madison has seen a fair amount of scandal and controversy. In 2015, a hacker group called Impact targeted the affairs site and stole its private user data. When Ashley Madison’s parent company Avid Life Media refused its ransom demands, the hackers exposed the private details of 30 million people. This data dump included names, email address, and credit card numbers.
Since then, Ashley Madison has taken extra care to protect its members from a cyber attack or data breach, and we commend the team for learning from past mistakes and continuing to move forward.
Ashley Madison is a discreet dating site with over 91 million profiles in its private database, and it is full of temptation. The platform offers a judgment-free zone where people can consider their options and chat with locals who are willing to get together on the down low.
- A uniquely open-minded dating network
- Privacy-conscious features
- Over 1.4 million matches per month
- Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free »
Ashley Madison recognizes that no one is perfect and infidelity happens. Many Ashley Madison reviews condemn the married dating site for facilitating extramarital affairs and cheating, but, despite the criticism, over 60 million people have created an account and used its under-the-radar services to satisfy their curiosity and fulfill their secret desires.
Ashley Madison Costs Women $0 Every Month
If you’re a woman on Ashley Madison, you have free rein over the dating app and site, and you won’t have to pay anything for the messaging and matching features. Congrats on scoring in the gender lottery!
Male users can create a dating profile and view other member profiles for free on Ashley Madison, but it costs extra to send and receive messages. Ashley Madison uses a pay-as-you-go credit system rather than the traditional monthly subscription plan. That means men buy credits and use them to start conversations and reply to incoming messages.
A bundle of 100 credits costs $49, a bundle of 500 credits costs $149, and a bundle of 1,000 credits costs $249. The Elite 1,000 credit package is the most expensive upfront, but it offers the lowest price point per credit (25 cents per credit), gives users the ability to start over 111 conversations, and includes a 30-day profile boost.
Ashley Madison will automatically refill your credit bank when it reaches zero, unless you go into your settings and turn off the auto-renewal feature. It’s a good idea to manage this setting to avoid unexpected charges.
In short, women can join, match, and chat on the online dating site and app without needing Ashley Madison credits. However, men will run into a paywall for sending messages and priority mail.
Complete a Profile, Upload Photos, and Then Start Browsing
The Ashley Madison registration process takes less than 10 minutes (or as long as you need to come up with a good username, greeting, and bio), and includes the bare minimum needed to create a solid match.
Ashley Madison requires users to fill in their ZIP code, relationship status, date of birth, height, weight, body type, and ethnicity. You’ll also need to set your limits — meaning how far you’re willing to go with a partner — and the options provided include cybersexting, short-term dating, and long-term affairs. If you’re undecided, you can simply put down “Not Sure.”
When you upload a profile picture on Ashley Madison, you can choose to blur, block, or mask your face. You can also create Secret Photo Albums with raunchier photos that you can share at your discretion.
Members can share who they are and what they’re seeking in the About Me section. While it’s quite flexible, most people keep it short and sweet (three sentences or less) and avoid sharing too much personal information. A major no-no on Ashley Madison is discussing marriage issues or sexual frustrations with your current partner. When crafting a new dating profile, it’s important to remember that your dates want to learn about you, not your spouse. Ashley Madison is all about fresh starts and new romantic connections, so leave any relationship baggage out of your bio!
Lasr of all, women have the option to choose a Quick Reply message that will automatically be sent to every Ashley Madison user who likes her profile. The dating service has a pre-written message that reads “If you are really interested please send a message and photos,” but members can also use their own flirty imaginations and write something else to their online crushes and potential dates.
Find Matches on Your Own & Receive Suggestions Every Day
Ashley Madison streamlines the online dating experience, so it doesn’t take much to create a romantic connection.
As an Ashley Madison user, you can customize your search filters by age range, location, and relationship status. You also have the option to search the database by last login (24 hours, 48 hours, anytime), new members, and profiles with public or private photos.
You do not need to create a mutual match to send messages or request access to a private photo album on Ashley Madison.
