OkCupid
Review 2024
Over 91 million matches every year
Customizable Algorithm-based Matchmaking
53% Male | 47% Female
Over 91 million matches every year
Free service caters to late teens & young adults
62% Male | 38% Female
In-Depth Review Of
OkCupid
Some of the most popular dating platforms out there have been building their brands for decades. Initially launched in 2004, OkCupid is among the originators of the online dating industry. However, what sets OkCupid apart is that they never got comfortable with their place at the top. Bought up by the Match Group like many other larger platforms, OkCupid continued to monitor the evolution of the dating industry and follow trends established by the up-and-coming contenders.
In that way, OkCupid has moved forward with dating culture, updating their algorithm-based matching, taking firm political stances to be inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and used the age of their platform to build a huge base while continuing to innovate to stay competitive.
That being said, are innovations and updates enough to compete against the rising and newly established stars of the dating industry like Tinder? To find out, and to see if OkCupid is still a premier matchmaking service for those looking for love, we signed up to see for ourselves. Can OkCupid’s arrow still hit the mark for a modern audience all these years after the bow was drawn?
Pros
An inclusive platform for all types
A smooth interactive user interface
Ideal for younger demographic
Cons
Not for younger demographics
No video chatting feature
How Much Is OkCupid?
1 MONTH
Per month: $39.99
Total: $39.99
3 MONTHS
Per month: $26.66
Total: $79.98
6 MONTHS
Per month: $19.99
Total: $119.94
Signing up for OkCupid
Like other mainstream dating sites, OkCupid makes sign-up an easy, quick, and efficient process. It allows you to link to social media accounts, access pictures from there, and start surfing the site in just a few minutes. However, like the best dating sites, it doesn’t stop there.
OkCupid’s depth is optional, but it’s encouraged. Beyond the basics of sign-up, you can choose to take a personality quiz, let other members know your sexual interests with over sixty different options for preferences, and has more community-based features to help new members feel like they’re a part of this modern-dating and social platform.
Member structure
OkCupid, as expected for a dating platform that has been around almost two decades, has established a massive user base. It boasts 91 million matches each year, a base over 50 million, and over 2 million of those members right here at home in the US. The divide of the members also sits fairly even, with roughly 53% identifying as male and 47% identifying as female.
Surprisingly, OkCupid has done a wonderful job making their site attractive to a younger audience. Most members on the site range from 25-34 years old, but what’s more exciting is that of those ages, there is a fairly even divide between those looking for long-term relationships and casual dating.
In that way, OkCupid is a bit of a hybrid site, catering to both demographics. That’s also one of the biggest selling points of OkCupid; it’s a site where anyone can find the love they’re looking for.
Matchmaking
Like everything else on OkCupid, the matchmaking process is simple, fast, and easy-to-use. It caters matches to your own interests, and revolves them through constantly to better understand those interests. If you like another person’s profile, and they like yours, the door is opened for further communication. This is also a security measure, to ensure not just anyone can slide into your DMs.
With that in mind, the various options available to find profiles you “like” are extensive. You can search directly for people through filters or use the unique features of the site like: See Who You Like, See Who Likes You, Double Take, or Boost which is a paid add-on to get your profile more traffic.
The more profiles you “like”, the better the algorithm starts to understand your interests and offer you matches more closely resembling what you’re looking for.
Contact options
After you “like” another prospective partner’s profile, and they “like” yours – you’re free to start communicating with them. The most obvious way to go about that is to DM them.
However, the first message is your introduction, and that’s also another security measure to see if the conversation is something you both want to have. The reason for this is obviously that no one likes horrible pick-up lines. If you both like each other’s profile and that’s the first message you receive, you don’t have to respond and you won’t be transferred to the “Conversations” section of the DMs.
Something important to note about OkCupid is that although it markets itself as a “free” dating service, there are still limits to the free account. As mentioned, boosting your profile traffic is a paid add-on, but a free account also limits the number of likes you can use per day.
By contrast, a premium account offers unlimited likes for more connection opportunity. However, if you’re more particular with your “likes”, the free account is one of the most accessible around.
OkCupid App
As you would expect, OkCupid’s app is fully integrated to offer all the options that the main site has and is available for iOS and Android. However, to make the app feel more modern, it functions very similarly to Tinder or Bumble. The algorithm provides matches and users are given the often to swipe left or right in order the find connections. It’s easy-to-use, intuitive, and of course, location-based.
Conclusion
OkCupid is one of the original dating platforms, but if you use it today, it definitely doesn’t feel like it. With a company ethos that keeps innovation and modern design principles at the core of their creative philosophy, OkCupid is the best of both worlds.
It has had the time and cultivated the experience to bring together a large base of romantic hopefuls, and it makes sure to adapt its services to the interests of a brand-new generation of them.
OkCupid is unique in the dating landscape as one of the few hybrid offerings. It caters to long-term and short-term relationships alike and excels at providing matches for both. As a free service that really offers a lot of benefit with no true barrier for entry, OkCupid is a perfect dating platform to get yourself started in the wide world of online dating. And, to answer our earlier question – yes, Cupid’s Arrow definitely still hits the mark.