OkCupid is an online dating site that began in 2004. The founders, Chris Coyne, Sam Yagan, Max Krohn and Christian Rudder, were all students at Harvard University when they caught the attention of people after creating TheSpark, which became later known as SparkNotes.
TheSpark.com featured quizzes and personality tests, including the Myers-Briggs style match test called ‘SparkMatch.’ The platform allowed users to search and contact suitable matches after taking a test. The free dating platform, SparkMatch grew in popularity and was later rebranded to OkCupid. SparkNotes was sold to Barnes & Noble, and the team began working on OkCupid.
Whether you are looking for a serious relationship or something casual, the platform has got something for everybody. The dating website uses multiple choice questions to match its members. It was an instant hit and later was acquired by IAC’s Match.com in 2011. Today, everybody has heard of OkCupid, which is an online dating platform that is ideal for those people who are not interested in swiping hookup apps.
OkCupid is a free dating platform (with a paid version available) that’s extremely popular, and they have the numbers to prove it. Since its launch, over 10 million users have registered on the site. According to the company, the OkCupid app is downloaded around 4.3 million times every month. The website receives 42 million monthly visitors, and OKC members send an average of 7.3 million messages daily. A List Basic:
Gender proportion on the dating platform is 35% female and 65% male. However, gender options are not just limited to the usual ‘male’ ‘female.’ OkCupid is an all-inclusive platform, which allows its users to choose from up to 22 sex options, from transgender, and genderqueer, to intersex and asexual. So, nobody feels left out while using the service which is the platform’s main selling point.
The dating site has a free and a paid version. Naturally, users who subscribe to the paid version get access to more features to enhance their dating experience while using the site. The free version offers the ‘Quickmatch’ feature that allows you to find suitable matches for free via the website or app.
Unlike many other well-known dating sites, OkCupid does not require its users to become paying monthly subscribers of the service. However, those who are looking to access more features while using the platform will need to join the A-List, which takes you to the two forms of paid subscription; ‘A-List Basic’ and ‘A-List Premium.’
Subscribing to the website’s A-List allows access to advanced search options which increases your chances of getting found and finding a match along with other features that are not found on the free version of the platform.
OkCupid comes with a $4.95 monthly fee for its A-List Basic package, and $24.90 for the A-List Premium package. The site also rewards those who have been paid members for a long time by making the sign-up rates cheaper with time. For example, the following is a breakdown of the packages;
• 1 month for $9.95/month
• 3 months for $7.95/month
• 6 months for $4.95/month
A List Premium:
• 1 month for $24.90/month
• 3 months for $22.90/month
• 6 months for $19.90/month
Similar to some of the other online dating services, the site allows users to ‘Boost’ their profile, which allows your profile to be seen on Quickmatch, and visible more frequently in the match results of other users. Members can purchase a single boost for $1.99, 5 boosts for $1.89 (each) and 10 boosts for $1.69 (each).
The features that are available for free are: account registration, profile creation, searching for matches, and a personality test. The fee-based service includes auto-boost, message read notifications, the ability to see which user ‘liked’ you, and ad-free user experience.
A-List Basic
OkCupid offers plenty of features that promise to make your experience on the platform an enjoyable one. The following are some of the features that are available to the A-List Basic members;
Remove Ads – One of the benefits that make subscribing for the A-List Basic package worthwhile is that you won’t have to bother about those annoying ads that would bug you constantly as you were trying to search for love. Not having to deal with ads is a big plus for users since it saves time and makes for a more focused search while using the dating platform.
Advanced Match Search Options–The ‘Advanced Match’ search feature allows users to filter their searches, allowing users to filter their searches according to personality traits, body type and even level of attractiveness, and much more. You can also search for suitable matches on the platform based on how other users have answered their questions.
Browse Profiles Incognito –Being part of the A-List Basic package also allows users to browse through other user’s profiles anonymously. This means that the other users will not know if you were checking out their profile unless you want them to. Browsing profiles invisibly is a good choice for those users who are shy or are not quite interested in taking it to the next level yet.