If you select the Contact Potential Matches for Me option during sign-up, Ashley Madison will take a more active role in matchmaking by sending flirty messages on your behalf to those who meet your criteria. This can be a great way for shy individuals to start conversations and break the ice with minimal effort.If you like the idea of Ashley Madison taking the lead, this option might just be perfect for you. It’s like having a wingman in the digital dating world, working to help you connect with potential matches without the stress of initiating contact yourself.For those who are nervous about starting conversations, this service can offer a gentle nudge, making it easier to dive into the world of online dating.So, if you’re ready to meet new people but feel a bit timid about making the first move, consider letting Ashley Madison handle the initial introductions. You never know who you might end up chatting with!
Ashley Madison Has 5.7 Million Monthly Users
Over the last 20 years, Ashley Madison has added over 60 million members to its database. Of course, many of those are now inactive accounts that have been hidden from the Discover section.
The number of monthly active users (5.7 million) and new signups (22,000) will give you a better idea about the real-time activity and popularity of this affair dating site.
Before the Ashley Madison hack, the site and app attracted over 30,000 daily signups. In 2015, membership numbers briefly surged as Ashley Madison made headlines due to Impact’s ransom note and data breach, but then it plummeted as trust in the brand waned.
The Ashley Madison team is working hard to bring back the high level of user engagement it once had, now welcoming 22,000 new members each day. They’re dedicated to making Ashley Madison a lively platform once more.
Ashley Madison is totally free for women, so it tends to have more female than male members. In 2017, Ashley Madison reported that it has 1.13 active female accounts for every 1 paid male account.
Every week, Ashley Madison welcomes over 150,000 new members and facilitates more than 1 million matches for those seeking infidelity.
13 Best Ashley Madison Alternatives
A cheating spouse may prefer the discreet services of Ashley Madison, but infidelity isn’t the goal of everyone in the dating scene. Sometimes married people use dating sites and apps as a casual way to meet new friends, distract themselves from their everyday routines, and maybe release a little flirtatious energy.
If you just want to keep your options open or dip a toe into the single dating pool, then you may want to give the following popular dating sites and apps a try.
Best Overall | Gay & Lesbian | Hookups | FAQs
Best Overall Ashley Madison Alternatives
The Ashley Madison hack in 2015 really shook people’s trust in the affair dating website, making it understandable if you want a service with a better reputation and less drama. To make things easier for you, we’ve ranked some of the most trustworthy dating platforms where everyone can mingle freely.
1. eharmony
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has endeavored to find the formula for love. Its 32-dimension personality test uses psychological truths to identify areas of compatibility between two individuals. The dating site's mission is to foster relationships that last, and every potential match has a reason behind it.
- Over 2 million people have found love here
- Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
- Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals
- Browse eharmony profiles 100% free »
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has focused on building strong relationships based on mutual compatibility. It may not seem like an obvious spot for married individuals to pick up a date, but its smart matching system can lead to some great romances.
The eharmony match algorithm takes the lead and provides compatibility ratings based on a psychological assessment, so you don’t have to worry about picking the right partner. To date, eharmony has inspired over 2 million relationships in the U.S., and it could help you find that loving feeling again.
2. OkCupid
In 2004, OkCupid's founders decided to create a fool-proof formula for love, and they launched a free dating site to delve into what personal attributes made relationships work. OkCupid members can send unlimited messages for free. It's easy to discover mutual interests and compatibility on the platform's information-rich dating profiles.
- Free, unlimited communication for everyone
- Singles can swipe or search for a compatible date
- Over 91 million connections every year
- Browse OkCupid profiles 100% free »
All communication is free on OkCupid, and that’s why millions of online daters choose to mingle and match on this dating site and app.
OkCupid offers a dynamic dating profile, clever match questions, and a wealth of search filters to help you get started. Plus, you don’t have to wait for your online crush to like your profile before sending a greeting.
The OkCupid platform has 22 gender options and 12 orientation options, so it’s a great space for exploring your sexuality and going outside the box of cis straight monogamy.
