Adult Friend Finder vs Ashley Madison: Comprehensive Dating Site Comparison
by John Santana
Online dating sites are the best way to match you with a potential love interest. Of all the trending platforms, Ashley Madison and Adult FriendFinder are the ones that stand out. These two are always up in competition.
You know they are the best ones on the market, but which one is the best of the best? To help you decide which one is better for you, here is the full analysis and comparison of the two sites!
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Ashley Madison VS Adult FriendFinder at a Glance
Here’s a quick overview of the two sites that summarizes the major differences.
Ashley Madison advantages:
- More female members
- Secret payment methods
- Encrypted chats
- Strong security system
- ID verification
- Credit plans for paid members
Ashley Madison disadvantages:
- Limited messaging channels
Adult FriendFinder advantages:
- 90 million registered users
- Multiple messaging methods
- Easy signup process
- Group video calls
Adult FriendFinder disadvantages:
- Less secured database
Winner: Want to save your time from reading the full article? The winner of this competition is Ashley Madison. It goes the extra mile in keeping the community safe while offering credit plans that allow users to pay for what they use.
There are no bundled packages to tie members down. Besides, it has a strict ID verification process to ensure everyone on the platform is real to eradicate scammers. Its safety features are the best in the industry.
However, it’s worth noting that both platforms are superb options for dating. They shine in different ways and it’s a tough competition to draw the differences. If you are looking for a new online dating site to try out, make sure you read the full analysis to see which one may suit you better.
What’s the Difference Between Them?
Find out everything different between Adult FriendFinder and Ashley Madison.
Members
To start the competition, let’s take a look at who is using Ashley Madison and Adult FriendFinder.
Originally designed for having discreet affairs with someone in a committed relationship, Ashley Madison attracts people who want to stay low profile. You will not find members blasting off their personal details in their profiles. Some members choose to remain anonymous so their friends and family will not find out.
Today, Ashley Madison has evolved and become so much more than an adultery site. It has single members looking for a serious relationship and divorced women finding a second love. The rigid impression that it is just a cheating site no longer applies. It is an exciting site connecting like-minded people in your town.
Ashley Madison has millions of members and many are active. It regularly cleans up the inactive profiles so you will not be messaging a girl who hasn’t come online in a decade. The site is dedicated to making the space comfortable for members by ensuring profiles shown in search results are real and active.
As for Adult FriendFinder, the whole concept of the site is to build a community. Therefore, members are encouraged to be real and open about themselves. You will find people from all backgrounds being honest about why they are here.
There are over 90 million registered users on Adult FriendFinder, which is a stunning number. Compared to Ashley Madison, Adult FriendFinder seems to be performing better in getting new members. Its large community caters well to different groups of people. From ethnic minorities to LGBT+, everyone enjoys the same rights and benefits within this space.
You will find people on Ashley Madison a bit more reserved when talking about themselves. They are here for fun and careful about what they reveal. Both sites do not have fake profiles but Adult FriendFinder has a slightly more positive vibe when connecting with members as people are more willing to share their stories to build a connection.
Verdict: In terms of the member base, Adult FriendFinder has a slight advantage because it provides an all-rounded system to safeguard the interest of different users.
Signing up and security
The criteria for a superb signup system should include efficiency and security.
Given the sensitive nature of the site, Ashley Madison has a strict ID verification process so members can choose to use an alias afterward. Understanding how people can be reluctant in sharing their information with the online community, members can choose to remain anonymous once they pass the ID check.
The ID check includes only a simple photo examination. It does not take much time. You simply need to upload an ID to the system that matches your profile photos. It takes less than a working day before your verification process is processed by the team. Meanwhile, you are free to use the platform until the process is completed. Just that your account will be suspended if your ID does not check out.
On the other hand, Adult FriendFinder requires only a simpler version of an ID verification by asking you to link it to your social media. If you skip this process, then you have to sign up with an email and answer several security questions to prove that you are not a bot.
Security may seem more lenient on Adult FriendFinder, but it has its ways to keep the community safe. Members are encouraged to report suspicious profiles and abuse. It takes every complaint seriously and would immediately block a member if his or her action is found to be inappropriate.
Signing up on both platforms is easy but Ashely Madison takes it one step further by requesting additional checks for members. That’s why even though many people are using an alias, the site is not spammed with scammers.
Verdict: You will not find a site as dedicated to safeguarding members’ welfare as Ashley Madison. It’s the winner hands down.
Matching and searches
The basic search is more than adequate on both sites. It comes with categorized tags that help you identify the right profiles. Set your requirements by geographical location, ethnicity, occupation, height, and more.
When it comes to advanced searches, Ashley Madison and Adult FriendFinder perform a bit differently.
