Adult FriendFinder vs. AshleyMadison: Battle of the Hookup Site

Two of the biggest sites for casual dating are AdultFriendFinder.com and AshleyMadison.com. The sites have a similar purpose—to help people who are looking for quiet hookups. However, Ashley Madison is geared more toward those who are trying to have an affair, and it caters to those who are married or already attached to someone. AdultFriendFinder.com is open for everyone whether they are married or in a relationship or not.

What to Know About Adult Friend Finder and Ashley Madison

Let’s start with Ashley Madison. You’ve likely heard of the site before, and it might not have been in a good light. Several years ago, there was a data hack, which exposed the names of many people who were using the site. Since that attack, the amount of security has been increased heavily, so fear of another hack should not be much of a concern to those who want to become members.

One of the other things to note is that female users can use all of the features without paying. The site knows that men are the ones who are looking for women, and who will pay to become members. This helps to get more women to sign up since it won’t cost them anything.

AdultFriendFinder boasts more than 64 million users with more than two million active each week. Ashely Madison has more than 24 million members and around 20,000 logins each day.

Both of the sites are easy to sign up for and use. Creating profiles is straightforward, and as always, it’s a good idea to fill out your profiles completely. This can help to increase the chances of finding the best matches for hookups. However, with both of these sites, it’s good to be proactive and to try to reach out and connect with as many people as possible in the hopes of finding someone interested in a casual connection.

Comparison of the Free Services

On Adult Friend Finder, you can access a range of features when you are on the free plan. You can create a “Hotlist”, like photos and videos, join groups and blogs, comment on blogs and photos, watch videos uploaded to the home page, and use the search filters. However, you won’t be able to connect with other members. This is a common drawback of using the free plans on most casual dating sites.

The free features for Ashley Madison are similar. You can like and view other profiles, create a list of favorites, send winks, and use the discreet photo feature. You are also able to use the advanced search filters.

Comparison of the Paid Services

The paid features on both sites are more robust. With AdultFriendFinder.com, you can view full profiles, add friends, send gifts, send messages, use the chat, read messages, and watch members who live stream.

Again, the paid features for Ashley Madison are similar. You can send virtual gifts, open and collect emails, send personalized messages, start chats, and boost a profile, so it can get more attention.

As for the cost, you will find that Adult Friend Finder is somewhat cheaper than Ashley Madison is, but both are relatively affordable when compared with other sites. If you are looking to save a small amount of cash each month, AdultFriendFinder.com would be the one to choose.

The Bottom Line

There is a lot to like about both of these options. The one that you ultimately choose will likely depend on several factors. If you are already in a relationship, and you are looking to be as discreet as possible, Ashley Madison is likely going to be the best choice for you. However, there are not as many members or daily log-ins when compared to AdultFriendFinder.com.