OkCupid was formerly the most popular dating site; but, in today’s market, there are so many other dating apps that it has been lost in the noise of all the competition and is no longer the most popular dating site.
OKCupid, on the other hand, is still going strong, in part because of the rebranding that it underwent in 2018, which gave the dating site a contemporary look and feel. They rebranded themselves with the motto “Dating deserves better” and blanketed the country with ads that poke fun at the DTF acronym in a colorful and tongue-in-cheek manner.
OKCupid’s advantages include the following:
- One of the most extensive dating databases. OKCupid is the leader when it comes to the quantity of users, which is essential for dating apps.
- A fully featured free version. OKCupid is one of the few dating apps that does not charge you to send and receive likes and messages or browse full profiles, in contrast to a growing number of dating apps that demand you to pay for each and every function.
- Inclusive. OKCupid is truly a dating platform that caters to individuals interested in a wide variety of relationships, including LGBTQ+, heterosexual, and others.
Our viewpoint regarding OKCupid
Since I first started using online dating services in the early 2010s, OkCupid has seen significant development. When I was younger, I remember hearing a lot of tales about women using dating apps only to be subjected to inappropriate and weird messages from other people on the app.
Now, it truly wants its users to feel powerful while dating, and the best way to do so is by being honest about what they want and placing compatibility at the forefront of their search. It should come as no surprise that a significant match of my friends have found love through the use of OkCupid. It’s also one of the very few dating apps where I get the impression that people genuinely put some work into their profiles, which makes it stand out from the competition. Even without the questions, I noticed that the “about me” sections were very detailed. (It’s one of my biggest pet peeves when all I see is an Instagram or Snapchat handle.) I definitely believe that it’s worth giving it a shot, especially considering that the majority of its features are free at no cost.
We are recognized authority on dating applications, and her writing has been featured in several publications, including Woman’s Health, Bustle, Latina, and Refinery29. In addition to that, she worked at Elite Daily as a sex and dating editor. You are able to read her previous reviews of dating apps on this page.
Does OkCupid live up to its promise, or is it simply another dating site like the hundreds of others out there?
How does OkCupid work?
OkCupid differentiates apart from other dating websites because it uses a series of over 3,000 questions to assist users in finding matches with whom they have the greatest chance of success. The vast majority of those questions were contributed by app users, which means that everyone who uses the app may add their own query.
When you first answer the process of creating your profile, you will be asked some basic questions, such as your gender (you have over 13 options to choose from), who you are interested in, and the type of relationship you are looking for, which can be anything from a casual hookup to a serious relationship.
After you have covered the fundamentals, the next step is to submit your images and write a brief profile about yourself. OkCupid provides you with a selection of prompts to choose from in order to allow your unique personality show through.
Last comes the questions! As was stated, OkCupid gives you the opportunity to respond to more than 3,000 questions that cover topics ranging from social concerns (such as whether or not getting vaccinated is vital) to certain questions that are more personal in nature (like whether or not you like shower sex or should you move in together before marriage). You answer with a yes or a no, and then you get to pick which answers from your matches you’ll accept. Finally, please rank the importance of each of these questions to you using the scale provided. You always have the option to skip any questions that you don’t feel comfortable answering, even if there are certain questions that might feel highly invasive (such as “How many sexual partners have you had?”).
Your answers will contribute to OkCupid’s calculation of your compatibility score with other users, which will be used to help you find the most suitable matches. In addition to this, you are able to see the responses of other users and evaluate how well your own answers stack up.
As you browse through users’ profiles, you have the option of “liking” their responses to the answers posed by the app by utilizing the familiar swipe approach. It is not necessary to wait for them to like you back in order to initiate discussion with them. You are just need to send an introduction, but other users will not be able to view your message unless they also like you.
Is OkCupid a decent site for online dating?
In a nutshell, the answer is “yes,” OKCupid is an effective online dating site. There are three primary factors that lead me to believe that it is a decent online dating site:
First of all, the compatibility ratings on OKCupid are a great tool to use in order to get to know a possible date before you even go out on a date with them. Because of the way the user interface is designed, daters are able to be open and honest about who they are and the kind of romantic relationship they are seeking. In addition, the questions enable you to identify some common ground with your potential matches, which is helpful if you find it difficult to write your profile or begin a chat with a new person. And in case you don’t believe this is relevant, I actually have two friends who met their spouses on OkCupid and are now engaged or married to their partners. In point of fact, WealthySingleMommy.com creator Emma Johnson met the man who would become her partner of five years on OKC.
