Ashley Madison

Even if you have never tried online dating, you might have heard the name Ashley Madison. In an environment flooded with basic apps like Tinder or Hinge, this service has always been an outlier, with a more refined, elegant interface, not to mention their emphasis on discretion. Since its launch in 2002, when I talk to people about it, they seem unaware of how much it has changed over the years. Given this, I think now is a good time to update my review to better reflect its current setup. AshleyMadison.com is a dating site that places great emphasis on discretion. For such a site, this is almost a humorous focus because you would think your privacy is just a standard issue, especially in our digital age. Nevertheless, they do a great job in this regard, helping users find everything from casual dates to deep, meaningful long-term relationships without the privacy issues you might encounter elsewhere. Maybe you don’t know me, but your old friend ThePornDude definitely loves meeting women, so let’s take a quick look and see who’s worth checking out.

First of all: Ashley Madison is different from those hookup site ads you see on TV full of supposedly desperate local singles; it has an official app for iOS and Android. You can easily download and install it directly from Google Play or the App Store. They have spent decades polishing the interface into a world-class platform that lets you find exactly who you are looking for. I used the web version this time mainly because it was easier to write about the site with it in a window next to my text. Another thing you should know is that AshleyMadison.com is no longer exclusively for married people. The old brand image caused many misunderstandings, and frankly, it wasn’t as inclusive as it is now. They even explicitly state on their travel page that their services are suitable for almost anyone looking for a partner. This includes singles looking for dates, polygamous or ethically non-monogamous people, or those just seeking an “alternative dating experience.” Whoever you are looking for, their goal is to help you find them.

All these features are useless without a large user base. The good news is that there are over 91 million registered users here, with nearly 4 million monthly visits, definitely not a ghost town! Registration is completely free. After entering basic information, the first question you face is what kind of “discreet match” you want, with options ranging from curious to adventurous. I chose “flexible” directly. Then the system asks what you are open to, from casual, romantic, long-term relationships to kinky, BDSM, and group play. If you are new, feel free to check “unsure.” After declining the first upgrade prompt, let’s see what a cheapskate can get for free.

How to maintain privacy on a site full of strangers? Ashley Madison has a built-in genius photo disguiser that can add masks to your face, blur the entire photo like unpaid porn sites, or keep it completely private. I put a robber mask on myself. After filling out a brief personal profile, I started searching around as a free user. The platform generously provided a large number of women within 200 miles (after all, I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is populous). Unsurprisingly, most profile photos were blurred or covered, but many showed their faces openly. You can use advanced filters like body type and ethnicity for precise targeting. I specifically adjusted settings to show only women with real photos, ready to start my hunt.

When we talk about all your potential matches, now is a good time to mention the Ashley Madison bot controversy. As early as 2015, Gizmodo published an analysis claiming the platform was full of fake users. However, they actually retracted this claim, admitting their data analysis was flawed and their conclusions were defective. Some people seem to have only heard half the story, but Ashley Madison’s CEO said bots have been gone since the end of 2015. When reviewing these apps, I always look out for fake nonsense, but I didn’t encounter the problems seen on more complex apps. No obvious fake profiles, and I didn’t receive a bunch of random sexual messages from users right after registering. You always have to be diligent when dating online, but Ashley Madison is not the bot farm some think it is.

Want to officially start chatting with the beautiful hottie on the other side? Not surprisingly, you need to open your wallet. The platform uses a message-based monetization model; for just $5 a month, users can send you messages for free, or you can buy credit packages. If you want to go further, the preferred monthly membership fee is about $30 (on par with other popular dating apps), which brings extra daily photo requests, wink sending, and search ranking boosts. I love its current inclusivity and high-level privacy protection. I suggest you browse local info for free first, and once you see a target you like, decisively top up to start your wonderful adventure!