‘Likes’ and ‘Visits’ – One disadvantage of using OkCupid for free is that you cannot see who visits your profile or how many people liked your profile. This problem is solved with the A-List Basic package, where you can see the last 5 members who visited your profile, including those who liked your profile and every member who visited your profile.
Improved Messaging –A-List Basic users also get to store up to 5000 messages, which is a good feature to have, especially if you’ve got a short memory. The platform will also send you notifications whenever a recipient reads your messages. Messages are filtered according to length and keywords, which make sure that you only get to read the best messages sent to you by other matches. Another nifty feature that OKCupid offers with its paid version is the ability to view one’s chances of receiving a reply from a user who they have messaged. This is a great addition since it saves you time by avoiding those members who are inactive on the platform.
Customize Your User Name –All too often, users of online dating sites use a name to sign up only to find out that it’s not working for them. With the A-List Basic package, users do not need to delete their old user account and start the sign-up process all over again if they wish to change their user name.
A-List Premium
Automatic Daily Boost –With this feature users get to receive a daily boost during peak hours, making sure that your profile is seen by most users.
Increased Attractiveness – As the name implies, the feature allows users to view other attractive profiles and be seen by other attractive profiles that they have been matched with.
View All Answers –This feature allows you to view the answers of other users without having to give answers to the same questions.
Priority Messages –This means your message is always going to go to the very top of the inbox of those who you message.
Sign-up Process –OkCupid has a straightforward sign-up process that’s hassle-free and to the point. The site is also gradually moving away from the traditional use of usernames and is starting to encourage the use of the user’s first name instead, which it says results to a more authentic online dating experience.
Once the user has signed-up, they have to fill out an ‘About Me’ section, which is where the user shares some information about them (nothing too personal). Along with that, users also have to answer a few simple yes/no questions, which is just to determine your personality type.
Once you have answered the questions, the site shows you a few pictures of singles currently on the site and asks you to choose three. This is, so the algorithm gets an idea of your type. Once that’s over, you are all set to browse through the many singles on the OkCupid platform.
When it comes to the issue of safety, the website is about as safe as any other free dating platform that is available online. The dating site focuses on making quick connections between users to find suitable matches.
The privacy of each individual user mainly depends on the user’s personal settings, so it is up to the user to make sure that they are not sharing too much information with every other member of the service, either during their communications or by not paying attention to the many security options that are given in the security settings.
While using the service, it is up to the user to take the necessary precautions to ensure that their personal information is kept safe. OKC asks all its users to report any suspicious, offensive or inappropriate behavior from other members of the service.
If you do decide to meet with someone who you’ve met on the OKC, always let a close friend or a family member know about your plans. Always meet in a public place and never let your date pick you up or drop you off. Instead, make your own arrangements for transportation, take a taxi or drive yourself.
One area where this OkCupid.com review falls short is its customer support. The site does not shy away from providing its users with the contact information they need either to complain or to ask a query about the service. Users of the service can contact OKC by sending their emails to http://www.okcupid.com/feedback. The help desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, OKC does not offer a live chat option or a phone number, which is a shame. On the other hand, the site is very responsive and usually resolves an issue within a few days of making the complaint.
Pros:
• Very popular with a large member pool
• Simple functions and design
• View and message other profiles for free
• Attracts ambitious, career-oriented folks
• Upgrading from free to the paid version is cheap
• Offers two levels of its paid membership
Cons:
• Likes and views visible on with paid version
• Not much selection for small cities
• Have to pay to get all the features
• Creating a profile and sending messages is too easy
• OKC uses an attractiveness algorithm to search for matches
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PlentyOfFish.com
At the end of the day, OKCupid offers users with a sleek and easy to use site, that provides an entertaining experience even if it does not come with all the usual bells and whistles of other dating platforms and applications. Also, unlike many of the dating sites that are available today, this site does not waste time and gets started with creating your user profile so that you can start to view the matches its algorithm has picked based on your answers.
The platform works a powerful algorithm which picks matches based on levels of attractiveness, but many other factors can be set by the user once they are a paid member to help them zero in on the type of person they are wanting to meet. The site is the perfect choice for those in their 20s and 30s who are looking to find a suitable partner or are just interested in getting into the dating game. As far as free dating sites go, OKCupid is right up there with the best in the online dating business.
