Intrigued by AdultFriendFinder but hesitant to make the jump to a paid account? You’re not alone. To help you make up your mind and give you a better idea of what to expect, we dug up reviews of paid users who had a lot to share about AFF, from positive experiences to sharp criticism. 

Taken together, their reviews paint a clearer picture of life on the site and what you might expect if you pony up your hard-earned cash for a Gold membership. 

Here’s what real, verified users had to say about the AdultFriendFinder experience, broken down into pros and cons.

Pro: Fun experience with lots of users

A consistent positive thread uniting most reviews, including many negative ones, was that AFF is fun. Unlike basic dating sites or hookup apps, where the matchmaking system is the entire experience, Adult Friend Finder offers genuine alternatives to endlessly sifting through profiles, which is great news for people who struggle to find matches because it means you have something to do between one-on-one conversations. 

“I like how the cams and chat work, though they can be buggy. I enjoy getting on there and releasing my inner exhibitionist,” said one woman from New Hampshire who uses AFF with her partner. 

Spend even a few minutes in the AFF Community or Live section, where people broadcast their own webcam feeds, and you’ll see that “releasing the inner exhibitionist” is a common pastime on the site. Another user, who actively seeks extramarital connections through AFF, reiterated this sentiment: “AFF is entertaining, with tons of videos.” 

But another commonality between the people who enjoyed the site the most was that they were more likely to be in a polyamorous relationship seeking a third (or fourth…) for a fun link. A former Tinder user put it this way: “Adult Friend Finder is an excellent site for singles/couples that want to swinger or get into threesomes, [but it’s not] so useful for one-to-one hookups.” Another swinging couple reiterated that sentiment: “We have also had decent luck finding playmates there.” 

Does this mean AFF can’t work for singles? Absolutely not. But it’s definitely easier to stand out and gain attention if you join the site in a pre-established relationship.

Con: Paid subscription required to enjoy the site

A consistent con, on the other hand, was how limiting the site is for free users. One user summed it up perfectly: “The free version lets you browse and set up a profile, but if you want to actually message someone, see who’s viewed your profile, or use some of the other key features, you have to pay. The pricing isn’t too bad, but it’s a bit of a letdown to find out how limited the free version is after signing up.”

Free users can operate with a lot of freedom in the webcam areas, or participate in the blog and story sections, and there’s a lot there to keep a non-paying member occupied, but at a certain point, you will have to upgrade your subscription if you want to get the most out of the site, especially in the matchmaking section.

Another user put it this way: “I think the biggest letdown for me was the paywall for basic stuff like messaging. You can browse all day, but without paying, you’re basically invisible.”

Pro: Good place to explore kinks

Another consistent theme in the positive reviews of AFF was how kink-friendly the site is, which we also stressed in our own review. There are dozens of interest-based discussion groups, encompassing everything from BDSM to foot fetishes and rope play, and the AFF profiles dedicate space for users to write exhaustive lists of their own kinks and turn-ons, which are then searchable in the matchmaking section, making it much easier to connect with people who share your turn-ons.

“I did find a few niche groups on there that were surprisingly active,” one user stated. “If you’re into specific interests, it might be worth poking around the community sections.” Another user, in a balanced review of his experience on the site, reiterated this: “On the positive side, the site does have an active community with a wide range of preferences, so if you’re looking for a niche connection, there’s a good chance you’ll find it. The messaging and chat features work well, and the option to upload photos and videos adds a personal touch.”

This is a huge differentiator between people who love AFF and people who hate the site. If you enter it with the expectation of finding a single person for a hookup, you’ll have a hit-or-miss experience, especially if you live outside a large urban area, but if you enter it with an open mind, eager to explore your kinks and find someone else on your wavelength, you’ll enjoy navigating the site’s community sections a lot more.

Con: Proliferation of fake accounts, sex workers, and scammers

The site’s most consistent criticism is also its most notorious attribute: how many fake accounts, bots, and scammers operate on the site. Because creating an AFF account is very easy, bots and bad actors have dramatically inflated the site’s user base. Worse still, lots of real and even verified accounts are little more than advertisements for OnlyFans models and sex workers eager to redirect AFF users to their personal pages. 

Another user noticed the same phenomenon of fake accounts but had no trouble navigating their presence: “It is a legit site for sure. I’ve never been contacted by a sex worker. However, there are a LOT of fake profiles. It’s super easy to spot them because the pics are too good to be true and/or obvious fakes.”

In sum, like most online dating sites and perhaps especially most online hookup sites, AFF is a mixed bag, but for the right person with the right approach, it’s still one of the most fun, naughty, and sex-positive communities on the internet, a kind of Wild West for kinksters.