OkCupid

Dating is among the many things that have been simplified due to the invention of the internet. Nowadays, there exist many dating sites that single people can get into when searching for companions. Among the sites in place is the OkCupid dating site, it offers a sleek platform to its users. The registration process is simple; the entire process gets you through in three stages.

Overview

With the invention of the internet, everything has turned to work out in the smoothest manner possible. You’ll find all kinds of dating sites. There are many for specific niches, like having affairs, finding MILFs, and different ethnicities. When it comes to general dating, OkCupid is a major name.

It’s been around for a while. It was founded in January 2004. It is owned by Humor Rainbow, which is now a subsidiary of a major company – InterActiveCorp. Humor Rainbow founded OkCupid in New York City. But as they’re now owned by IAC, they are based in Dallas, Texas.

How Does OkCupid Work?

To use the site, you will start by signing up, followed by creating your profile or you can alternatively use your Facebook account if you need to progress quickly.

Profiles & Sign Up Process

OkCupid registration process is simple; the entire process gets you through three stages. To make the online dating experience more authentic, OkCupid has made a gradual move right from usernames and it’s now focusing on just first names. Note that this makes the site less anonymous.

After creating a log-in you are asked to fill the About Me section and also provide answers to seven questions. After completion, you will be directed to a variety of current singles and you are asked to make a selection of three from the list to provide the algorithms a clear idea of the specific type you need.

Privacy Verification & Safety

Like most dating sites, they offer a secure time online. You don’t have to fear them getting hacked. They boast of powerful encryption. This is great as you will probably have sensitive information on the site. Dating sites, more specifically ones for having affairs, have gotten hacked and had their user base leaked. OkCupid has never been infiltrated. Smaller dating sites say they are encrypted but this is untrue. As OkCupid is so reputed, it’s highly unlikely that they’re lying about keeping users safe.

Not only do smaller dating sites lie about being encrypted, but they lie about who uses them. OkCupid has a plethora of users. Thankfully, the majority of them are not fake. You’ll see countless stories of people who have found love here.

They are very strict on fake profiles – you undergo a verification process. What’s more, if you’re caught having fake accounts, your main account will permanently be banned.

As they are such a major name, many people try them out. They usually leave accounts half-done, which active users suspect to be bot accounts. They are not, and this is a problem the site has to tackle.

Interface & Communication Features

In terms of how the site looks, it’s bold and eye-catching. We think it’s easy to use. There is a dashboard that’s easy to find, and it includes everything that would help you find the love of your life. The site is not slow either – it’s been optimized to work fast on mobile browsers too.

Speaking of phones, the platform comes with an app. You can get hold of it from the Google and IOS App Stores. It takes a lot of space, though. Thankfully, it’s free. What we love about it is the fact that it comes with as many features as its web counterpart. This is strange as most dating sites have mobile apps that are lackluster.

Not only does it work as well as the web version, but some features are better on it – the double-take feature to be precise. You swipe left or right depending on whether you like a person or not. You then get a percentage of how well you two match (we discussed a bit more on this below).

If you’re wondering if there are any features exclusively for the mobile app, the answer is no. This shouldn’t surprise you as it’s like this for the majority of dating sites.

This dating site allows members to interact and browse without paying premium prices. You can easily know if a person is currently online right at the Search page. You can also take the step to like their profiles right from the search page, though, the only details you will access without a subscription is the username, photo, and the location. An individual can also send messages by choosing a user profile page for more interaction.

OkCupid recently made changes at its messaging feature, the initial messages are currently shown together with the sender’s profile to help members have a clear idea of the people they intend to chat. OkCupid site has also in place the Quickmatch feature that provides members compatible matching profiles that they can like and explore more.

At the time it started its operations, they had a standard layout, but has made significant changes since then and now it has a more social design that is complete with different sections such as Q&A and also Instagram-like Snapshots section. OkCupid also uses user data they have collected over the years in different fashions.

This is a platform that many people have some experience with, where a large part of all matching algorithm is directly based on the questions that you made to answer when making your profile.

This, in turn, allows OkCupid to provide a percentage score to every profile you browse based on their views on the matching answers. The provided profile score is still in place, and members can now browse through the site casually through a collection of users that are put together depending on the answers they provided.

Newly added social features are in place, that allow members to browse through the site and discover other members in an environment that is more casual, in a way.

