Ashley Madison Reviews – My First Hand Experience With This Hookup Site

Ashley Madison has a notorious reputation as “the site for cheating”, but it actually has more to offer to a wider user base than just that.

We reveal everything behind the hush-hush that is AshleyMadison.com in our full-on Ashley Madison reviews for 2023.

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Whether you are attached, want some extra spice in your life, a threesome, or are single and looking for a married hookup, the Ashley Madison app might have just what you are looking for. 

Here’s the ins and outs for this well-known dating platform.

First Thoughts About Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison Pros

• Great for hookups and casual relationships
• Top-notch privacy features including an app disguise
• More women than men in the active users
• Sign up with ease
• Free for women to join and send messages
• User-friendly Ashley Madison app version

Ashley Madison Cons

• Men have to buy credits to message
• On the expensive side
• There are some scammers on the site—but they are easy to spot

Ashley Madison Overall Rating – 4.8/9

Ashley Madison is a safe place to hook up with people judgment-free. This, alongside the discretion offered, gives this hookup site and app a solid rating from me.

Although it can be expensive for men, the ease of use, functionality, and safe space that it provides outweighs the cost in my eyes. 

Ashley Madison Reviews – My Personal Adventure

Signing Up on The Ashley Madison App and Site

Ashely Madison makes the sign-up process simple. When I signed up, I was presented with the option to choose my relationship status—as attached or single— and whether I was a woman seeking a man or a woman seeking a woman. 

Of course, the site is geared up for people who are attached and looking to find some fun outside their normal relationship, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. 

Like most hookup sites, the sign-up process is free. And if you are a woman like me, it’s actually free for you to use as well, which is quite unique. 

Men, however, do have to pay if they want to message people and arrange a hookup. 

Account Overview

There are some pretty neat features to AshleyMadison. And that all starts when you create your account. 

Instead of being forced to upload lots of photos of yourself, you actually get the option to blur your profile picture. On a site that is meant for extra-marital affairs, that is pretty smart. 

Matches get a blurry idea of what you look like, but no one will ever know you are on the site unless you want them to. Once you are in, you can start to see who is close by and who matches what you are looking for. 

Using The Search Filter

The site is quite streamlined. You’ll find a filter circle on the right-hand side of the screen. Just tap it, and you’re presented with options to filter based on age, location, body type, whether you are looking for attached or single men, height, and languages spoken. 

It’s pretty in-depth but simple. 

You can quickly narrow down exactly what you are was looking for. 

You can even change your location—perfect if you are a frequent traveler looking to hook up on the move (and why wouldn’t you….it’s far more discreet!)

Once you find someone you like, you can flirt with them, add them to your favorites, or, better still, send them a direct message and get things started. 

You’ll find messages that you have been sent in the message tab at the top of the screen, which also goes through to the email that you have subscribed with. So you’ll want to make sure that no prying eyes see those. 

Prices and Payment Options

For women, everything is free on AshleyMadison, but if you’re a dude, you will have to pay. 

You will get a very basic subscription and one free message that you can send when you join. But after that, you will have to dish out your dollars. 

Ashley Madison uses credits for payment, but you can sign up for a Member Initiated Contact Fee once you have bought your first batch of credits if you want to. 

This is basically a monthly subscription fee. You’ll get your first month free, but after that, it costs $29.99 a month. 

This fee enables you to view and respond to messages for free. Of course, you will still need to use credits to initiate contact with someone, but it could save you money in the long run, especially if you are an active user. 

The cost of credits can really stack up. 

How Much Do Credits Cost?

Credits are sold in three bundles—Basic, Classic, and Elite: 

• Basic will get you 100 credits for $59 ($0.59 per credit)
• Classic will get you 500 credits for $169 ($0.34 per credit)
• Elite will get you 1,000 credits for $289 ($0.29 per credit)

It is more cost-effective to buy the Classic and Elite packages, particularly if you use the site a lot. 

If you do decide to go for the Elite bundle, you also get some added bonuses. You’ll get 24 hours of free chat, and you will get “Priority Man” status, which basically makes your profile more visible. 

The site will prompt you to automatically top up your credits each month. If I were you, I’d switch that off, so you don’t get any nasty surprises spending more money than intended. 

But of course, it’s up to you. 

It’s clear that AshleyMadison is trying to get you to spend money here, but is that really a surprise? After all, it is a hookup site. It’s there to make money while getting you laid.