Plenty of Fish prides itself on being one of the best dating sites for conversations. It supports 100% free and unlimited messaging for over 120 million monthly users in 20 countries. Since its launch in 2003, Plenty of Fish has developed a science-based matching system that has proven successful.
- Free registration, searches, and messaging
- The Chemistry Test creates a compatibility framework
- Over 1 billion messages sent per month
- Browse Plenty of Fish profiles 100% free »
Plenty of Fish is a free dating platform with free communication, so nothing stands between you and a hot date. Over 150 million people have joined the POF community, and members engage in 3 million conversations a week.
Free dating sites like Plenty of Fish tend to attract a lot of people, and all of them have different agendas. Some are just looking for a quick chat and confidence booster. Others are hoping to fall in love and get in a serious relationship. And others may have more secret motives and desires in mind.
Bumble is a feminist dating app for women who know what they want and aren’t hesitant to make the first move. In 2014, Bumble made a splash with its women-first mentality, and it now has over 50 million active users worldwide.
4. Bumble
Since its launch in 2014, Bumble has positioned itself as one of the queens of the online dating world. The dating app turns gender stereotype on its head by empowering women to make the first move in a conversation with a man. Once you've made that mutual match, you have up to 48 hours to respond and make a connection.
- A feminist dating app puts singles on equal footing
- 60% of Bumble matches turn into dates
- Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF spark non-romantic connections
- Browse Bumble profiles 100% free »
Bumble is a feminist dating app for women who know what they want and aren’t hesitant to make the first move. In 2014, Bumble made a splash with its women-first mentality, and it now has over 100 million users worldwide.
When a male user matches with a woman, he’s got to wait for her to make the first move. She’s got 24 hours to send that initial message before he can chat with her. Bumble has really turned the tables on traditional gender roles in online dating by giving women the power to start things off, which can help set the stage for more balanced relationships right from the start.
Best Ashley Madison Alternatives for LGBTQ
Ashley Madison offers cheating options for gay and lesbian individuals, but it doesn’t have trans-friendly or non-binary options available just yet. Bisexual singles will have to create two separate accounts on Ashley Madison if they want to pursue men and women there. Or they could join the following LGBTQ+ dating platforms and enjoy a rainbow of dating options.
5. MenNation
Since 1996, MenNation has connected over 93 million men around the globe. This men-only dating site measures its success by the number of conversations and dates it facilitates with its intuitive matching system. Gay men love having a site to call their own, and its helpful features keep members engaged and entertained as they look for a hot date.
- One of the largest gay hookup sites in the world
- Search filters for age, location, physical attributes, and more
- Available in 12 languages and counting
- Browse MenNation profiles 100% free »
As a gay hookup site, MenNation can help men come out of their shells and enjoy sexual encounters online and offline.
MenNation welcomes single men and gay couples to an erotic playground where they don’t have to play coy or hide their deepest desires. Over 72,000 men mingle on this adult dating platform every day, and they’re all looking for one thing: sex.
6. HER
HER is a women-only (or "womxn" as the team says) dating app that helps cis, trans, and non-binary identified singles come into their own. This is a strict no-boys-allowed zone. HER encourages LGBTQ+ women to mingle by commenting on photos or events in the Feed, or they can like profiles to initiate a private conversation with a mutual match.
- A quirky and unapologetic womxn-only dating community
- Queer events get users connecting IRL
- The constantly updated Feed facilitates social networking
- Browse HER profiles 100% free »
HER is a social dating app where real women mingle with one another. All its female profiles have been verified as authentic, and the moderators are serious about removing fake profiles and creeps.
Single men and married people are not welcome in this LBTQ+ space. It was created to help single women escape the chauvinism of the mainstream dating scene and encounter local ladies who share similar interests. HER offers a queer calendar and social media newsfeed to help lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer women get to know one another.
7. Grindr
Grindr became the world's first gay geosocial app in 2009, and it continues growing its all-male user base more than a decade later. The app uses real-time GPS data to locate nearby date prospects and give gay and bisexual singles a chance to connect while they're out on the town.
