Are you AshleyMadison-curious? With the recent release of the damning Ashley Madison documentary, I had to catch-up on the topic myself – is Ashley Madison still legit in 2024? Our Ashley Madison review lays it out.
What’s up with this affairs site? Is it only for affairs, or is it also a hookup app for us unmarried folks?
Let’s face it—the hookup site’s been all the gossip among the hookup communities for some time now, even before the documentary was released.
Go straight to Ashley Madison here
So, I went ahead and tried the Ashley Madison app, and I’ve come to share my experience so you wouldn’t have to bother if it’s not for you.
Read on and learn, as I’m told smart folks do.
Ashley Madison Review at a Glance
Pros
- No ads on the free version
- Ladies enjoy it 100% free (yay!)
- You can stay anonymous
- No auto-renewal payments
- Easy to find someone down
Cons
- Some scammers around
- Chatting can be expensive for the gentlemen
- More men than women
Pricing
- 100% free for women
- Men pay to message through credits
- 100 credits—$59
- 500 credits—$169
- 1,000 credits—$289
Overall Rating 4.7/5
I give Ashley Madison a 4.7 out of 5. Personally, I’d give it a 5-star glowing review based on my experience as a woman, BUT I have to take all of y’all fellas into consideration, too.
If you’re a woman looking for some casual sex, you’ll love Ashley Madison.
It’s free, there are hella a lot of handsome (and horny!) guys, and it’s discreet, which is always a good thing for us ladies, even the unmarried ones.
However, many men on Ashley Madison reviews complain about the credit system and the prices. Some of the guys I’ve hooked up with told me it’s not cheap to talk to us girls via the app.
But they also seem to think it’s worth it.
Still, I knocked one point for that as I consider it a valid complaint.
I knocked the next one because there are some scammers on the app since it’s free for women, popular, and costly for men. These three things seem to be very attractive to scammers and catfishes.
There are also more men than women. While I can’t really hold that against the app, as that’s the case with most of these apps, I still took one point off for it.
And that’s how I got to 4.7/5, which I think is a fair rating.
Ashley Madison App in a Nutshell
Ashley Madison was created with extramarital affairs in mind and as a way to facilitate these encounters by providing them with the much-needed discretion. Basically, an affairs site, and loud and proud about it.
But it’s also not just an affairs site if that makes sense. Plenty of single folks use it, as well as couples, and it really dominates the hookup app market.
The site itself is pretty easy to navigate—you sign up, beef up your account, and boom, you’re ready to roll. Or, should I say, scroll through the feed, browse, and search for users in your area and according to your criteria.
Men have to pay to chat with women, while the app is completely free for the ladies.
What sets the Ashley Madison app apart from the others, though, is the high level of discretion, which I’ll tell you all about further down the line.
My No-BS Personal Adventure on AshleyMadison.com
As you can imagine, this whole affairs site thing has gained Ashley Madison a lot of notoriety. But they’ve somehow managed to catapult themselves to the top of the list of the best hookup apps.
So much so that it’s not really (or only) an affairs site anymore as people have flocked to use it, and it’s they who’ve made Ashley Madison what it is today—one of the most popular hookup apps worldwide.
I wanted to know why, and I got my answer when I tried it out.
Signing Up
Signing up for the Ashley Madison app itself is free for everyone. You won’t even need to add your credit card information at this point. But men will need to pay for credits if they want to chat and use the site functionally.
Firstly, they’ll ask you for your relationships status, and you’ll choose between:
- Attached male seeking females
- Attached female seeking males
- Single male seeking females
- Single female seeking males
- Male seeking males
- Female seeking females
So, you see that the site isn’t for straight folks only—it’s pretty LGBTQ+ friendly. Though, it doesn’t leave you with many gender options, unfortunately.
Next, you’ll set up your username and password. The site will also want to know your location and zip code so it can present you with members from your area. You’ll fill out some basic information about yourself, like date of birth, height, weight, eye color, etc.