The site allows free membership that still allows members to interact somewhat with others. It definitely has a simple setup that lets members interact and browse right away.

Members can upgrade to more extra features like for instance invisible browsing, storage, messaging and more – who wouldn’t want this?

Price & Payments at OkCupid

As you know, you can use the platform for free. But you get access to many more features if you pay. If you’re looking to purchase an account, you will be met with two options. They are OkCupid’s A-List Basic and A-List Premium memberships. We have to say, their prices are not the best. Depending on how many months you snag them for, the amount you’ll pay would differ. In general, we would mark them as above average in price.

As mentioned, you can message others without paying for an account. We think this is noteworthy as a lot of its competitors don’t allow this. That being said, you’ll have no idea if the person you’re speaking to has received your messages or not. You only get access to message receipts with a paid account.

The site lets you renew subscriptions automatically. You can disable this of course.

You can also only pay for credits. There are three packages to choose from. You’ll use them for specific tasks. You get a hold of credits when you purchase memberships, but you can get a hold of credit boosts as well. They are also above average in price.

If you’re wondering how you’ll be making payments, you get three options. They are credit cards, mobile plans, and PayPal. These are great, but we’re disappointed that you can’t make payments through debit cards. You don’t have to worry about the security of your payments – you are sent to a verified portal.

Whether you’re a member or not, you get access to their blog section. It consists of highly informative articles. They are frequently updated, so you constantly get premium dating advice.

Customer Service

If you want a problem immediately solved, you can visit OkCupid’s help page. They answer some of the most common questions users have. They’ve done a good job of compiling answers as they tackle a range of issues. The solutions are also in-depth and very easy-to-read.

The platform uses its help page to primarily target user issues. If the page is of no help, you can contact them through email or call center. Their customer representatives are super helpful. We also got replies quickly.

We would’ve loved it if they offered an online chat, but you don’t always get what you want.

They are on a range of social media platforms. If you reach out to them on Twitter or Instagram, they will get back to you.

Account Deletion

You can delete and disable accounts on the site. All you have to do is go to account settings. When you disable it, your account will come up as deleted – no one will be able to find you. However, you can reactivate it at any time.

When you delete it, you will permanently be gone. But you will be able to make a new account with the email you used for your old one. If you’re wondering, no, you won’t be charged to get rid of them. The process is rather quick too.

Pros vs. Cons

Since we’re done with our review, let’s run through the site’s pros and cons.

Pros

Profiles & Sign Up Process

We have to say, their sign up process is simple. It’s super quick too.

Privacy & Safety

They are secure. They have some fake accounts, but the majority of their users are real. You might think unfinished accounts are bots, though.

Interface & Communication features

The site is good-looking. It is easy to navigate and lets free accounts communicate with each other. There’s a good app too.

Price & Payments

Purchases are sent to a verified portal.

Customer Service

Their help page has a plethora of resources. Their support team is helpful too.

Account Deletion

Deleting accounts has never been easier. You also won’t be charged for it.

Cons

Interface & Communication Features

They offer an app. Unfortunately, it’s quite large.

Price & Payments

Their packages are not the cheapest. We’re disappointed that you can’t make payments through debit cards either.

Users

They have a wide range of users. We don’t think they’re great for niches, though – like finding older women.

Conclusion

This is a free dating site to try, but there are many functions you can not access without paying and there is no free trial. The site is more popular with singles in their 20s and also early 30s; it is a promising site for those who are serious with finding quality matches in this age bracket.

However, there are better sites you can use for better results. This is especially true if you’re into specific people, so we would recommend trying either meet-a-milf.com or liebesstern.online. You will feel the difference immediately.

Dating is something everyone has struggled with. It used to be hard, but with the internet, it’s a breeze. It’s especially easy with large names like OkCupid – you can find a range of people. But as we mentioned, it’s not the best if you’re into a specific niche. What’s more, the site is more popular with singles in their 20s and also early 30s, and we did not get the feeling that there were many serious women on the site.  From our testing, we did not get a lot of serious responses. However, there are countless stories of people finding the love of their life on it. With the many features they offer, finding someone should not be hard.

We appreciate the many features it offers. We also love the fact that you can communicate with others for free. But if you’re thinking of purchasing a membership, you’ll be hit with above-average prices.