Ashley Madison

Everyone and their mothers has heard of Ashley Madison before. It's one of the most famous Internet dating sites of all time, and perhaps not for all the right reasons. What makes the place such a unique dating website is that most of Ashley Madison's users are either married or in a relationship. Everyone on here is looking for a cheating partner, and as immoral as it may be, it's doing something right considering it's got 60 milllion members!

But does Ashley Madison actually work for the average Joe? Is it easy to find hookups on here? Does it function as a sugar daddy site as well as a regular dating site? The site's gimmick alone raises a lot of questions, so we've put together a detailed guide, covering everything you might need to know. Here's the only Ashley Madison review you need to read.

First Impressions

Ashley Madison oozes sex from the word go. The homepage is overflowing with erotic imagery, including a very seductive picture of a gorgeous woman with her finger on her lips. The site's tagline; "life is short, have an affair," is simple enough to tempt even the most hardened anti-cheater in the world. The site is provocative to lure anyone in, and it really makes its affairs branding clear at every opportunity.

Ashley Madison is quick to throw its impressive stats at you. It's been on the scene for over 20 years, it has 60 million worldwide members, it's been mentioned in a bunch of Hollywood films. There's also a bunch of testimonials from cheating women that explain how having an affair has saved their marriages or rejuvinated their sex lives. We don't know how legitimate these testimonials are, but there's no denying that affairs happen every day of the week.

The website is easy to navigate and it's free to sign up for both men and women. Men are then given one free message to get a taste of the site before they'll need to purchase credits to continue. Women, however, are granted access for free. Women can utilize all of the features on Ashley Madison - including unlimited messaging - without having to pay a cent. Overall, Ashley Madison will lure you in like a siren to a sailor.

Ashley Madison Sign Up Process

Hit the 'Log In' button in the top right hand side of the website then click 'Register Now' to kickstart the sign up process. You'll then be asked to provide the following personal details:

• Relationship Status
• Username
• Password
• Location
• Zip Code
• Date of Birth
• Email Address

Once you verify your email address, you'll then be able to create your free profile. Men are given one free message to give them a sample of the site, and then they'll need to buy credits in order to continue chatting. There are no monthly membership costs on Ashley Madison (save for the "MIC" feature we'll discuss later). All female users are given full access to the entire site at no cost.

AshleyMadison Features Overview

Here's a detailed look at Ashley Madison's individual features.

Free Registration

Once you've gone through the free registration process, all members are free to look around at no cost. Free members are able to view profiles and bios and utilize the site's search function. Men are granted one free message upon registration, but women will be able to send as many messages as they like without having to pay anything. Men, however, are much more limited in what they can do.

Additionally, men are only able to view blurred-out photos. Most Ashley Madison members disguise their faces in their pictures to keep them safe from prying eyes, and only trusted conversation partners are able to view these pictures without filters at the user's request. Therefore, free members can only view non-blurred photographs providing the user hasn't utilized any filters (which is rare to find for the married people on here).

Free Membership For Women

Ashley Madison is one of the few online dating platforms that can say it has more female users than male users. The site has 60 million members worldwide, and the male to female ratio is around 1:2 in favor of the ladies. That basically means that for every guy that joins up, there's at least two ladies waiting for your message. These are pretty good odds, especially as the ladies on here are high quality users - not your regular dating app sleazes.

Naturally, this is because women don't have to pay anything to join. Since Ashley Madison is something of an unofficial sugar dating site, this little aspect mirrors the dynamics of a sugar relationship; men pay for companionship, women rake in the benefits for free. Not to mention one of the biggest dating site issues is a lack of women, so Ashley Madison provides a neat way to skirt this problem.

Credits System

Anyone who prefers dating online knows that credit systems tend to be a little cheaper on the whole. With credit models, you pay per each individual interaction with other users. Not only does it help reduce the mass of messages that women receive, but it also encourages users to be a little more selective with who they contact.

It also forces users to put a little more effort into their messages rather than just sending "hi." Ashley Madison uses a credits system, and while it's not cheap by any means, it ensures that the messages being sent around are high quality. Very rarely will you receive a message that's just a few words. Users make the extra effort to put something worth responding to.

"Member Initiated Contact" Feature

Ashley Madison mostly uses a credits system, but there's one type of premium membership available for those that want it. This is called the Member Initiated Contact (or MIC) membership. If you pay $29.99 per month, you can reply to messages you've received from other users without having to shell out for credits.