Second, OkCupid is widely considered to be one of the most welcoming online dating websites currently available. They provide 13 different gender identities, 22 different sexual orientations, and even give you the option to share which pronouns you like to use. Additionally, they are open to polyamorous relationships (you can link your profiles to each other.)
Third, the free edition of OKCupid has a lot of great features. OkCupid makes it possible for websites to obtain their compatibility ratings without having to pay, in contrast to other free dating services, such as Match.com and Plenty of Fish. That is priceless, especially for people who are single and on a limited budget.
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Is OkCupid worth it?
There was a time when OkCupid had a reputation for being one of the dating apps with a more shady reputation since it attracted phony profiles, cheaters, and other people with similar behaviors. Friends of mine have told me horror stories about being catfished and receiving messages that are improper or undesired from other users. Hearing that completely dissuaded me from downloading and attempting to use the app.
Thankfully, OkCupid has now modified its messaging regulations. Now, a message may only be exchanged between two people who have already been matched with each other on the app. Previously, anyone using the app could message you. The following is what the OKCupid website states:
“Here at OkCupid, we’re huge advocates of consent, and based on the feedback we’ve heard from our members, it appears that the majority of our users are as well. This indicates that we want everyone of our members to make their own decision regarding who they are willing to receive communications from. Everyone has the ability to decide for themselves whether or not they want to match with other people and whether or not they want to look at their SuperLikes Stack. Everyone, and every place, needs to give their consent. ”
In the year 2020, the world-renowned data security software and research company Check Point carried out an experiment to determine how simple it would be to take over OkCupid. They discovered a variety of flaws that make it simpler for hijackers to take the information of OkCupid users. Check Point forwarded their results to OKCupid, who promptly took their feedback into consideration and immediately began working to improve their app in order to better safeguard the users’ privacy.
OkCupid is just as secure as any other dating app, with the exception of these two issues. When meeting someone for the first time in person after communicating with them online, you should always exercise caution. For example, you should never share any financial information to your matches, you should always meet in a public place, and you should maybe even stalk them a little bit online to make sure they are who they say they are. When it comes to online dating, having knowledge is equivalent to having power.
Before agreeing to meet in person, you should always perform a background check or a reverse phone lookup beforehand.
Is it true that OkCupid is rife with bogus profiles?
Unfortunately, OKCupid is much like the rest of the dating apps in that it can be hacked and used to create phony profiles. Users of Reddit have reported a significant increase in the number of phony profiles of women. According to the plethora of listicles that were published at the time under titles like “TK Things About OkCupid that Make You Want to Throw the Dating Towel,” it also appeared to be a significant problem back then.
But if we are to believe OkCupid, all of it is in the past. When I first set up my profile, I was taken aback by the number of CAPTCHA challenges that needed to be completed before my profile could be made public.
Nevertheless, in spite of the numerous precautions that dating apps take to assure genuine dating, a false profile will always make its way into the system. The good news is that it’s not hard to recognize a phony profile; most of the time, they only have one photo on their profile and no information whatsoever in their bio.
How much does it cost to use OkCupid?
The fact that OkCupid is free in its entirety without charging users in any way was the primary selling factor for the site. To a large extent, it is still the case. OkCupid has evolved its mobile app throughout the years, including the introduction of paid features and the provision of two distinct subscription tiers (basic and premium). The free version of OkCupid is still one of the best alternatives available, despite the fact that paying for these features could assist increase your chances of meeting the person who is the perfect match for you. The following is a comparison of all of them:
Is the paid version of OKCupid worth it?
Because every dating app needs to earn money, the free versions are almost usually somewhat limited. These apps will lure you in with photos of the most popular people on the app, give you only a little bit of information, and get you hooked on swiping through profiles. But you have to pay if you want to view the entire profiles and communicate in an unrestricted fashion.
You are allowed to connect with a certain number of people on OKCupid for free each month, but if you want to use the site beyond that, you will need to pay to a premium version.
I try to avoid paying for dating apps as much as possible, although I can see why some people may want to do so. On OkCupid, you are able to receive a sneak peek at your likes, define your absolute time breakers, and view other users’ answers to personality quizzes without having to input your own. If you are serious about having a relationship with someone, doing this might save you a significant amount of time. When there are a ton of free features to make advantage of within the OkCupid app, I do not believe that it is necessary to pay for the premium edition of OkCupid. You should remain with the free version as long as you are not extremely fussy and do not care about the ads.
