Ashley Madison
Review
Ashley Madison is a long-running discreet dating site aimed mainly at people who are already in relationships. Joining is free but messaging runs on paid Credits: first contact with each member costs Credits and later standard messages with that member are free.
What it is
Ashley Madison is a dating site and app for discreet connections. Its help pages say most members are in relationships and it now also pitches itself to open polyamorous and casual daters under the tagline Where Desire Meets Discretion. It is operated by Ruby Life Inc. The site says 91 million member accounts have joined since 2002; that counts every account ever created rather than active users.
Free vs paid
Sign-up is free and you need an account even to browse. Free members get daily Winks and Private Key Requests (to ask for someone's private photos) plus favorites and the Discover page. To message you need Credits. The first message to a member costs Credits and after that standard messages with that member are free. Priority Messages cost extra and are switched on by default so turn them off in settings if you do not want them. New members can buy an introductory 100-Credit package and there are no free trials. Add-ons such as Priority Man and Prime are monthly subscriptions that renew until you cancel. The help pages do not list dollar prices so we have not quoted one; the Buy Credits page shows them after sign-up.
Billing quirks
Auto Credit Top-Up reloads your most recent package when your balance drops to 12 Credits or fewer. It cannot be switched off in the app; use the website (Settings then Account then Purchases). The help pages also list a mandatory Mobile Access Fee that varies by region. If someone without Credits sends you a Collect Message it costs you 5 Credits to open. Credits do not expire but are lost if you delete your account.
Privacy notes
Photos can be blurred masked or kept in a private gallery that you unlock per member with a Private Key and the iOS app has a stealth icon mode. The site had a large data breach in 2015 and its own help pages suggest signing up with an email address that does not identify you. The help center also warns about fake profiles and members who push to move the chat off the site; look for Selfie or ID verified badges.
Who it suits
Adults looking for discreet affairs or private casual dating who are fine paying to start conversations. It is not a porn or cam site: explicit photos are not allowed in public galleries.
Similar Sex Dating Sites Like Ashley Madison
More Categories