Plenty of Fish Review (2023) – Is POF App a Scam?

Plenty of Fish might be one of the most well-known dating apps out there. This is probably thanks to their “find your other half” commercials that they began running in the early 2000s or their akin to the popular dating phrase “plenty of fish in the sea”. Even those who have been married for decades have likely heard of Plenty of Fish. 

Still, we all know that something being popular doesn’t necessarily make it good. Because of that, we wanted to fish for the truth and see if POF is popular because of a top-notch app or top-notch advertising.

Turns out, Plenty of Fish has gone through quite a few glow-ups over the last 10 years, and there is a lot to discuss. So, if you are interested in figuring out whether POF is the right dating app for you, we strongly recommend buckling up for our full POF review.

Is POF Worth It? – The Bottom Line Upfront

Years ago, Plenty of Fish had a pretty rough reputation mainly surrounding the quality of the members. This was probably due to the fact that the site is largely free to use with minimal barriers to entry. This is a recipe for scammers, spammers, fake accounts, and people looking for something quick.

Since then they were acquired by Match Group and have made some changes including a few new features (which we’ll discuss in depth later in the review) and multiple design overhauls. But has the app really improved?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. Does the site look better? Sure. Does the marketing message portray a different type of dating experience? You bet. However, not much at all was done in regards to the barriers to entry or the core functionality that’s held this app back. It’s still a completely free dating site that only takes a few minutes to sign up. Yes, they added in some phone number verification steps which have helped some, but it’s still relatively the same process.

But here’s the weirdest thing of all – With the latest redesign POF has started pushing users to other dating apps. On top of various ads placed throughout their app, you can now fins a “try other apps” page in the main navigation menu under My Profile (We’ve included desktop and mobile screenshots below as proof):

I mean c’mon… No legit dating app does this! And despite some efforts to lower the number of scammers getting in how can we really believe in a brand that doesn’t believe in itself?

POF scored a 5.8 out of 10 possible points (Lowered from our previous POF review). Our main problems were with the continuing member quality issue (too-easy of a sign-up process inviting fake accounts), incomplete profiles, multiple reports of unsolicited and inappropriate photos, an excessive amount of ads, and blatantly pushing users to other apps.

So, is Plenty of Fish worth it? Despite an impressive number of users, we think POF still has some growing to do if it wants to swim in the big leagues. If you have absolutely zero dollars to put towards online dating and are okay swimming in the weeds, it might be worth checking out. But if you’re serious about finding something special (casual or serious), there are better options (And clearly the team at POF agrees). Our recommendation would be to take their advice and “try other dating apps”.

We’ve linked some great alternatives with free trials below:

POF Alternatives

The reason we’ve selected Zoosk as the best POF alternative is that it’s what we view as “what POF is trying to be.” It’s a platform with over 35 million users that serves people looking for everything from serious relationships to casual dating and hookups.

The difference, though, is that the security and screening parameters in place at Zoosk are far superior to those at POF. The result is a higher quality user experience, less fake or scammer profiles, and a better chance of finding exactly what you are looking for.

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Overall POF Rating

Pros and Cons of the Plenty of Fish Dating App

Who Plenty of Fish Is Good For

• Singles who are on a very tight budget
• People looking for no-commitment dating
• People who are okay wading through less-invested singles (to put it lightly)

Who Plenty of Fish Might Not Be Best For

• Younger singles might not find what they’re looking for as the average US user skews a little older (35+).
• Singles looking for a more in-depth, personality-based matching system.
• Singles who want a well vetted, spam free dating environment.
• Those who don’t like dating sites with ads.

Plenty of Fish Reviews – Table of Contents

• What is Plenty of Fish?
• POF Features Overview
• The Quality of Singles at POF
• How to Sign Up at POF
• Plenty of Fish Pricing
• POF Complaints
• Customer Support Options
• Plenty of Fish FAQ

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What is Plenty of Fish?

Plenty of Fish (POF) is one of the world’s largest online dating services. This Canadian based company was founded in 2003 by CEO Markus Frind 4 years after receiving a degree in computer systems technology from British Colombia Institute of Technology.

Frind ran the site independently until 2008 when the project became more than he could handle alone and he started hiring. This ended up being an excellent decision for Plenty of Fish Media Inc. By 2010, the POF app launched for both iOS and Android pushing the user base to new heights.

Frind was proud of what he had built and the relationships Plenty of fish had created. He once stated that “over one million babies have been born as a result of the website”. A headline sure to grab some attention. And it did…

In fact they caught the attention of the Match Group who bought the POF app in 2015 for a whopping $575 million dollars! With only around 75 employees at the time, Frind was said to have personally gained about $525 million.

So what’s changed since Match took over? Honestly, not too much. There were a few matchmaking guidelines changed, but at the end of the day despite multiple design changes it’s still the same POF app.

Plenty of Fish has continued to grow and now has well over 100 million registered users. They’re also said to have approximately 3 million daily logins and over 2 billion pageviews a week!