If you’re interested about the key differences between the free and premium versions of OkCupid, the following rundown should satisfy your curiosity:
The following features are included in OkCupid’s free version:
- The ability to view all of the potential matches that are available to you
- To give and receive thumbs up
- Both send and receive various types of communications.
The simplest form of OkCupid is as follows:
- $12.49 USD every month for a period of 6 months
- $16.66 each month for a total of three months
- The price is 24.99 dollars for one month
- No outside ads
- Send limitless Likes
- The ability to include non-negotiable criteria inside your search choices
- Unlock each and every one of your Intros.
OKCupid Premium
- $17.49 each month for a period of six months
- $23.33 each month for a period of three months
- The price for one month is $34.99
- Complete access to all of OkCupid Basic’s features
- Choice to see a preview of your likes in advance
- You have the option to see everyone else’s public answers to their questions before you answer your own.
You may purchase add-ons for your account on OkCupid in addition to the subscriptions that are already available. These are the following:
- Profile Boosts, which cost $4.99 for a bundle of ten boosts.
- Read Receipts, which costs $0.99 for a total of 20 matches
- Superboosts, which start at $29.99 for a period of three hours.
Start using OKCupid without spending a dime right now >>
Is it worthwhile to sign up for an OkCupid subscription?
OKCupid pros
Everyone is welcome to use OkCupid.
As was noted earlier, OkCupid is proud of the fact that it is an inclusive dating app that does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender. In addition to this, it is flexible regarding the kinds of relationships that can exist. As an alternative to just maintaining a single joint account, polyamorous couples might link their individual bank accounts with one another.
OkCupid may be accessed in a variety of different ways.
Because OkCupid is available in both desktop and mobile formats, you may use it to access the dating service whenever and wherever you choose. In addition, the user interface may be accessed in a variety of ways, but it remains intuitive throughout.
The possibility of getting to know someone on a deeper level.
When it comes to dating, all of the questions and suggestions help customers get right to the heart of the matter. It is indeed powerful, particularly for individuals who are aware of the destination they are working toward.
Okcupid cons
Depending on where you are, the site may or may not meet your needs.
Even after setting my location and the desired distance to travel in order to discover singles, I’ve observed that I still get matches from people who are located outside of my radius. And I call New York City home! Accordingly, the number of users utilizing OkCupid might be rather low in your area, depending on where you reside. You have the ability to select your preferred location as a deal breaker; however, this requires a subscription. This takes me to the following:
You can’t establish dealbreakers until you pay.
When you are creating your perfect person page, you will notice that at the bottom of each setting there is an option to make your preferences a dealbreaker. These preferences may be anything from the distance between you and the potential partner to their height or political views. Unfortunately, you will not have access to that function until you pay for either the basic or the premium edition of OkCupid.
The free site has a significant number of ads.
On OKCupid’s free site, there are a lot of users that are unhappy with the amount of ads. If you pay for a subscription, you will not be subjected to any advertisements, which is a fortunate development.
OkCupid reviews
Given that OkCupid’s parent business, Match Group, likewise does not have a rating with the Better Business Bureau, it seems reasonable that OkCupid does not have this accreditation too. The Match Group receives a rating of 1.04 stars out of a possible five from the reviews of its customers. Two reviewers have complained about having issues with their OkCupid accounts and being displayed bogus profiles from other countries, despite the country that the majority of comments are about other dating apps developed by Match Group.
OkCupid has a rating of 1.3 on Trustpilot, and plenty of reviews from users who have extremely strong opinions about the service. OkCupid has been described as a pitiful website by one of them, while another of them has referred to it as a hoax. (It is important to keep in mind that people like venting their frustrations when they write reviews.) Nevertheless, there are some reviews that appear to be objective and truthful. According to the opinion of one critic, OkCupid used to be a respectable website before it was purchased by the Match Group. Another person loves the idea, but they believe that it is hindered by restricted features and phony profiles, which is a shame because they think it has a lot of promise.
Reviews of OKCupid found on Reddit.
It would appear that OkCupid users on Reddit are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the app’s many restrictions. The inability to create dealbreakers and the inability to message other users without first like them are the two features that receive the greatest criticism from users, the majority of whom are men. For my part, I have the impression that these Redditors are unable to recognize the advantages that might result from modifying their messaging. It demonstrates that OkCupid cares about its users having a secure dating experience and that they are listening to their feedback.