What a Free AshleyMadison Account Gets You

If you are still unsure whether Ashley Madison is for you, you can sign up without buying any credits and just get a feel for the site. 

As a man, you can’t do much, but you can get reassurance that this site offers what you are looking for:

Search: You can take a look at who is on offer nearby and filter and search the profiles to find exactly what you are looking for. You can even send one free message to someone who catches your eye. 

Send winks and likes: Sending a wink tells the recipient that you like them and are interested in them. If they respond, you could stand a good chance of hooking up. This is a great way to see whether you need to spend any money on credits. 

Women don’t need to pay for anything. As a woman, you can search, wink, like, message, and respond to people’s advances without ever having to dip your hand in your pocket. 

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Winner.

What Credits Can Be Used For

The credit system on the Ashely Madison app can get confusing. Credits can be used to simply send a message, but if you engage in a live chat with someone, they can be used by the hour. 

This, of course, reduces the cost for you. The longer you chat, the cheaper it becomes. 

The pricing structure looks like this:

• Five credits to message someone
• Fifty credits for the first hour of live chatting with someone
• Thirty credits for the second hour
• Twenty credits for each additional hour

Of course, if you’re just looking for sex, you might not go past a few messages before you meet, but it does give you a bit of security to know that you aren’t going to stack up costs too much. 

You can also send someone a virtual gift with your credits. This is a surefire way of catching someone’s attention. Gifts are obviously virtual, but they send a neat message to the recipient and show that you are really into them. 

Gifts include:

• Teddy bear – 20 credits
• Rose – 30 credits
• Necklace – 50 credits

Finding a Hookup on AshleyMadison

When it came down to finding a hookup, I was surprised at how easy it was. 

Before I had filtered down to what I was looking for, I started to receive messages from guys responding to my profile.  

I had been a little adventurous with the “first greeting message” that I had the option of adding when I signed up, which no doubt had a part to play. 

There’s a lesson here. 

Be bold and make clear what you want. There isn’t any need to be shy about it. Ashley Madison was made for hookups. If you want sex and nothing else, just say. There are plenty of people that want the same.

I was surprised at how many single men were on the site. And they weren’t just looking for married women. Not everyone on the site is after that.

In the search filter, you can select that you are a single man/woman looking for other single men/women. When I selected this, there were plenty of matches for me to peruse.

Of course, with 54 million users internationally, you are likely to find a mix of what people are looking for, but if you are a single guy (or girl) and you just want somewhere discreet to find a hookup, this site could work for you. 

User Friendliness of the Ashley Madison App

As part of my Ashley Madison review, I wanted to see how user-friendly the site was. And I wasn’t disappointed. 

This has to be one of the easiest hookup sites that exist. 

From signing up to searching and buying credits to receiving and responding to messages, it was a very streamlined process. 

You’ll find three tabs at the top of your page—”Discover”, “Profile” and “Messages”. This, along with the search filters on the right-hand side, is all you need to find a hookup. 

When you see someone you like, click on their photo, and you’ll be able to message them or send them a virtual gift. 

It doesn’t get more straightforward than that.

Is Ashley Madison Secure?

Security and discretion are at the heart of what Ashley Madison is all about. Its security system has been a priority since it experienced a data breach in 2015. 

Since then, however, its security system has received regular updates and now features two-factor authentication, which provides an extra layer of security to prevent it from being hacked. 

The site also has encrypted transmission via the Secure Sockets layer—which basically means that confidential user data has a secure transmission over a protected channel. 

So when you sign up, are paying for credits, or are messaging someone, there is very little chance of that data getting into the wrong hands

How Does Ashley Madison Compare?

Ashleymadison.com isn’t the only hookup site out there, and many offer enhanced privacy and discretion. But how does Ashely Madison compare? I looked at some of the other top sites to see how they compare in this Ashley Madison review. 

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Ashley Madison vs. AdultFriendFinder

Like Ashley Madison, AdultFriendFinder concentrates predominantly on hookups or casual flings. Both are on the more expensive side of some of the dating apps out there, but they both have great customer reviews. 

And it’s not hard to see why. 

The privacy, security, and the number of users that are all looking for the same thing are the key selling points of both of these sites. 

Where Ashley Madison carries an advantage is the way that it is specifically marketed toward people who are looking for extra-marital affairs. If you sign up here, you know that there will be people who are in committed relationships but are looking for sex with other people. 

Signing up here means that you are open-minded and hold no judgment. 

This, I think, sets this dating site apart from the rest. 