Ashley Madison allows you to set multiple filters at the same time, so you can distill down members by location, interest, eye colors, etc, whereas Adult FriendFinder limits the number of keywords you can input.
For the most part, Ashley Madison generates accurate search results. The page is constantly updated to show new members or reflect the changes in some old profiles. It lets you get more matches easily and will not see the same profiles that you have passed.
Sometimes, Adult FriendFinder tends to display the same results once it runs out of matches. Instead of showing the next best profiles closest to your requirements, it puts the results in a loop. You will get the same members thrown at your face if you don’t change the keywords yourself.
Inputting multiple keywords can also sometimes confuse the system and it will eventually show matches that fit only one of the requirements.
To be fair, both platforms already perform exceptionally. Their search engines are way ahead of time compared to most other dating sites. They are both fantastic. But when you compare them, Ashley Madison takes the crown as it has a more powerful advanced search function.
Verdict: Both have great basic search functions but Ashley Madison wins with its advanced search system.
Messaging
You will not be disappointed with both sites’ messaging channels.
Ashley Madison has a beautifully designed chatbox that is visually pleasing and seducing. The dark pink color theme arouses the inner raw desire in you to flirt with the hot girl sitting on the other side of the screen.
If things go well, you can send her a sticker or a virtual gift. Although these gifts do not transpire into anything physical in real life, it’s a lovely gesture that will generate more interest and show your kindness.
One thing worth mentioning is Ashley Madison’s secret chat. Messages can be deleted automatically after being seen for a period of time. It works well if you don’t want to leave a digital trace and so far no one has this feature better made than on this adventurous site.
Its eye-pleasing chat design is a big plus for the site. Unlike other sites with a laggy or outdated design, you get a notification immediately when someone interacts with your profile.
When it comes to diverse messaging channels, Adult FriendFinder wins all the way. From virtual gifts, video calls, to group chats, bulk calls…it has every communication method you will find. All of its messaging channels are well-built. They are smooth with a simple user interface.
You can easily switch from an audio call to a video one and add more participants. Adult FriendFinder has always tried to position itself as the ultimate community for sex. Therefore, it strengthens the quality of its group chats.
Users can monitor and add new members to their call, perfect for those in the same interest group or friend list to get together.
Verdict: Both platforms have stunning messaging systems. Although Ashley Madison can provide the innovative “self-destructive” chats, Adult FriendFinder wins this round with its multiple messaging channels.
Features
Ashley Madison is extremely popular among girls because women can sign up for free. Hence, out of its 60 million existing users, the majority are females. Since the site caters the best towards women, its features are also women-friendly.
If you want to be completely anonymous, you can choose the secret payment option so it will not be traced back to you. It constantly updates its database and user profiles to tighten the control and strengthen the privacy of users.
For Adult FriendFinder, it shines in offering the same experiences with multiple layers. You can easily be an expert on your niche by posting on the forums and encouraging members for further discussion.
What the two sites have in common are the blog post features and saved lists. Users can customize their list of favorites from the matches they have and assign different tags to them. You can also post updates and blog posts to document your lifestyle and your day. It adds more to your personality and gets more views to your profiles.
Verdict: Ashley Madison is able to offer a comprehensive online dating site while keeping its security tight. In this day and age, internet data security is a top priority for businesses. Therefore, Ashley Madison is the winner.
Price
When it comes to payment methods and payment plans, the two sites use a completely different pricing system.
Ashley Madison proposes a credit system where users can buy 100 credits for $59 and use the credits to engage in various activities such as messaging and sending gifts to members. In this way, users do not have to pay for the extra services that they will not need. It’s pretty much pay-what-you-use.
On top of that, it offers a secret payment method so your payment details will not be available even to the owner of the site. No one will know you are the one using it.
As for Adult FriendFinder, it uses the typical monthly payment plan. Its pricing ranges from $15 to $27 per month, depending on the plan you select. Once you purchase a plan, you immediately have access to all the features exclusive to the plan. It’s a bundle and you cannot deselect certain services.
Verdict: While Ashley Madison’s credit plans are less common in the online dating industry, it is more effective and caters better to customers’ needs. You pay for what you use.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, both Ashley Madison and Adult FriendFinder are excellent options in bringing you a casual date or a serious relationship. The two sites work like a charm with their unique algorithms in matching compatible members.
Upon detailed comparison, Ashley Madison slightly outperforms Adult FriendFinder with its top-notch security measures and well-executed site design. That by no means implies Adult FriendFinder is inferior, only that Ashley Madison is more all-rounded.
Ashley Madison is the winner this time. However, both sites are regularly updating their database and algorithms so we may see an improvement soon and the competition results could change anytime.
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