OkCupid is a mobile dating site that has evolved over the years for the better.
In the early days, it was about casual connections, where people were more intent on a weekend hookup over a lifelong commitment.
Although it hasn’t completely metamorphosed into an internet dating app that has completely abandoned casual hookups, it has generated its fair share of success stories involving people who have met their forever partners.
With a few swipes, users are finding true love.
OkCupid is an online dating site that has a distinctive system in how it goes about matching its users.
There is a free version of it, but its premium subscription features further enhance the experience.
Powerful features such as Boosts and SuperBoosts give you an opportunity to propagate your dating profile to a greater number of users for a finite time.
OkCupid is an online dating website that is as progressive as it comes, creating a space where people of all genders and sexualities are comfortable occupying.
It’s a very dynamic dating app.
A little too dynamic.
There is a lot going on.
This is overwhelming at times, leaving you stumped on where to go first.
Those who love dynamic interfaces will love this, but those who aren’t all that tech-savvy need a little extra time to figure out their bearings.
OkCupid’s user base is massive, with over 50 million users.
Given how large OkCupid is, there is a lot to discover.
This is a pulsating community that has a diverse array of users.
The core of OkCupid’s user base ranges between 25 and 34 years of age, several of whom are professionals in a variety of industries.
There are slightly more male users on the platform than women, at 1.5 men for every 1 woman.
OkCupid does have ads.
They are present with a free subscription.
Messaging is free once you have a mutual match.
Otherwise, there isn’t any further messaging permitted without a premium subscription.
OkCupid is a dating app that takes full advantage of the swiping phenomenon while having a number of bonus features that add more spice to the process.
All you have to do to join and experience this online dating service is to go to its website or download the app.
Enter your email address alongside rudimentary information such as your name, age, gender, and the type of relationship you are seeking.
Additionally, select the gender, age, background, body type, location, and height of the lucky person you are hoping to match with.
Once done, upload pictures of yourself and construct a bio.
Next comes the questionnaire, which is specifically engineered to bring you and your most compatible matches together.
The questionnaire is quite comprehensive.
It has 15 questions that address your personal beliefs, interests, values, and viewpoints on religion, horror movies, and dating someone disorganized.
Each question wants you to be specific with your answer and to rate said answer’s relevance to you as a person.
This leads to the Discover page that lets you input your location filter, peruse potential matches, and commence chatting.
OkCupid profiles have a section for the user’s picture gallery at the top, accompanied by a summary of said profile that is created by the user.
These summaries are normally short.
No dissertations here.
Profiles have a great feature that displays the answers given by a user to match questions.
This gives you good insight into a user’s personal tastes and relationship inclinations.
As a dating platform that is constantly improving its features, it has a nifty one called Pro-Choice.
This is a badge that users procure to demonstrate their support of women’s reproductive rights.
Whenever a badge is procured, OkCupid contributes $1.00 to Planned Parenthood.
In addition, the Pro-Choice badge gives you the option to filter out matches depending on what their views are about women’s reproductive rights, which facilitates establishing compatibility with your matches.
OkCupid is an online dating site that makes it so easy to oversee your account and stay on top of your matches while you are out and about.
You get easy access to the features it offers.
These features provide a seamless user experience.
Several of these features are handily available as tabs at the lower end of the screen.
Pros of OkCupid
1. Free to Use
Meet matches for serious and casual relationships with no payment required.
2. Rapid Matching
With an intelligent matching system, you are matched with the most compatible users with such ease.
3. Photo Verification
OkCupid is a dating website that cares about your personal safety.
Quickly verify whether you are chatting with a real person with this amazing feature.
4. Block and Report
Once you spot or have a negative experience with a suspicious dating profile, OkCupid makes it easy to block and report the profile.
This saves you and the rest of the community from getting scammed.
5. Profile Moderation
An algorithm designed to quickly spot a fake profile and remove it from the platform before it does any damage to users.
6. In-Depth Profiles
Construct substantive profiles that are a reflection of who you are as a person.
With an in-depth profile, you put a profile together that matches your personality and lifestyle.
This facilitates finding compatible matches.
7. Diversity of Communication Choices
Outshining so many dating sites, OkCupid has a multitude of methods to communicate with a user, including instant messaging and chat rooms.
Cons of OkCupid
1. Matching Algorithm
There is no perfect matching system.
As human beings, we have nuances that matching algorithms miss.
To this end, you don’t always receive the most compatible matches.
2. Site Stability
With so many technological factors that make it special, it does get unwieldy at times.
Every so often, there are glitches to the interface, and this is a little jarring.
3. Fake Dating Profiles
Given the sheer volume of OkCupid, it isn’t a surprise that there are fake dating profiles that get through the cracks.