- Social networking for gay, bi, trans, and queer men
- Location-based matches spark instant chemistry
- Grindr Equality advocates for LGBTQ+ interests on the global stage
- Browse Grindr profiles 100% free »
Grindr is widely recognized as the most popular dating app for gay and bisexual men. It launched in 2009 as one of the first apps to use location data to spark real-time connections, and guys have been using it to hook up ever since.
Every guy on Grindr can swipe and chat for free, though upgrading to Grindr Xtra brings perks like an ad-free experience, more search filters, read receipts, a discreet app icon, and a PIN to lock the app.
Grindr has over 15 million average monthly active users all around the world, so you’ll never run out of opportunities to match, chat, and flirt your way into a gay romance.
Best Ashley Madison Alternatives for Hookups
Whether you’re married or single, there are times when you just want to enjoy a fling without any emotional entanglements. That’s where no-strings-attached hookup sites come in. People who are sexually active can join the following sex-positive platforms to flirt with strangers who are eager to have some fun.
8. NaughtyCharm
NaughtyCharm invites singles to walk on the wild side and explore their sexuality in a fun, free-wheeling environment. This adults-only dating site is full of flirty photos, and many profiles go by a nickname because they prefer to leave some things to the imagination. Premium subscribers get the most bang for the buck because they can send messages, browse incognito, and receive alerts when their messages have been read by someone special.
- Sexually active adults in 10 countries
- Browse the Like Gallery for hot singles
- Stimulate conversation in intimate private messages
- Browse NaughtyCharm profiles 100% free »
NaughtyCharm has gotten good reviews from users and been around for many years, so we have consistently ranked it as one of the best hookup sites available in North America and Europe.
It doesn’t cost anything to set up your NaughtyCharm account, add a profile picture, and start messaging other users. NaughtyCharm has a live chatting system that is secure and open to everyone, and it even offers prewritten flirts that can be sent en masse to all the users who fit specific search criteria.
In 1996, Friend Finder Networks began harnessing the power of online networking to help adults meet sexually active singles in their area, and it has now grown into a global X-rated phenomenon with over 93 million profiles. Adult Friend Finder provides a safe, anonymous dating platform where singles and swingers can hook up with another.
- Among the largest online sex and swinger communities
- Completely free no-obligation registration
- Live chat rooms and discussion forums open 24/7
- Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free »
Adult Friend Finder has more than 100 million users in its database, so it’s a great place to seek a sexual partner. Things move pretty fast in the AFF community, so an erotic chat could turn into an extramarital affair in the time it takes to say, “your place or mine?”
You can read our Adult Friend Finder review to find out more about how the hookup site works and what type of people find success there.
10. FriendFinder-X
FriendFinder-X specializes in delivering hot dates to your inbox. For the last 20+ years, this hookup site has amassed a huge following around the world and led to countless sexy encounters. Millions of people have created an account and searched for singles, couples, and groups who can satisfy their deepest desires.
- Open to casual daters in the U.S. and abroad
- Free members can browse profiles and watch sexy videos
- Chat anonymously in the forum or private messages
- Browse FriendFinder-X profiles 100% free »
FriendFinder-X is a hookup site powered by local connections and fast-paced flirtations. Singles and couples are welcome to explore this dynamic dating scene in search of no-strings attached sex.
Some folks quickly brand FriendFinder-X as a scam because of its pay-to-play model, but those membership fees can actually help prevent scammers from targeting users.
If you’re seriously considering an extramarital affair, threesome, or other adventurous exploits, becoming a paid member of FriendFinder-X can be a strategic move to connect with more local prospects. It’s a way to expand your dating horizons.
What is Ashley Madison?
Ashley Madison is a dating site where men and women can seek an extramarital affair. Its membership base includes singles as well as married individuals, and it offers privacy features to facilitate anonymous dating.
How Does Ashley Madison Work?