It's a pretty useful feature, especially if you're a desirable guy. If you're super hot or you're high status, expect a few women to initiate contact with you on a weekly basis. We know it's rare for women to make contact first, but it does happen to the luckier gents out there. If you're something of a striking individual, the MIC service membership is worth it (and much cheaper than buying credits).

Advanced Search Results

Search functions on dating apps tend to suck. A lot of them either don't work or just throw any old crap at you. However, since a lot of time and expense has gone into making Ashley Madison an impeccable website, every specific service is streamlined and functional. This is especially true for the site's search function, which does everything you need it to and more.

Users can keyword search, which is usually the most impotant thing for a dating site. People express their interests in different ways, but most of them mention their interests in their profiles, so this will help you track down people interested in the same things as you. You can also filter location-based results down by age, body type, relationship status, education level, income and hair color.

Private Photo Albums

Ashley Madison is big on discretion and anonymity. After all, 85% of the people on here already have partners, and if their partners get a whiff that they're being cheated on, Ashley Madison is the first Internet site they'll check out. That's why this platform offers a number of features to help people keep their faces obscured from view.

But once a user member hands across their 'Private Key,' other members are free to view their photos without any blurring filters. Users will hand these keys out to users they feel are trustworthy, so you'll need to build up a rapport with someone before they hand over their unfiltered photos.

Pros of AshleyMadison.com

What's great about Ashley Madison? Here's what we loved about this site.

Full of Attractive Members

Ashley Madison tends to attract a higher caliber of clientele compared to other dating platforms. This is certainly true for the guys, a lot of whom have more money than the average dater, so women will be exposed to a large selection of wealthy, successful guys. Similarly, the women on Ashley Madison come with high status too.

Trying not to generalize too much, but the types of women who seek affairs are hard working business types. The kind of ladies who work hard and don't have much time to spend with their husbands, or they're so busy traveling that it's affected their marriages so now they just want to add a little spark to their sex life.

Sugar Relationships

As Ashley Madison is loaded with attractive women and wealthy men, it's only natural that it's become a place where sugar relationships are born. For those not in the loop, sugar relationships are transactional arrangements where a young woman exchanges sex and companionship for financial security from an older man.

While Ashley Madison isn't a sugar dating site as such, the dynamics on display naturally lend themselves towards such arrangements. These kinds of relationships can really enhance people's existence as, despite being transactional, are mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

Great For Hookups

These lonely wives don't want long term affairs. Most of them just want to meet up with some local stud for a discreet meetup then get back to their daily life. Long term affairs are too risky, and any experienced cheater knows this. That's what makes Ashley Madison so perfect for hookups - because these women only have small windows of opportunity to get their sex fix.

Their husbands might be at work. These wives might be staying in a hotel for the night. They might have told their husbands they're staying at a friend's house. Little things like this create hookup opportunities for any potential cheating partner, so providing you're in the right place at the right time, you'll find no shortage of chances for no strings attached sex.

Very Secure

Securing online dating sites, challenging as it may be, is a requirement. Members need to know that their personal information is safe and won't be seen by prying eyes. Now, one of the reasons that Ashley Madison is a household name is because back in 2015 the site suffered a massive data breach. It was mainstream news for months, and it leaked out the names of 5 million cheaters to the world (resulting in a 12% increase in divorces throughout the US).

But ever since, the company behind Ashley Madison have taken considerable strides towards securing their platform properly. Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison's parent company and the owner of multiple dating sites, have put much stricter security measures in place. The site no longer requires Ashley Madison members to input their real names and all photographs are blurred out by default.

Cons of AshleyMadison.com

What could Ashley Madison do better? What features should they eventually expand on? Here are the site's downsides.

Paid Membership Is Required

While it really depends on how much you use the site in your own time, the costs on Ashley Madison can really stack up. Every message costs around $2 to send, and the video chat functions will cost an insane $10 per minute. If you use the site on a regular basis over a year, don't be surprised to find your total costs stretching into four figures.

With that said, you CAN skirt around the credits approach by using the MIC service. This is a great program that'll definitely save you money in the long run, but you might not get as much interaction. But like everything else on Ashley Madison, it's a gamble .

No Serious Relationships

Just what kind of relationship you'll find on Ashley Madison depends on the individual, but on the whole, don't expect to find your future wife or husband on here (and would you really want to shack up with someone you met on an affairs site?) For that reason, don't expect much long term investment on here. Most AM users just want to nail and bail.

You might get a romantic date or two. You'll certainly get some discreet sexual intercourse with like minded people. But that's pretty much as far as it'll go. In fact, some of the active users on here don't even want to meet up. They're extremely happy with just frankly communicating, aka 'virtual cheating.'

