Ashley Madison Review
Ashley Madison® is not your typical dating site. It was born in 2001 with the sole purpose of offering married and attached people in search of an affair with a discreet way of finding sex partners. Over the decades, the portal broadened its horizons and opened its virtual gates to singles as well as unconventional individuals, but the brand’s core philosophy didn’t change. Today, Ashley Madison® is still the top choice for most online daters looking for discreet hookups and uncommitted sex. The platform operates in 52 countries and counts over 40 million users.
This globally-recognized brand is so popular that we couldn’t miss the opportunity to test it. Our Ashley Madison® profile has been active for several weeks. We had loads of fun over this time and also assessed the platform’s strengths and weaknesses. Read on to find out all you need to know before signing up.
| Pro | Contra |
| ✓ Contemporary, visually attractive interface ✓ Super-easy registration and straightforward membership plans ✓ Huge user base |
✗ Relationship status has to be specified ✗ No matching or compatibility features |
About the members:
- Over 40 million users worldwide
- Hundreds of active members at any time
- Excellent men to women ratio
About Ashley Madison®:
- Sleek, intuitive interface
- Free search options and multiple search filters
- Credit-based membership
How long will it take for me to get my first one-night stand?
If you’re looking for any kind of affairs and uncommitted sex, Ashley Madison® is undoubtedly the right place for you. The portal has a huge user pool, and most members look for the same thing – erotic fun, hookups, and long-term affairs. Signing up is as easy as it gets and takes under 1 minute. Once you’ve chosen a username and filled in the short sign-up form, the site prompts you to upload a profile picture and tell a few things about yourself. Both steps are optional, but as Ashley Madison® itself tells you, members with at least one uploaded photo and a complete profile are more likely to be successful. A simple click on the Discover section of the website returns dozens of results.
You can easily adjust the search criteria based on age, body type, the last time the members were online, and even distance and location. You can check out the profiles, like them, and even send winks for free, but contacting other members will cost you some credits unless you’re a woman seeking men. Since most Ashley Madison® users are open-minded and looking to spice up their sex lives, finding a one-night stand shouldn’t take too much.
What is the success rate at Ashley Madison® ?
Unlike other adult dating sites that offer dozens of dating options, Ashley Madison® likes to keep it simple and promotes real-life affairs. There are no live cams or webcam chat rooms, and most users focus on meeting in-person as quickly as possible. To test the success rate, we decided to contact 100 women and see what they were up to. We wrote two messages and sent each one to 50 ladies. The results speak for themselves. Check them out.
Test message 1: “Hi. I think you’re beautiful. What are you doing tonight?”
| Contacted women | Responses | as a percentage |
| 50 | 11 | 22% response rate |
Test message 2: „Hey, gorgeous. I’d love to fulfill your deepest passions. What are your kinks in bed?”
| Contacted women | Responses | as a percentage |
| 50 | 42 | 84% response rate |
Women on Ashley Madison® are here to have fun, not to find their knight in shiny armor. Classic pick-up lines are unlikely to work. While your profile pictures might trigger an answer if you really have a flawless body, witty messages, and creative ways of establishing contact are much more likely to work. As Ashley Madison® itself recommends, don’t just say hi. Either tell them something interesting about yourself or ask them what they’re into – and we couldn’t agree more.
What kind of women should I expect to find?
Despite its age, Ashley Madison® knew exactly how to maintain its interface young and attractive. The website appeals to users from all walks of life, and you can expect to find all kinds of women. From college-educated ladies working in corporate jobs to stay-at-home moms, from singles to married or committed ladies, you can find all you want on this platform. Most members have between 22 and 54 years old, and it’s safe to say that this portal is ideal for users of all ages.
Due to the diversity of its members, Ashley Madison® is a great choice for all those who want to explore their sexuality. The website welcomes members of all ages, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, or relationship status.
How secure are my data? Am I anonymous?
If we were to think of a sex dating site that’s secure and truly cares about your anonymity, it would surely be Ashley Madison®. Discretion is the core value of the portal, and the website even encourages you to use blurred photos and a dedicated email address when subscribing. After being hacked in 2015 and following the huge scandal generated by the security system failure, the platform beefed up its security and is now more than reliable.
Like most e-commerce sites, Ashley Madison® uses SSL encryption systems and partners with trustworthy payment services. Whether you decide to use your credit or debit card or purchase credits via PayPal, your identity will be protected, and all payment data kept safely. Ashley Madison®’s name will never appear on any billing statements, and the company will never sell or disclose your data to third parties.
Is Ashley Madison® a reputable platform?
Absolutely. The portal was launched in 2001 and is now one of the main players on the adult dating scene. Core values, such as user anonymity and the overall safe online dating space, are just some of the portal’s strengths.
The website is operated by Ruby Life Inc., formerly known as Avid Life Media. Ruby Life Inc. is a social entertainment company that operates various dating websites, and that strives to bring together like-minded individuals who share the same passions and desires.
Which features are free?
Like most dating sites, Ashley Madison® allows all members to register for free, but some of the features come at a cost. Unlike most dating sites, Ashley Madison® doesn’t operate on monthly subscriptions, but on credits. While initiating communication requires you to use a number of credits based on the type of message you want to send, only the first message comes at a cost. Once you receive an answer, you can keep exchanging messages with that user for free. Collecting and replying to any received messages also requires you to use credits, but once you’ve replied, you can send as many messages as you want without being charged again.
A live chat option is also available, but you’ll have to pay based on the time spent in the chat room. Sending winks and asking for a key to unlock the private galleries is free, but virtual gifts come at a cost.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
| Signing up and creating a profile | ✅ | ✅ |
| Receiving contact suggestions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Receiving messages | ✅ | ✅ |
| Uploading photos | ✅ | ✅ |
| Email notifications | ✅ | ✅ |
| Using the search function | ✅ | ✅ |
| Seeing all images and galleries | ❌ | ✅ |
| Responding to messages | ❌ | ✅ |
While there are many debates regarding the credits system, the truth is that the overall monthly costs are average when comparing this platform with websites that charge monthly subscriptions. You can choose from three credit plans:
- Basic costs $49.00 for 100 credits (49c per credit)
- Classic costs $149.00 for 500 credits (30c per credit)
- Elite costs $249.00 for 1000 credits (25c per credit)
To understand how many conversations you can start, know that a Classic plan gives you enough credits to start 62 conversations. Payments can be made conveniently via a secured third-party service by credit card or PayPal. Alternatively, you can trade in gift cards from most major brands for an even more discreet payment method. For instance, a $200 Home Depot gift card can buy you 600 credits.
Each credit package above also subscribes you to a Member Initiated Contact free trial, and you can also choose to pay a one-off $19.99 fee for unlimited mobile access.
Our test conclusion
Ashley Madison® is by far one of the most exciting sex dating platforms out there. A huge user pool made up of open-minded individuals, few fake profiles, secure payments and more than anonymous browsing are just some of this website’s strengths. The credit payment system may cost you more than a monthly subscription if you plan to contact hundreds of women; otherwise, the costs are average and well worth it.
Expect a modern interface, easy registration and navigation, and outstanding member quality. Sure, there are a few features we didn’t really like, but overall, we had loads of fun and can only recommend this website.
