Ashley Madison Dating Site Review: Is It Legit?
| Monthly visits | Around 800K |
| Price | 100 credits – $69.00 500 credits – $189.00 1,000 credits – $309.00 |
| Male to female ratio | 43% male, 57% female |
| Good for | People interested in sexual relationships |
| Site | ashleymadison.com |
Ashley Madison is a dating site with a good reputation, proven by users and experts. It seems a popular and good platform, but how effective is using it? Our content team did deep research to understand if the site is worth time and effort.
We have compiled the main information about prices, pros and cons, and features and described it in this review.
Ashley Madison in 30 seconds
- Almost 7 million users visit Ashley Madison every month looking for casual hookups, extramarital affairs, or long-term relationships
- Sing up, search, favorites, and winks are free for all members
- Suitable for straight and LGBTQ relationships
- Profiles only include basic information on appearance and interests
- Search filters focus on suitable partners close to your location
- New members enjoy a welcome bonus that doubles the credits purchased
- Regular and premium messages are the primary communication option
- Ashley Madison members can exchange keys to share private photos
- Prices start at $59 for 100 credits
- There’s an Ashley Madison app for Android and iOS
- Only women looking to date men can use all features for free
- There are lots of positive Ashley Madison reviews and success stories
What is Ashley Madison?
Ashley Madison is a dating site where you can try different types of relationships. The site was created in 2002 and its owners decided to make its main focus on “secret love affairs” for polygamous people. Meanwhile, the variety of types of relationships is supplemented every year.
According to users’ reviews, you can find casual dates, long-term affairs, hookups, and friends-with-benefits here, and it is not the complete list. More than 65 million users joined the site, and the audience is growing every year, so you are going to have a great choice if you join AshleyMadison.
Overall AshleyMadison.com rating
Our Rating
93%
Overall score
Member’s experience
4.7 of 5
Customer service
4.8 of 5
Features
4.5 of 5
Support
4.7 of 5
Cost
4.5 of 5
Who is Ashley Madison for and not for?
Ashley Madison is for:
- Married people looking for discreet affairs
- Straight and LGBTQ singles looking for casual encounters
- People interested in sexual relationships
Ashley Madison is not for:
- Serious, long-term monogamous relationships
- Sugar daddies, mommies, or babies
- People who don’t believe in online dating sites
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of Ashley Madison?
Pros
- The site is suitable for starting a large variety of relationships
- Affordable price compared to other dating platforms
- Easy-to-use search
- High user activity
- Excellent package of communication tools
Cons
- You can still see fake profiles here
- The site is not suitable for serious relationships
- Not many users in little cities
Pricing
The dating site is free for women seeking men. For all other members, Ashley Madison cost is calculated via a credit system:
- 100 credits – $69.00
- 500 credits – $189.00
- 1,000 credits – $309.00
The dating site will double your purchase if you buy a credit package within 10 minutes of setting up your account. So you can get 200 credits instead of 100 for $69.
Free services
All new Ashley Madison users get free guest membership upon registration. You can access several free features before you purchase credits:
- Profile customization. You can add public and private photos and personal details and specify your interests without paying a single penny.
- Search filters. You can discover matching profiles according to your dating goals using flexible filters, including location, physical attributes, etc.
- Public profile browsing. Once you find a promising profile, you can view public photos and learn the user’s interests before initiating contact.
- Winks and favorites. You can add the most promising profiles to favorites and send winks to draw attention; you don’t need to spend money to do it.
If you wish to initiate contact with any member of the dating platform, you need to purchase an Ashley Madison premium subscription.
Paid services
To enjoy every premium feature, Ashley Madison members can purchase credits and spend them on:
- Regular messages. You’ll need 9 credits to start a conversation with any Ashley Madison user, but the following messages will be free.
- Priority messages. You can send priority mail for 14 credits per message to get your messages noticed sooner. The following messages will be free.
- Private keys. You can share or request private access keys to view users’ galleries, but you’ll need credits.
Ashley Madison may also charge a mobile fee if you plan on using an Android or iOS application on your mobile devices. Alternative premium membership options include: Priority Man status, highlighting your profile within search results, and boosting your chances of finding a perfect match.
Who is really signed up here?
| 👥 Visits | 6.9M |
| 🇺🇸 Most visited by | USA |
| ⌛ The average age of female and male users | 25-34 for females, 35-44 for males |
| 🌐 Members activity | US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, UK, etc. |
How does Ashley Madison work?
- Ashley Madison matches users based on location and online dating goals
- Users can skip real names and disguise public photos to preserve privacy
- Members can send winks, add profiles to favorites, and learn who viewed their profiles
- Ashley Madison users can block or report undesirable or suspicious members
- Messages are the primary communication means on Ashley Madison
It’s easy to review Ashley Madison dating site because it’s minimalistic yet efficient. Profiles aren’t too detailed, but flexible search filters help match you with suitable potential partners according to your tastes and interests.
