OKCupid Review: Our guide to online dating

OkCupid professes to be best dating website on earth and with the hundreds of dating websites out there, this is quite a claim. As this OkCupid review is far from my first,  I'm a little dubious. They all allege to have something different and unique to offer, but ultimately, experience has shown there's not a huge amount of difference between them all. What makes OkCupid think it's better than the rest? Logging onto the website, there's not a hint of the x-rated naughtiness that many of the other websites exhibit. Still, what OKCupid has going for it are an enormous global community and an excellent matchmaking algorithm that works just as well for finding a fuck buddy as it does for the romantics out there.

While it asks the usual questions, OkCupid delves further into its user's personality and lifestyle with hundreds of questions that go a lot deeper than just “what's your favourite position?” It allows members to give a detailed insight into who they are and what they want. From what they're currently doing in life and what their favourite books/movies/food are, to deeper and more meaningful information like what they spend a lot of time thinking about. Whilst some members will undoubtedly use this to offer a naughty insight into their thoughts and desires in the hope of finding a fuck buddy, many users take this more seriously and give clean answers. You don't have to answer all, or any, of the questions if you don't want to, but the more you answer, the better- the website uses 'maths' to calculate a percentage of how well-suited you are to potential love matches, and this is displayed underneath each member as you browse. OKCupid's questions are also really, really entertaining.

 

Another good point is that the site is well designed and easy to navigate. It's all laid out very clearly, making it easy to find what, or who, you're looking for. While there is no official chat feature, you can chat with other members via the messages system, which is also a doddle to use. There are no charges to join although you can become an 'A-List' member for a monthly fee, which offers a host of features to make using the website a little better.

The biggest downside to the website is that, although it gives those who are just looking for casual hook-ups the option to state this, it really isn't catered for them and focuses much more on its members who are looking for love, so those looking for a fuck buddy are likely to feel overlooked.

In terms of usability, it's difficult to review this website badly. There are ads that flash up at the top of the screen, but these are so unobtrusive that you really don't notice them. I do wonder how worth paying to join the 'A-List' actually is- the free membership is great as it is and I'm not sure the additional minor benefits of the paid membership justify the monthly fee.

 

OKCupid's community is enormous, and the majority of them are normal, everyday people. The age range of users is pretty vast and many members are professional working people who have a busy lifestyle. Most of them are using the web to find love and serious relationships because they lack the time to go out and meet people in their daily lives.

 

Is it worth signing up?

As always, this depends on what you are looking for. Whilst OkCupid caters for all, the majority of members are looking for more than just a casual fuck buddy and dirty chat. If you are looking for this it could be difficult to find someone like-minded here and I would advise using a website better suited to your needs. However, if you are looking for a romantic relationship, but your busy lifestyle makes it difficult to get out and meet people, then definitely consider giving OkCupid a go- the free membership and thousands upon thousands of other users really do make this one of the better dating websites out there. It also has its own app, making finding whatever you're looking for on the go much more convenient.