Our Ashley Madison review already touched on how the dating profile setup and matchmaking process works, but newcomers to online dating may need more direct, step-by-step directions for finding success on Ashley Madison, so here goes:
When you’re getting started, you’ll need to create your dating profile. A valid email address and a username are required, but uploading a photo isn’t necessary for a free account. That said, Ashley Madison members who include a profile photo, even if it’s blurred or masked, receive 400% more views.
Once you’ve completed the Ashley Madison sign-up process and verified your email, you can start viewing people’s profiles and sending winks to any person you like. Women enjoy unlimited free communication on Ashley Madison, but men will have to purchase credits to send messages on the affair dating site. There may also be a mobile access fee for users who buy credits through the app.
Ashley Madison has a feature that automatically renews subscriptions set to expire and refills your credit bank when it hits zero. Make sure you go into your settings to disable these features, so your credit card doesn’t get charged unexpectedly.
How Long Has Ashley Madison Been Around?
Darren J. Morgenstern founded Ashley Madison in 2002 as a Canadian dating service focused on affairs. The name comes from two of the most common first names for women in North America.
In 2016, a year after its massive security breach, Ashley Madison’s parent company Avid Life Media rebranded to Ruby Corp and appointed a new CEO.
What Sites are Similar to Ashley Madison?
We’ve highlighted several alternatives to Ashley Madison, but most of these platforms are geared towards singles looking for love and romance. They might not be ideal if you’re planning to be open about your relationship status and seek an affair.
Apps for cheaters will provide more clandestine features to keep your dating adventures out of the public eye. For instance, the Secret app only asks users to provide a photo of themselves for their profile, and they can seek casual daters without exchanging names or contact information.
Victoria Milan is another married dating site that has an international following, and it’s often compared to the Ashley Madison app.
Is Ashley Madison Safe?
The infamous 2015 security breach at Ashley Madison made many married folks worry about the safety of their personal information on the site. The upside, though, is that this major hack pushed Ashley Madison’s team to greatly improve the site’s security features.
These days, Ashley Madison employs strong encryption standards to fend off cyber attacks and keep your data from leaking onto the dark web.
Ashley Madison has worked hard to regain the trust of its users. The team hired cybersecurity experts to purge the membership base of any fake profile, scammer, or fembot lurking around, and its two-factor authentication system ensures all new users are real people.
“We represent how a company can bounce back from what might seem like a catastrophic situation,” Chief Strategy Officer Paul Keable explained in a 2019 interview. “We recognized the need to overhaul our internal infrastructure. [We] hired a new security team, and a new CISO who examined everything from the ground up.”
Can Couples Join Ashley Madison?
No, Ashley Madison isn’t designed for couples seeking a dating experience. It doesn’t support features for polyamorous dating, unicorn hunting, or any type of couple interactions. On Ashley Madison, profiles are limited to a man or a woman looking for a man or a woman. As for relationship status, you have the option to identify as single, attached, or leave it blank to add a little mystery to your profile.
What Counts as Cheating?
You might think cheating is straightforward, but for many married folks, it’s not so black and white. Suppose you start feeling something for a friend but keep things strictly friendly—is that cheating? Some might call it emotional cheating, while others say it’s all good as long as you don’t act on those feelings.
In a member survey, 29% of Ashley Madison users agreed that creating a dating profile counts as cheating, and 46% said that sending naked photos to another person would constitute cheating.
Every marriage has its own set of rules. Maybe your partner wants you to stop talking to exes or avoid watching porn to show your commitment. It’s crucial for couples to chat about these limits so they know where each other stands.
Ashley Madison Eases People Into the Online Dating Scene
As you can tell, we did a lot of research to make sure this Ashley Madison review includes everything you could possibly need to know as you consider reentering the modern dating scene.
This discreet affair site has helped countless men and women add excitement to their love lives, but it’s not the only option out there. We’ve reviewed many popular dating sites and apps that offer low-key dating opportunities, showing that sometimes cheaters do indeed prosper.
Besides joining Ashley Madison, married individuals can explore multiple dating profiles to increase their chances of meeting someone special.
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