The size of the available dating pool is cited as the second most common reason for dissatisfaction among Redditors. Your experience using a dating app, like any other dating app, may undoubtedly be positively or negatively impacted by your location.
Okay, so it looks like OkCupid is no longer useful. You have to pay to see everything. After signing up and accumulating more than 20 likes, I discovered that everything led to a paywall. So, I didn’t even have my profile done, but I had had over 20 likes; however, there was a paywall in every single way I could go in this app. I take it that this is a completely pointless dating app? according to OkCupid
Options other than OKCupid
Eharmony is our top recommendation for those looking for long-term relationships. Why is it the case? Because:
- A- Better Business Bureau rating
- According to eHarmony, more than 2 million people have found love through its website.
- The only major dating app that focuses solely on long-term relationships
- Video dating
- Complimentary basic package
- We check user profiles for things like spam and married users.
- A study found that couples who met on eharmony have a higher likelihood of getting married and a lower likelihood of getting divorced when compared to couples who met on other online dating services.
Check out our compilation of the finest dating apps and websites for single parents, as well as our list of the 11 best sites for hooking up if that’s more your speed.
OKCupid vs. eharmony
The primary distinction between OkCupid and eHarmony is that the latter caters only to people looking for long-term partnerships, while the former caters to people looking for casual encounters, hookups, and so on. OkCupid is certainly the better option for you if all you want is to have some fun with the dating process.
Eharmony is our top recommendation, however, if you are searching for a serious commitment with a match that is very compatible with you. When a site signs up for eHarmony, they are required to complete a lengthy questionnaire in which they reveal critical information about themselves and their users in a possible spouse. These questions are used as a basis for eHarmony’s suggested matches, and each potential match will provide you with a compatibility score and an overview that demonstrates how your profiles compare and contrast. OkCupid, on the other hand, displays profiles that are aligned with your answers based on questions that were developed by other users.
In contrast to eharmony, which has earned an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau, OkCupid does not have a rating of any kind. Eharmony’s tailored strategy and matching algorithm make it worth the premium, in addition to its established track record in leading to long-term commitment and successful marriages. OkCupid’s prices are also significantly lower than those of eharmony.
Which online dating service, Plenty of Fish or OkCupid, is more successful?
Plenty of Fish, sometimes known as POF, is one of the first dating services still in operation today (launched in 2003). Back in the day, before mobile dating apps like Tinder and Bumble took over the market, it was one of the most popular dating websites available. The site promotes itself as a destination for people who are keenly interested in romantic relationships.
Both POF and OkCupid have the same ultimate objective, which is to assist users in establishing meaningful connections with other people. They even each have their own version of a personality test to help you identify matches with whom you are likely to be compatible.
POF provides a greater number of free features compared to OKCupid, which is one advantage it possesses. On POF, for instance, you may send a message to any online user, but on OKCupid, the free messaging feature is restricted to introductory messages that other users cannot view until they have liked your profile. On the other hand, due to the fact that messaging is handled in such a casual manner, there are a great number of possibilities for undesirable messages to get into your inbox.
POF also has a much larger dating pool, with 78,000,000 from the United States (OkCupid only has 10,000,000), making it a better option especially if you live in low populated areas, but OKCupid wins with their inclusivity, and could be better for individuals who identify themselves as something beyond traditional labels.
Since POF is also owned by Match Group, much like OkCupid, it does not have its own presence on the Better Business Bureau. POF is not discussed in great detail by the people who left reviewers on the Better Business Bureau website for Match Group. Nevertheless, TrustPilot shows a significant difference between these two websites. POF has received a positive assessment on Trustpilot (3.7 stars), with reviewers stating that it is an excellent app that is simple to operate.
Plenty of Fish could be worth a go for you if you’re looking for a date on a shoestring and you reside in a less populated location, but if we’re being really honest, there’s not much of a difference between these two websites.
The clincher is as follows:
It’s definitely worth giving OkCupid a try, particularly due to the fantastic personality test and inclusiveness efforts that they do. There is no doubt that the experience you get will be different depending on where you reside; nevertheless, if you live in a major metropolitan area, you shouldn’t have any problems with that. Nevertheless, I am unable to comment on the caliber of the persons (because taste is subjective).