You’ll also get to specify what you’re looking to get out of the experience. Don’t worry—you’ll have plenty of options if you’re not exactly sure:
- Something short term
- Something long term
- Cyber affair/erotic chat
- Whatever excites me
- Anything goes
- Undecided
The app will also ask for your email so you can verify your account. I haven’t received much promotional stuff so far, so I’ll give them brownie points for that.
Then all that’s left to do is put up your photo, and you’re ready to go.
Now, you don’t have to fill out all of these boxes right off the bat. You aren’t even required to post a photo to get going. But it does help find matches, and it’s best to get it off of your chest right away.
Sprucing Up Your Profile
Your profile on the Ashley Madison app is how others will see you, and you want to take advantage of all the options available (there aren’t that many) to better present yourself. AND protect your identity if you’re attached, or you have a sensitive job.
The site will allow you to blur your photo to different stages. I chose not to blur mine so I can experience the site better and have more tales to tell you.
You’ll also get to add a short bio in the ‘About Me’ section.
Make it stand out. Let me just put it this way—Ashley Madison isn’t really the place where people will necessarily care for your personality. Still, it may up your chances!
The app will also let you choose your interests and desires, which, again, helps you connect with high-quality matches.
That’s about it. As I said, there aren’t that many ways to beef up your profile, so use them all. And use them wisely, so you get more matches, cause that’s the point, right?
Finding Matches
Finding matches on Ashley Madison is pretty straightforward—you just click on the ‘See your matches’ button, and the site will present you with all the users in your area.
Depending on where you are, that could be a high number. Then you browse and find the ones you like. I will say that you won’t get that many options if you live in a rural area.
I’ve read Ashley Madison reviews from folks living in rural areas, and they do complain about that. In these cases, you can expand the distance window in your search filter and find users from nearby towns and places if you’re willing to.
Yes, there’s a search filter available that can help narrow your search or simply find the kind of folks you want to connect with.
Once you find a person you like, you’ll have the option to message them or start a video call. You can send a regular message or a priority message.
Using Filters
The search filter will let you search for users based on the same info you’ve entered in the beginning and then some. So, it’s the age range, relationship status, what they’re looking for, height, weight, body type, and ethnicity to start with.
You’ll also get to choose the distance you want your search to cover, which is a convenient option for those living in secluded areas.
The site will also let you choose by last login and whether they have public or private photos.
What AshleyMadison Free Version Gets You
If there’s one place where women are privileged over men, it’s the Ashley Madison app.
Women get to use the app for free! That includes starting conversations and seeing and reading unlimited messages, and it feels so good.
Maybe that’s why Ashley Madison has more women than other hookup apps.
As for the gents, the app is pretty much pay-to-play. Men can only sign up and browse for free—basically, you can look, but you can’t touch.
What you can do for free is ‘favorite’ a member, like, and ‘wink’ at them to show you’re interested. You can also see who liked you.
If you want to message users or see messages from other users, you would have to reach for your credit card and buy yourself some credits.
Why You Should Pay for AshleyMadison
If you’re a man, you should definitely pay for Ashley Madison. It’s the only way to be able to use the app functionally and get what you came for—some.
Buying credits will give you a chance to read the messages in your inbox, reply to them, or start conversations with other users.
You can also boost your profile and video chat with members.
Besides, when you buy credits, you get 30 days of ‘Message Plus’ for free! That means that you can read and reply to all the messages you get in your inbox for free during that time, which is a huge plus for the guys.
Pricing & Payment
Unlike most other hookup apps, Ashley Madison has decided to charge via credits as opposed to subscriptions. That’s good since you don’t have to pay for the features you’re not using.
But many male Ashley Madison reviews complain it can get a bit pricey. So, I’ll break down the costs for you.
There are three credit plans, and they are as follows:
- Basic plan (100 credits) – $59 total, $0.59 per credit
- Classic plan (500 credits) – $169 total, $0.34 per credit
- Elite plan (1,000 credits) – $289 total, $0.29 per credit
The Classic plan is the most popular, and rightfully so—it’s the best deal.
A message will cost you 8 credits. That’s the initial message you send to a user, and you won’t have to pay for every other message you send to the same user. A priority message costs 13 credits.