OkCupid’s algorithm works hard to get rid of these scammers, but it is always a good idea to know the telltale signs of what a fake dating profile looks like.
4. Ads
OkCupid comes with ads for those who have chosen to use it for free.
This makes for somewhat of a distracting time until you get used to them.
Double Take
This feature enhances the process of swiping.
You swipe left on someone you aren’t interested in and right on someone you are interested in.
Upon swiping right, you see whether you have a high compatibility score with the user.
A pop-up window conveniently appears that gives you an opportunity to send the user a message.
Mobile notifications keep you abreast of your newest matches and messages from users.
See Who You Like
Stay on top of the users you like all in one place.
This keeps you from having to do any guesswork on who you have liked in the past.
Furthermore, with this list, it is easy to send messages to these users in an orderly fashion.
See Who Likes You
A great way to know who has viewed your dating profile and likes you back.
Boost
Increase the visibility of your dating profile across the matchmaking website.
By highlighting your dating profile, you are seen by way more users, increasing the prospects of connecting with the right match.
SuperBoost
Prolong the visibility of your dating profile and be seen by that many more users.
This escalates the number of likes you receive.
OkCupid Blog
A fantastic resource for users who want to learn the app and its features better.
Great tips are provided to aid in making your online dating experience better, such as how to spot fake dating profiles.
All these tips make your online dating experience on OkCupid that much safer and more enjoyable.
OkCupid Stacks
Categorize your matches in a manner that works best for you.
It’s akin to walking into an organized closet.
It unclutters your matches, putting them in an organized area that you go to at any time at your convenience.
Vaccination Badge
As aforementioned, OkCupid has a progressive bent to it.
Though controversial, vaccination is a topic that is important to a good number of people.
This badge lets users know that you are vaccinated.
LGBTQ Identity Options
Another feature that is more evident of OkCupid’s progressive nature.
People from the LGBTQ community have the option to enter the identity they identify with.
Cupid’s Picks
The algorithm is designed to match you with the most compatible users.
These picks enlighten you on compatible users you have missed.
Accessible in 9 Languages
OkCupid seems to be adding new languages fairly often.
With as many as 9 languages, this accessibility makes OkCupid available to a wider range of users.
Conversation Starters
There is no shame when a user is uncertain of how to go about starting a conversation.
This is a relationship app that is fully aware of this and doesn’t want you to be stumped about how to start a conversation.
With access to these preselected icebreakers, you never have to worry about how to go about initiating a conversation with someone you like.
Chat Reaction Icons
When you are chatting with a match, you keep the conversation exciting with the accessibility to a good number of emojis.
As you chat and get used to using the emojis in your reactions, it makes you feel like you are chatting with someone you have known forever.
This makes you that much more comfortable as you chat with a match.
Selfie Verification
You never have to worry about whether you are chatting with the real person.
Asking for a selfie quickly enlightens you on whether you are talking to the real person.
Picture Messaging
Without having to leave and use a different platform, send a picture to a match through the dating site.
OkCupid is free to subscribe to, and talking to users is free too.
Extra features are available with paid subscriptions.
To access extra features, an upgrade to OkCupid Basic, OkCupid Premium, or Incognito Mode is required.
OkCupid Basic
1. Send Likes Without Restrictions
No need to worry about running out of likes or being allocated a certain amount of likes each day.
This lets you swipe away to your heart’s content.
2. Include Dealbreakers
With dealbreakers, you have better control over your preferences and who you want to match with.
This relieves the stress of wondering whether a match is fully compatible with you.
3. Advertisement-Free
No annoying ads getting in the way of your online dating experience.
This lets you use the dating site with ease and comfort.
4. See All Intros
Intros are the opening messages from users who saw your dating profile and like you.
You see all these intros at one go in an organized fashion.
Pricing
$29.99 per month.
$19.99 per month with a 3-month bundle.
$14.99 per month with a 6-month bundle.
OkCupid Premium
1. See Who Likes You
Without having to have liked a user beforehand, you see whether they liked you first.
This takes the guesswork out of liking a user’s dating profile, which reduces stress levels.
2. See How Users Answer Questions
You don’t have to have already answered the same questions.
You see a user’s answers regardless.
Such insight makes it easier to ascertain whether you think alike.
3. Three Free Super Likes Each Week
An extra bonus that lets three lucky users know that you really like them.
This makes for better interactions with potential matches.
Pricing
$39.99 per month.
$26.66 per month for a 3-month bundle.
$19.99 per month for a 6-month bundle.
Incognito Mode
Never lose sleep over whether someone you know in real life has seen your dating profile and is about to spread nasty rumors about you at the office.
Use OkCupid while keeping your dating profile hidden from everyone but those you have liked or messaged.
Pricing
$19.99 per month.
$14.99 per month for a 3-month bundle.
$9.99 per month for a 6-month bundle.
