Who hasn’t heard of that iconic name in the dating app space? It has been around since the stone age, aka feeling like the beginnings of the internet going way back to 2003. Does it still have what it takes?
Let’s take a closer look shall we. Plenty of Fish comes in two flavours, you have use or access to the app, and the PC website. It is one of the cheapest dating sites out there, and with good reason. You do not have to pay a membership to to message people and put your photo op. The bargain basement bargain of the dating app world - and there lies its original success.
Let’s look at the demographics shall we. In a dating app, you usually want to get an even split or ration between men and women. For some niche sites this may vary, but for a vanilla, simple dating app a perfect mix is the target. Where does Plenty of Fish hit its demographic target? Quite good actually - males are 60 percent and women are 40 percent. That means one side has a tougher fight ahead in the dating pool - that would be the men. Since there are more men than women, women will have the upper hand in the amount of messages they receive. Men on the other hand will have to fight it out harder than on other sites to get noticed, since there is naturally more men than women here.
The average age of dating apps - should be the lower the number the better. The age range for this site is between 25-45. This tells you that younger people are not the most popular here. As well as vice versa, that younger people don’t consider this app hip, or trendy, or popular at the moment. That’s okay - since the overall base more than makes up for it.
MEMBERSHIP
Since you can use most features on Plenty of Fish - the question becomes why pay for a membership? And if you do pay for a membership - is it worth it? Let’s first give a nod to the site Plenty of Fish - why? Unlike other so called free trial memberships, which tend to be very limited, and many don’t even allow you to see other members photos, or even message them - Plenty of Fish takes a completely different route. They allow you, for free, to message people and see their photos. So, a big round of applause for this free use service.
So where’s the catch for this free service? Can you think of something that might turn you off a free membership on a dating site? Any guesses? Well, the most obvious, and the most prevalent guess would be correct - the use of advertising. This use of advertising can get very, very annoying. So much so, you may never want to use or visit the sit - it can get that bad and intrusive. If you can handle the constant pop up advertisements then this site may work for you.
Now, lets see if you decide to pay what to you get that makes their service better, or even much better? Firstly, say bye bye to the ads - hallelujah! Is there anything more annoying with advertising being constant in your face and service? One thing the smart sites have learned, if you are offering a free service, keep the ads to a minimum, or at least less intrusive - that is the key to success, and should be used more sparingly here as well.
Next, if you do join the site - at a very minimum cost - the cheapest of the big dating apps I would say - costs can run you between 20 to 10 dollars depending on the length of your membership. In review, the amount is actually very low when compared to the other dating apps, and can be classified almost as a bargain. Back to the advantages of paying for your membership on Plenty of Fish - one of the of the features you get in the app is what they call a Chemistry Predictor. Does it work - I am on the fence on this feature - it simply matches up your filter criteria and spits out some matches. Some may like it some may not and consider it a gimmick.
Then you have something they call the top prospects. This feature shows everyone you have messaged, how many times you messaged them, and ranks them in importance. Not a bad feature for some I would venture. Then they have a version of Tinder lite I call it. They call this the Meet Me feature. The site simply shows you photos and you can press x to get rid of them or check a box to start talking. Not necessary and nothing more than an over tired gimmick. Leave the swiping to the original app originator. The Super Yes feature - a member can state how interested they are in another member by a percentage feature. Some people like it, but I think it nothing more than a gimmick to keep some members entertained at best.
Priority Message - an interesting feature but does it work. You can indicate in your message that its urgent - and this will make sure your message goes to the top of her message box. What happens if 30 other people press the same thing - then what? My guess is, non members get pushed to the bottom. For some, this may seem a well used feature that offers some promise to them,.
Membership negatives. The dreaded auto renewal feature. This is when you have to inform the site, that you are cancelling your membership before they charge you. Buyer beware here, and make sure you follow when you need to cancel. You don’t want to be charged for something that should be free.
In the end, not the greatest of sites, but, if you don’t want to spend some money - and fish around in the dating pool you may get lucky and find what you are looking for. Overall score is less than average rating.
Written by:
Jessica Tanders