Launched in 2003, POF.com is one of the earliest dating sites. With a successful history at its back, Plenty of Fish caters to a relatively young audience and is popular majorly in Canada, Australia, Europe, and the USA.
This famous dating site is somehow similar to OkCupid.com in that it is free. Yet, the similarities between the two platforms end here.
Plenty of Fish presents itself as a mix between a dating site and a matchmaker service, although the matchmaking functionalities are quite limited. Boasting an impressive base of active users, POF claims to be responsible for over 1 million new relationships a year.
It’s hard to say whether or not this is true, but the fact is that there are over 3 million users logging in daily and thousands of new members join the website each week speaks about the popularity of this site. With such a generous user pool, finding potential matches is fairly simple despite the design flaws of the platform.
Just like with other free dating sites, most people wonder if the platform is worth it. The fears are real; after all, everyone can set up a profile just for the fun of it or to scam.
That’s why I thought to give it a try. I’ve used this platform for a few months and checked all its functions and features. So, is Plenty of Fish yay or nay? Find it out in this unbiased review.
Things To Consider Before Signing Up To POF.com
Contents
Plenty of Fish is one of the most popular online dating sites mostly because it is free. However, there are a few things to consider before creating a profile.
The first one is the interface. POF.com is hard to define user-friendly and the design reminds quite a lot of the primitive interfaces used in the early 2000s. Don’t expect cute graphics and a nice gallery – everything on this platform is basic, and this can easily annoy.
Then, Plenty of Fish is a great dating site with loads of interesting profiles but also with dozens of not-so-appealing members. Due to its free nature, the platform attracts literally everyone and here, you’ll be able to find members from all walks of life.
Yes, there are hot men and women on this platform. But also expect to encounter an impressive amount of duckface profile photos or half-naked men photographing their “exquisite” physical shape in the bathroom’s mirror.
Scams are another thing to be aware of. Plenty of Fish counts thousands of genuine profiles but also thousands of fake profiles.
Before engaging in conversation with a hottie, make sure you analyze the profile pictures. If you’re not sure if the profile is genuine, ask for more photos. And never send personal details or money to people you’ve only met online.
I also noticed that many of the male users signing up to POF.com are not actually looking for long-term romance. Attracted by the free membership, they sign up in search of one night stands and occasional dating.
That said, Plenty of Fish is an interesting online dating site ideal for those looking for romance, occasional dating, or online friendship. Just use your guts and dive into this colorful world of online dating, I promise you’ll have plenty of fun.
What Is POF.com?
POF.com is one of the first dating sites to be launched back in 2003. Its founder claimed to have launched Plenty of Fish over the course of a few weeks and the platform has generated such a huge revenue from advertising that the owner decided to keep the system free for its members.
This means that whoever registers to Plenty of Fish is free to browse through profiles, visualize and read member’s bio, have a look at the gallery and interact without paying a dime.
Certainly, following the example of similar dating sites, POF came up with some premium perks and the platform attracts members into a paid membership by promising a better visibility and a few extra features that take the online dating experience to the next level.
With an inexpensive membership fee and all costs paid up front, members also rest assured that their sensitive details won’t be kept on sketchy databases.
Following the trends and the times, Plenty of Fish also boasts an app – which is much more intuitive and easier to use than the desktop version. The nice thing about the app, available for iOS and Android devices, is that it allows you to purchase the membership directly through the store. And this adds up to the security, so a big bonus to the platform for this.
Regarding the user experience, POF is not the most intuitive dating site but even if it has an outdated interface, the platform is fairly easy to use.
Like eHarmony.com, Plenty of Fish also boasts a matchmaking system; however, this is quite different from the one used by eHarmony. In fact, the platform will show members using the Ultra Match feature a top of compatible profiles.
Curious to learn more about the platform? Check the Features section below.
Plenty of Fish Advantages
- Huge user pool. As with most free dating sites, Plenty of Fish enjoys a huge user pool with members coming from all walks of life. Great men to women ratio make this platform ideal for singles of both genders. As for the sexual orientation, the platform is open to everyone regardless of their preference.
- Success stories. Most dating sites brag about their matchmaking success but POF is more special. In fact, the reality TV star Patti Sanger allegedly met her husband on this dating site.
- Access to all important functionalities. There are hundreds of online dating sites out there and the vast majority claims to be free. However, Plenty of Fish is different. Not only it will allow you to browse through profiles, but you’ll be able to see who’s viewed your profile and send and receive messages.
- Advanced search features. The paid membership gives you access to many additional features, including advanced search options. From here, you’ll be able to select potential matches based on their education, profession, income, or appearance.
- Detailed profiles. POF.com is famous for its very detailed profiles. This will help you decide whether or not a member could be a good match before engaging in communication.
Plenty of Fish Disadvantages
- Plenty of Fish has an old-fashioned interface and few of the modern days functionalities. For instance, the sign-up process is quite lengthy and you won’t have the possibility to sign up using your social platforms to speed up things.
- The free site attracts scammers but also loads of genuine members. Not only you’ll have to pay attention, but competition is also fierce. Due to many low-quality profiles, you’ll have to be quite quick to grab the attention of those who are really looking for long-term commitment.
- POF.com is full of ads and even if it’s understandable, they are still annoying. To get rid of them, you’ll have to subscribe to a paid membership.
POF.com Features
Not yet convinced POF.com is worth a try? Have a look at its main features and benefits.