There are OkCupid premium features that are sold singly and in bulk.
Boosts
For a half hour, display your profile on the singles dating service to a greater amount of users.
Pricing
30 minutes: $6.99
30+ minutes: $4.99 per boost.
SuperBoosts
Highlight your profile so that you grab the attention of other users.
Think about your highlighted dating profile grabbing a user’s attention as they are dozing off to sleep at night while using the app.
That highlight brings said user right back to life, and next thing you know, you match with a gem.
Pricing
3 hours: $29.99
6 hours: $44.99
12 hours: $59.99
Read Receipts
See who took the time to read your messages.
There is nothing better than knowing that a message you took a good amount of time and effort to create was read by its target audience.
This leaves no doubt.
Pricing
Pack of 5: $2.99 each.
Pack of 10: $1.99 each.
Pack of 25: $0.99 each.
Stacks
Filter prospective matches into a variety of categories, including those you have the highest match percentage with.
This is located in the Discover tab.
Pricing
$1.99 per week.
OkCupid vs. The Rest: How It Compares to Similar Sites and Apps
OkCupid employs their renowned methodology of thousands of questions to determine a match percentage based on politics, ethics, and lifestyle, whereas other apps focus on photographs.
For progressive daters who want to know someone’s position on social issues before they ever say hello, it is the best option.
1. OkCupid vs. Hinge
For those looking for deliberate dating, Hinge is OkCupid’s most competitive competitor; nevertheless, it prioritizes personality prompts over in-depth data.
Member Count: OkCupid (50 million+) vs. Hinge (30 million+).
Best For: Hinge is for people who prefer conversational prompts and visual storytelling over answering questions, while OkCupid is for users who seek data-driven compatibility based on certain dealbreakers.
Verification Level (Medium-High): Selfie verification is used by both dating services.
To give preference to accounts that have verified their identities by phone and photo, OkCupid has since implemented “Verified Match” tiers.
Monthly Cost: OkCupid costs between $15.00 and $40.00, whereas Hinge costs between $30.00 and $50.00.
Mobile Access: These are native apps for iOS and Android.
Hinge is app-only, but OkCupid has a fully working desktop website.
2. OkCupid vs. Bumble
Although it focuses on women initiating contact, Bumble has a similar progressive attitude.
Member Count: OkCupid (50 million+) vs. Bumble (100 million+).
Best For: OkCupid is for subtle ideological matching; Bumble is for women’s empowerment and those who wish to filter by “Life Mode” (BFF/Bizz).
Verification Level (High): Bumble leads the industry in photo verification.
To assist users in self-policing their matches, OkCupid primarily uses its “Dealbreaker” filters.
Monthly Cost: OkCupid ($15–$40/month) vs. Bumble ($30–$55/month).
Mobile Access: Both offer native iOS and Android apps.
Additionally, Bumble provides a working desktop web version.
3. OkCupid vs. Plenty of Fish (POF)
For users seeking the biggest pool without OkCupid’s extreme ideology, POF is the mass-market substitute.
Member Count: OkCupid (50 million+) vs. POF (150 million+).
Best For: OkCupid is for socially aware singles, and POF is for people who desire variety and volume in a more conventional, welcoming environment.
Verification Level (Medium): Although POF’s bot detection has improved, it has more zombie accounts than the question-gated community on OkCupid.
Monthly Cost: OkCupid ($15–$40/month) vs. POF ($10–$25/month for premium upgrades).
Mobile Access: Both work with iOS, Android, and the Web.
Winners by Category
Winner for Progressive Dating: OkCupid
It wins for diversity and values-based matching with over 60 gender identities and orientations and thousands of social-political issues.
Winner for Serious Intent: Hinge
For those weary of never-ending scrolling, its “designed to be deleted” concept and more carefully chosen daily “Standouts” make it the winner.
Winner for Safety & Women’s Experience: Bumble
The best method for lowering harassment and undesirable messages is the “Women Message First” rule.
Winner for Maximum Choice: Plenty of Fish
With 150 million members, it is the best option for users in remote locations where OkCupid’s niche, question-focused user base could be too limited.
Winner for Detailed Profiles: OkCupid
OkCupid’s question-based profiles are the best way to find out someone’s opinions on parenting, religion, and climate change before you go on a date.
Recommendation
Although OkCupid started out as an online dating platform for those seeking casual connections, much has changed since then.
It is more of a serious dating site now, although some do find casual hookups on it still.
It has a great matching system that is intent on matching you with the most compatible users.
Diving deep into what it is that makes you unique and who it is that best matches that uniqueness is what makes its matching system so elite.
Unlike many dating sites, it embraces its progressive nature, making it a place where everyone of every gender, sex, religion, etc., feels seen, safe, and respected.
This is a good place to find the love of your life.