Badoo
Review 2024
A social media
& dating platform
Free service caters to late teens & young adults
62% Male
38% Female
A social media & dating platform
Free service caters to late teens & young adults
62% Male | 38% Female
In-Depth Review Of
Badoo
With new dating sites seemingly springing up all the time, it can be difficult to distinguish between the genuine platforms and the underwhelming attempts to be “the next big thing.” The key in today’s market to creating a successful dating site is often in catering the service to niche group first before expanding out to other demographics. This path forward has seen a lot of success and a prominent example comes from one of the earliest practitioners – Badoo.
Badoo is actually one of the earliest dating platforms, originally created back in 2006 by a Russian entrepreneur named Andrey Andreev. However, it didn’t reach wide accessibility in the US until after its official launch in 2012. This was around the same time the Tinder craze swept the nation and provided stiff competition for Badoo, especially within the younger demographics.
Still, Badoo is now considered a worldwide phenomenon because it was among the first to adapt its dating platform to be fully integrated with social media. In fact, swiping through Badoo feels very similar to using Instagram or Facebook. But even with its longstanding foundation and large user base, can Badoo still stand out in today’s market? We created a profile to find out. Read on to see if Badoo can break through the crowded dating industry and has the legs to keep moving forward.
Pros
Lots of ways to communicate
A reliable verification process
Top-rated casual dating site
Cons
Stark gender distribution ratio
Matching based on photos, not compatibility
How Much Is Badoo?
1 MONTH
Per month: $12.99
Total: $12.99
3 MONTHS
Per month: $10.66
Total: $31.99
6 MONTHS
Per month: $8.00
Total: $47.99
Signing up for Badoo
The sign-up process on Badoo is fairly straightforward. You input basic information, link your account to a social media page, and then have to verify your account through an email link. However, there is one added step with Badoo that can make the service somewhat inconvenient for new users.
To cut down on scam accounts, Badoo has hired over 5,000 moderators whose job is to ensure that all accounts on the site are legitimate. With millions of users, it’s an exhaustive process. However, one method they do that is through photo verification.
After verifying your account, you can surf the site without uploading your own profile picture. It’s also in your best interest to do so because once you upload a picture, the moderators will put you through a photo verification process. This will inherently lock you out of your profile for a time, as they confirm you are who you say you are.
It’s a nice added security measure, but it can definitely slow down your search for love.
Member structure
Badoo has an extremely active community and extremely large user base. In the US alone, it has 12 million members and averages a little over 500,000 daily logins. It’s also important to note that functioning as social media platform complete with games, Badoo targets a younger demographic. The majority of users are between 25-34 and the second most are between 18-24. It also has a pretty sizeable divide between female and male identified users – with males accounting for 62% and females 38% of the entire base.
It’s not completely uncommon to see that divide and, in that regard, Badoo is mostly focused on casual dating and hook-up culture – but also, surprisingly, cultivating friendships. As a social media/dating platform hybrid, Badoo is all about making connections in whatever form they take.
Some people go to meet singles, others go there just to talk.
Matchmaking
As we’ve alluded to already, Badoo functions a lot like a social media platform. You can communicate with other members, view pictures, and for a time they even had a “live” video feature. To add to that, there are a number of games that can be purchased with Badoo coins for real money.
However, the way Badoo matches prospective partners is very similar to something like Tinder. It is a location-based service and if you scroll over the “Encounters” tab, you will be able to search and swipe through potential matches quickly. You can also directly search for matches with the “People Nearby” feature. Below that tab, you will see the “Featured Users” tab, where people have bought Badoo coins to help their profile garner more traffic and potential matches.
Another feature on Badoo to help the matching process are “Clips”, which are answers to various topic prompts in the form of short, 15 second videos. This is used as a fun icebreaker and also helps to verify the authenticity of your account to other users.
Contact options
There are quite a few ways to get in contact with other users on Badoo. Like almost every dating site, direct messaging takes center stage – only, this time, it’s not alone. In addition to messaging, there is also video chat and a number of icebreaking features to get conversations going.
One very popular feature on Badoo is “Lookalike”, where if you like a user’s (or celebrity’s) appearance, you can use that image as a search tool for the algorithm, finding matches of a similar type to reach out to. To add to that, Badoo also goes to a lot of effort to ensure the security of contact between users.
That is where the difference between premium and free accounts should be noted. As a free member, you can message and flirt, play the “Encounters” matching game, and use the “Lookalikes” search function. However, a premium account gives you access to view who liked you, browse anonymously, give gifts, use stickers, and become a featured member.
Badoo App
The Badoo App is what a majority of its members make use of the most. It is available on iOS and Google Play Store and has all the features of the site, plus a more integrated and accessible way to use the location-based features like the “Encounters” game.
Besides the target demographic, another reason why a majority of members use the Badoo app is because the desktop version can feel outdated by comparison.
Conclusion
Badoo is a dating and social media platform combined. Although it originally was released in 2006, it has done everything it can to modernize and be accessible to a younger audience. The mobile app receives more attention because of this, and the entire service caters to the casual dating culture rather than those looking for long-term romantic commitments.
By doubling as a social platform, Badoo not only helps young, hopeful, singles enjoy a casual fling, but it also helps those same people find a community of friends to play games with, chat with, and simply enjoy their time in a social atmosphere. If you’re looking for an efficient and secure way to hook-up or meet someone new that you can connect with, Badoo might just be the perfect place to start.