Detailed Profiles
The thing I enjoyed most during my trial months on the platform was the amount of information included in the profiles. During the sign-up phase, POF will ask you to provide a wealth of details about you and your lifestyle, including your dating intent.
The dating intent varies from casual dating to long-term relationships. By providing a sincere answer, you’ll not only boost up your dating game but will also have more chances of meeting someone who’s looking for the same thing as you, especially if you don’t want to commit just yet.
During the profile creation, you’ll also be asked to provide personal information as well as a selection of details about your potential perfect date.
For matchmaking purposes, the platform also asks for a wealth of information about your background, including details about your parents’ marriage, how many siblings you have if you’re not the only child and other details that Plenty of Fish believes helps find compatible matches.
Another nice thing about the free profiles is that each user can upload up to 8 profile pictures without paying and all other users are able to actually view all the photos in the gallery without paying. Premium members get to upload up to 8 additional images which are visible only to other Premium members.
Unlimited Communication
Getting free messaging on a free dating site isn’t outstanding, but getting unlimited interaction is. In fact, Plenty of Fish doesn’t give you a limit of free messages to use, you can receive and send unlimited messages without worrying about a restricted access.
Besides normal messaging, a cool feature is that you can register audio messages and send them to another user. This is a nice perk because you’ll get to hear the other person’s voice without sharing any private contact information.
However, unlike most dating sites, Plenty of Fish doesn’t have any chatting or video chatting features. This is such a shame because messaging is more time-consuming than chatting and you’ll also have to rely on photos alone regarding the looks of your potential match.
Special Features
POF.com also comes with a few special features available to both free and paid membership plans. Designed to boost your online dating game, these features make the platform fun to use despite its interface.
One is the fun matchmaking system. Called Ultra Match, POF’s matchmaking system is designed to show you a list of compatible profiles based on the answers provided in your personality questionnaire. The system also tends to learn your preferences as you use the platform and shows you profiles similar to those you have clicked on.
The nice thing about Ultra Match is that it gives you a generous list of choices.
According to the human psychology, a top five best matches will probably hold you from choosing either of them because you’ll feel constricted. But there is plenty of choice from 50 profiles, which is a big plus for Plenty of Fish.
Meet Me is a dating game similar to Zoosk’s Carousel. You are presented with the profile pictures of other users and asked to choose whether or not you’d like to meet them. If you’ve clicked yes, the other user will also be asked to answer the same question upon viewing your profile image.
If you get a yes, you are a mutual match and will be able to engage in conversation.
Top Prospects helps you find your better half sooner rather than later by showing you a list of people you’ve have had a contact within the last month. The profiles are ranked by compatibility and the site actually claims that almost 20% of those who found a relationship on the platform ended up dating the first person in this list.
Lastly, the Nearby function ranks users based on how far they are from you. To do this, the platform uses your mobile geolocation services and the function is available on the app.
Premium Perks
I already told you that POF.com encourages members to upgrade to a Premium plan, which comes with a modest fee. Subscribing won’t break the bank but the real question to ask is, is it worth it?
There isn’t a single valid answer to this questions. I did sign up to the Premium plan and thoroughly enjoyed the extra functions, but you might as well be fine using the free version alone.
The Premium features include a series of functionalities designed to make online dating more engaging and fun. As a Premium member, you’ll gain access to advanced search functions and will be able to unlock extended profiles that give you a sneak-peek into private details users choose not to share with everyone.
Another nice function available to Premium members only is the Want Me section that shows you which members are interested in dating you.
Regarding interaction, know that Premium members get to see the new profiles first, which means you’ll be able to spot a hottie before anyone else does. Moreover, you’ll also have access to other interesting perks, such as the possibility to see whether your potential match has read or tossed your message in the bin, keep a message history and see who has visited your profile and when a certain member was last seen online.
Besides all this, Premium membership will also give you the possibility to upload up to 16 pictures instead of only 8 and you’ll be freed from the hassle of navigating amongst dozens of ads.
Security
Despite what one could think, POF.com is a safe online dating site. To prove it is its long history and also the fact that only a few users have complained about feeling scammed or unsafe on the platform. Plenty of Fish protects all your sensitive data, including your credit card details should you decide to sign up to a Premium plan.
Moreover, opting out of the plan is very easy and all you’ll have to do is to un-tick the automatic renewal option on your profile.
However, the platform does charge you automatically unless you actively un-tick the automatic renewal field.
Regarding fake profiles, yes, there are plenty. But POF is also full of real profiles of people interested in either one night stands or long-term romance.
Final Thoughts
Curious to know my verdict? I truly enjoyed my time on POF.com despite the small negative aspects. Using the site involves some curating due to both fake profiles and unappealing members. But there are thousands of users on this site and finding someone you like isn’t too difficult.
The matchmaking system and Meet Me game are the two features I liked the most. These make the platform fun to use and engaging.
I also liked the search options that give even free members the opportunity to set a whole range of criteria.
Access to profile pictures and bio pages without having to pay for a membership is also awesome.
What I liked less is the interaction. Although unlimited, messaging takes up quite a lot of time and I would have preferred using a chat room. Nonetheless, I admit that having to wait for the message to come thru gives a unique feeling and really makes you feel the butterflies should you really be interested in the other user.
Undoubtedly, I do recommend this site. Maybe if you’re quite picky or need a quicker solution, pair it with Match.com. However, giving POF.com a chance is totally worth it and free.
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