When it comes to payment options, you can pay via credit card, debit card, or PayPal. The payment will appear as AMDA 866 790 6550 on your bill statement, so it’s pretty discreet.
Ashley Madison Reviews – Best Features
Alright, here are my favorite Ashley Madison features that set the app apart from others.
- App disguise – You can disguise the app as something entirely different and even choose how you want the icon to look on your phone.
- Customizable notifications – You can also customize the notifications Ashley Madison sends you. For example, it can see 1 new game when you have a new message.
- Video calls – It’s always nice when you have the option to video call your contacts, be it for virtual sex or just to chat. Plus, it’s a good way to make sure you’re not dealing with a catfish.
- Discrete payment options – I love how Ashley Madison goes all the way when it comes to discretion, and that has transferred onto payment options and bill statements.
- No auto-renewal payments – Since the site doesn’t run on subscriptions, there are no auto-renewal payments. You choose when you want more credits.
Privacy and Security
Ashley Madison acts like a momma bear when it comes to their users’ privacy and security, and I love them for that! I’m sure people in relationships and marriages love them for that even more.
The site did have a security breach in 2015 when some of its user data were stolen by hackers. Ever since the site has been kinda overcompensating with how many levels of security they’ve got.
That’s why it’s now one of the safest hookup apps out there, which makes me kinda glad the security breach thing happened. I mean, I’m not glad those people got exposed, but you know what I mean.
I’m just happy the app is extra secure now.
Related reading: Best Backpage alternatives
Ashley Madison Reviews
Alright, that’s enough from me and my personal experience. Let’s see what others have said about the app via their Ashley Madison reviews online.
AshleyMadison.com vs. Other Hookup Site Alternatives
Okay, now let’s see how Ashley Madison compares to its competitor sites.
AshleyMadison.com vs. AdultFriendFinder
AdultFriendFinder is another great site for hookups and one-night stands.
Similarly to Ashley Madison, it’s a popular spot for adult dating, but women pay here. Where AdultFriendFinder can’t come close to Ashley Madison is the latter’s privacy and discretion.
AshleyMadison.com vs. Seeking
If you think Ashley Madison’s expensive, wait till you see Seeking’s prices!
Seeking is an exclusive hookup app with high-earning folks and high-end prices. If you’re looking for something elite, it’s definitely a better option.
AshleyMadison.com vs. Tinder
Tinder is the world’s most popular dating app, and its free version is what most people find enough, so it’s got that over Ashley Madison. But men seem to face more rejection on Tinder and have a harder time finding matches.
Ashley Madison Reviews FAQs
Can I Use Ashley Madison for Free?
You can use Ashley Madison for free if you’re a woman. If you’re a man, you would have to buy credits to chat with other Ashley Madison members.
Is Ashley Madison Legit?
Yes, Ashley Madison is a legit hookup app for folks who prefer to handle the hooking-up part discreetly.
Does Ashley Madison Work?
Ashley Madison works. Many praise it as a great way to meet new people discreetly and hook up.
Is Ashley Madison Worth the Money?
Ashley Madison is worth the money if you know how to use it to your advantage. And if you’re a woman, you don’t even need to worry about it because you’ll get access for 100% free.
Does Ashley Madison Work and Is It Worth It?
So, what’s my final verdict on AshleyMadison.com?
Well, after watching the Ashley Madison documentary, I had to keep my judgements at bay. But honestly, there are plenty of things that set it apart from other hookup sites.
One is Ashley Madison’s robust commitment to discretion via the disguisable app and easily customizable notifications.
If discretion is important to you for whatever reason—Ashley Madison is the app for you.
What’s even better?
If you’re a woman, you’ll love that you can use it for free.
Head straight to AshleyMadison.com now
But for the gentlemen, like with other things, to get the most out of your money, make sure you’re using it wisely. Spruce up your profile and make it look good to up your chances, and choose who you message carefully.
With a little time and effort, you’ll be able to enjoy Ashley Madison more than you know it.
Related reading: Best hookup sites
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