Ashley Madison vs. NoStringsAttached

NoStringsAttached is cheaper to use than Ashley Madison, but there is one downside—for men, at least. The site has a high male-to-female ratio, meaning it’s harder to find a woman for a one-night stand. 

If, however, you are looking for some burly bloke, this site isn’t bad at all. You can definitely take your pick and be choosy about who you want to have sex with. 

There are two features on the site that will help you get laid if you decide to use it:

Search Highlight – this boosts your profile, helping you stand out from the crowd.

Open Door – You can grant someone that hasn’t yet signed up for a paid membership the ability to respond to your messages for free. 

While both sites are great for hooking up, you will need to pay for NoStringsAttached, no matter what your gender is. Ashley Madison, of course, allows women free access. 

Ashley Madison vs. Alt.com

Alt.com is the perfect hookup site if you want to explore your kinks and fetishes. It certainly isn’t for the vanilla minded. So if you want to hook up but aren’t into exploring, Ashley Madison could be a better site for you. 

That’s not to say that you can’t find kinks on the site. In fact, Ashley Madison allows you to say that you are up for anything and search for people that are looking for something similar. 

Where Alt.com has the benefit is you are likely to find more people into bondage, BDSM, dominatrix, orgys, or something even kinkier. 

Ashley Madison, however, has far more users internationally. You’ll find 54 million active users there, compared to 2 million on Alt.com.

Ashley Madison Reviews FAQs

Can I Use Ashley Madison for Free?

Yes. If you are a woman, you can use Ashley Madison for free. Men, however, will need to pay to send messages or respond to people’s advances. However, signing up and looking around the site is free.

There are a number of payment options available. Choose from buying credits or taking out a subscription. If you are a casual user of the site, buying credits will be cheaper, but if you intend to use the site a lot, I’d recommend paying for a monthly subscription.

RELATED READING: Best BDSM dating sites

Is Ashley Madison Trustworthy?

Yes. Ashley Madison is trustworthy. It is one of the most secure and discreet hookup apps on the market. 

The Ashley Madison app uses two-factor authentication, encrypted data transmission, and anonymous billing to keep your information secure. 

The site also allows you to blur your profile picture and use a fake name so no one can trace you. 

Is Ashley Madison Legit?

Yes, Ashley Madison is legit. It’s a dating site that enables people to find others to have sex with, no matter what their relationship status is. 

How Do I Stay Safe on Ashley Madison?

To stay safe on Ashley Madison, or when you are hooking up in general, there are a number of rules that you should follow:

Keep an eye out for scammers:

Scammers and catfish are well known on dating sites, and you want to avoid them at all costs. If someone asks for money or for your personal information, don’t respond. Block them and move on to someone else. 

Don’t disclose this kind of information. A hookup doesn’t need it. 

You might also come across someone who is using fake pictures to make themselves look better than they actually are. Although these people are generally harmless, I’d advise avoiding them. Try to video chat before you arrange to meet. 

Meet in public places:

Try to meet in a public place, like a hotel or a bar. And if you’re going to have sex, book a room somewhere. Don’t let someone you don’t know come back to your place. Remember, you don’t know this person, so don’t leave yourself vulnerable. 

Practice safe sex:

If you don’t know someone, it is always better to practice safe sex. You don’t know their sexual history, and you aren’t in a long-term relationship. Keep the STDs away by keeping condoms with you. That way, if the other person forgets, you are protected. 

Tell someone where you are going:

While you might not want them to know you are hooking up or having sex outside your marriage, you should always tell someone that you are meeting someone you don’t know. 

They don’t need to know the details of your sex life, but they can at least check that you are safe. 

Does Ashley Madison Work?

Yes. Ashley Madison has a great track record of finding successful hookups for people, especially those looking for sex outside of their marriage. Just fill in your profile, add a “first greeting” message, and search for what you are looking for. 

It’s one of the easiest sites to use, and members are extremely active. You’ll be getting laid in no time. 

Ashley Madison Reviews in Conclusion: A Discreet Hookup Site

Ashley Madison is different from other dating sites. There is no denying that. But what this site does give you is the ultimate discretion. 

Whether you are looking for an extra-marital affair or simply want complete privacy over your sex life, this hookup site is the perfect place to start. 

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No one here expects anything serious, and you certainly won’t find any judgment here. 

While it is an expensive site, and you will want to watch your credits if you are a man, I think it is worth it.

The discretion, security, and the fact that you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone means that you can’t beat this as a hookup site. 

So what are you waiting for? Sign-up today. 

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