Messages and private albums are the extents of the communication means, promoting a faster shift towards real-life relationships.
Signing up at Ashley Madison
- Specify your country and zip code to get local matches
- Wait for the confirmation email to verify your profile
- Add a photo and disguise your identity for privacy
- Register and log in within 60 seconds
As we’ve learned while preparing to review Ashley Madison, the sign-up process takes under a minute. You only need to fill in a few fields, including email, nickname, and password. The online dating site will also request your relationship status and dating goals, as well as your country and zip code, to provide better recommendations. You’ll also need to confirm you’re at least 18 years old.
The confirmation email will drop into your inbox immediately, and you can verify your profile by following the link. From there, the Ashley Madison website will walk you through the initial steps of setting up a successful profile as you see positive Ashley Madison testimonials. The initial setup will require you to choose among relationship options, ranging from long-term to cyber affairs and the “anything goes” option.
Profile pictures
Ashley Madison maintains that profiles with photos get more attention from other members. So the dating site will insist you add a profile picture as soon as possible.
- Choose a recent high-quality photo that demonstrates your best assets clearly
- Upload any image file and use the built-in editor to crop and rotate the image
- Disguise your identity using masks or blurring if you value the privacy
- Store original files among private photos and let other members access them when you see fit
Making contact on Ashley Madison
- Find Ashley Madison users you want to contact using search filters
- Add potential partners to favorites and send winks for free
- Initiate contact through regular and priority mail
- Send and request private key access
- Take relationship to real life when you’re ready
While search and other features are free, initiating contact on Ashley Madison requires credits unless you’re a woman looking for a man. For men, sending the first message is worth 9 to 14 credits, but the following communication should be free of charge, except for accessing private albums.
Unfortunately, Ashley Madison doesn’t offer video or voice call features. But it can encourage you to switch to real dates and relationships sooner, which can be considered a benefit or a drawback across Ashley Madison site reviews.
Ashley Madison profiles: Customization and special features
- The profiles aren’t too detailed
- You can edit your nickname and location after sign-up
- You can manage public and private photos using the gallery
- A witty one-liner will get attention faster, but it’s 64 characters max
- The profile displays age, height, and weight but lets you avoid specifying ethnicity
Ashley Madison profile page includes several sections: greeting, photo gallery, vitals, and interests; all of them are editable, including your nickname and location. While the profiles aren’t too detailed, you can add a short narrative about yourself, including a one-liner greeting. Aside from your relationship status, goals, and physical attributes, you can also specify the languages you speak.
The “Interests & Desires” section includes a list of lifestyle and sexual preferences to help you find a suitable match faster. You can pick anything from “Kinky fun” and “Threesome” to “Wine” and “Nature”. Ultimately, you’ll end up with a unique set of interests.
To set up your profile for success, follow these tips:
Be generous with photos.
You can add masks or blur the public pics to preserve your identity and create an air of mystery, but make up for the lack of details with spicy private photos.
Be creative with greetings.
Ashley Madison limits your greeting to 64 characters, so it has to be something exciting and memorable. We suggest using a line from your favorite song, which will also give insight into your music taste. “A little less conversation, a little more action, please” is what we went with for this Ashley Madison site review.
Be honest about your interests and desires.
If you’re looking for a sexual relationship, indicate your preferences upfront to find suitable partners and avoid disappointment for all parties involved.
Considering the number of active accounts and Ashley Madison reviews, you need to make your profile noticeable. It may take a few tries to gain attention, so don't give up after your first attempt to build a connection.
Editor's conclusion
David Krant
Dating Expert
Ashley Madison is a good choice for many people.
This site is suitable for people who haven’t decided what they want (hookup, long-term affair, or something other) and also for people who are sure about their dating goals.
The site allows to talk to many people, and you can quickly find your match.
FAQ
Is Ashley Madison good?
There's been some negative Ashley Madison member feedback about private data leaks a few years ago. Since then, the dating site has improved safety measures to reduce the number of fake accounts and prevent other security breaches.
Is Ashley Madison free?
Registration is completely free, and so are a variety of features, including profile editing, search, favorites, winks, and profile views. However, if you wish to initiate contact with other members, you'll need to purchase credits unless you're a woman looking for a man.
Can you erase your personal data on Ashley Madison?
You can delete your profile and all personal data if you go to the Settings tab of the Profile. At the very bottom of your account settings info, you'll find the "Delete account" option. Unfortunately, your credits will expire, and you won't be able to restore your profile. Alternatively, you can choose to deactivate the account, which does not remove your data but removes your profile from search results.