Risky Dating Site

There's no denying that signing up to an affairs site comes with a little risk. Sure, you'll find a few users who have open relationships on here, but the majority of people are doing this behind their partners' backs. Hooking up with a married person can land you in a world of trouble, whether you're single or not.

The very thought of their partner cheating on them is enough to prompt divorce. Not to mention that people who've been cheated on tend to hold their partner and their partner's lover responsible. So, even though Ashley Madison goes to great lengths to keep identities a secret, your lover's hubby could still find a way to track you down. Just be wary of the risks!

Lots of Scammers

A site like Ashley Madison naturally attracts a lot of scammers. Given its connotations with sugar relationships, a lot of people think they can extort money from generous sugar daddies by posging as young, hot women. But if you keep your wits about you, you can spot fake profiles a mile off.

Usually, scam user profiles will use an obviously-fake profile picture, usually a famous Internet model. They'll also adore flirting way more than the average girl, continually telling you how amazing you are. Then they might hit you with a sob story about how they need money, at which point they'll request your credit card details. Keep your eyes peeled at all times.

Ashley Madison Pricing

If you're a man, all forms of interaction on Ashley Madison cost credits. Credits can be purchased in bulk from the Ashley Madison store and come in three packages; Basic, Classic and Elite. Here's what they cost:

• Basic - 100 credits - $59 total ($0.59 per credit)
• Classic - 500 credits - $169.00 ($0.34 per credit)
• Elite - 1000 credits - $289.00 ($0.29 per credit)

Note that the Elite plan also gives you 24 hours of completely free messaging. You'll also get priority placement in search results. This 24 hour period will begin as soon as you purchase the Elite plan.

Every message you send on Ashley Madison costs 5 credits. Additionally, the video chat functions costs 20 credits per minute, and you'll also be charged another 10 credits once the video chat ends. Overall, things can get quite expensive on here.

There's also the monthly membership price for "Member Initiated Contact" which we mentioned above.

Final Verdict: Is Ashley Madison worth it?

Ashley Madison is the number one platform for extramarital affairs for a wide range of reasons. It's got an incredible website, simplistic features, millions of users from across the world (not all of which are married), people looking for all types of relationships and much more. You might be looking for a long-term sugar partner or you might just want to hook up with non-single people. In either case, Ashley Madison will deliver in abundance.

Like every dating online site, Ashley Madison has a few flaws. Fake accounts are prevalent, and you'll spend money like crazy if you're a man. But if you don't mind swallowing the cost, Ashley Madison is a total paradise of thrill-seeking women looking to add a little spice to their sex lives. And if you're one of these ladies, you won't find a better community of discreet, mature males anywhere else. In conclusion, Ashley Madison is a great site worth your time.

FAQs

Want answers to the most popular questions about Ashley Madison? We've answered the most common queries below.

Does Ashley Madison work?

Ashley Madison is an efficient online dating site that has connected millions of people looking for extramarital activity. The site has a vast user base of men and women from all around the world and fills a huge gap in a popular dating niche.

Is Ashley Madison real?

Everything about Ashley Madison is real and legitimate. It's remained one of the most popular online dating sites for many years, specializing in infidelity and extramarital affairs. It has more than 60 million members worldwide and continues to attract more every day. It's one of the best and most reliable sites to find discreet relationships.

Is Ashley Madison safe?

Ashley Madison is considered to be a very safe dating Internet site. In 2015, Ashley Madison was the victim of a worldwide data breach at the hands of a team of hackers. Ever since the incident, the site has tightened up their security in order to prevent it from happening again. Today, it's one of the most secure online dating services around.

How does Ashley Madison work?

Ashley Madison users are free to sign up and browse the site for potential matches. Once they find someone desirable, they can then contact them through Ashley Madison's messaging system. Ashley Madison doesn't rely on a swipe-based matching system like many other sites in the dating niche.

How to delete Ashley Madison account?

Follow these steps to delete your Ashley Madison profile.

1. Head to the Ashley Madison website or mobile app
2. Click "Manage Profile" from the pink search bar or from the menu tab
3. Click "Delete Profile"
4. In the next screen, click "Delete Your Profile" Click "Okay" to confirm deletion

Note that purchased credits will not be refunded. It will take around 24 hours for your profile to disappear from the Ashley Madison agency.

How to reactivate Ashley Madison account?

If you've already deleted your Ashley Madison account, then you can't reactivate it. Your only option is to create a new account from scratch. However, you can register again with the same password you used for your first registration.