• Site Name(s): pof.com, Plenty of Fish, POF dating site, POF
• Paid or Free: Paid site with a limited free trial
• Average Sign-Up Time: 2-3 minutes
• Paid Membership Pricing: Plans starting as low as $10.00 per month
• Interesting Facts About the POF App:
  • POF was created in 2003 but got a major rebrand in 2019.
  • Won multiple user-voted awards in early 2021.
  • 4.2 stars and over 1 million reviews on the Apple Store.
  • 3.9 stars and over 1.5 million reviews on Google Play.
  • There are over 100 million registered POF users.

How Does POF Work?

POF is a very traditional dating website that works off of profiles and messages. All members create a profile showcasing who they are, and these profiles are shown to other users. If someone sees someone they like, they can send a flirt or a message to start a conversation.

POF does have some additional features to help make matchmaking a little easier, but the basis of the platform is profiles and messaging. We’ll outline these additional features in the next section of our reviews.

POF Features Overview

In addition to the traditional profile and messaging features, there are some additional things that POF has added to the mix (mostly after being purchased by Match Group) to try and make things better. Some of the features we’re fans of, some of them we think missed the mark, and some are downright annoying. Here’s a quick look at some of the more meaningful POF features.

POF Live!

Many social platforms have begun implementing a live system thanks to the success and popularity of streaming apps like Twitch and YouTube. Plenty of Fish has jumped on that train as well with their Live! feature. 

POF Live! allows users to live stream themselves for their matches and potential matches to see. It is a fun way to get more info about your personality out there, but is even better as a way to learn more about your matches before wasting too much time. The streams are genuinely fun to participate in and you can pass along virtual gifts to get the attention of the streamer, if you’d like. 

Overall, this feature is well implemented. However, does it really help you finding dates? From our testing and use of the product, it seems like another form of Twitch that really misses the mark on the intended purpose. Additionally, users are able to purchase tokens and buy gifts for other users who are going live, which again, we think misses the mark for online dating.

Since many of the top POF live streamers have hundreds or more watching them it can make connections hard. Something like eHarmony’s video date is a much better fit for this in our opinions.

We will however give mad props to the POF ModBot for keeping nudity and other NSFW behavior out of these live streams!

Meet Me (Tinder-Style Swipe Dating)

Some dating apps have begun to take inspiration from old-school dating techniques like blind dates and speed dating to come up with exciting ways to implement face-to-face meetups. For Plenty of Fish, that feature is called “Meet Me.”

Using this feature is simple. You are shown a series of photos of singles along with some of their basic info. You swipe right on the photo if you are interested in the person and swipe left if you are not.

When you swipe right on a profile holder who also swiped right on you, a private chat will open to allow you to communicate and decide on meeting up in person. This method of meeting takes away the restriction of personality matching and the like, which some users really enjoy. 

The biggest downside to this feature has to be the ad placement. As you saw in the screenshot it’s positioned in a way that leads users to accidentally click it. Annoying to say the least…

Ultimately, Meet Me is like using Tinder, but with the option to switch back to a profile-based matching method at any time.

Priority Messages

If you have done any online dating before, you know that your inbox can get a little wild after some time. Sometimes you can send a message to a match and never hear back. It feels pretty awful, but you might feel better knowing that oftentimes messages are just overlooked and it’s nothing personal. 

Priority messages help you overcome this! Sending a priority message means the message is pushed to the top of that person’s inbox and pinned. It costs 1 token, POF’s in-app currency, which you can get for between $2 and $4 a piece. 

Que’d Up (A new dating game)

As POF correctly pointed out “online dating isn’t one-size-fits-all”, so they wanted to offer some new options. Que’d up is one of those new options. And they even put out a video to walk you through playing this new dating game:

And while this is a fun and creative way to interact with potential matches, does it really lead to meaningful connections? Not as far as our reviewers can tell. Even the game’s slogan leaves little hope of finding love. “Have some fun and maybe even meet someone while doing it”.

If you’re looking for some random online fun give this a try for sure. It reminds of something you’d find in a Jackbox Party Pack. But if you’re looking for real connections this is another swing and a miss from the Plenty of Fish team.

Text Verification

For an app that’s pretty well known for being full of scammers and other riffraff we were glad to finally see this feature added. With this latest update Plenty of Fish has required that all users link their accounts to an active phone number.

And sure, it’s not a catch all… there are still some unsavory fish in the POF sea, but this was a massive step and we’re giving credit where credit is due. Well done here POF developers!

Message Controls and Filters

One thing that POF has that we do like is the ability to set a lot of filters for who can message you. You can set things like how long the first message has to be or if they have a photo or not. While we think this is a great step, why not just make every user include a photo of themselves? Again, that’s our personal thoughts from this POF review, but it’s something worth noting. Either way, the feature is absolutely better than not having it at all.

Ads, Ads, and lots of Ads (Unless you pay)

We said we would be talking about the features POF offers users, but that doesn’t mean they’re all good. In fact, this last feature drove our review staff to the edge of insanity. As you can see in the screenshot below this dating site has ads everywhere:

Whether you’re looking at the latest matches, new members, users in your city, or even just setting up your profile you’re always going to be seeing ads. Many users have reported this annoyance, and mobile users especially have been pushed away from the app by accidentally clicking it’s invasive ads.

The Quality of Singles at Plenty of Fish

We weren’t overly wowed by the selection and variety of singles on Plenty of Fish, but it wasn’t a bad experience at all. There are plenty of singles to be found in many areas, but the crowd is generally a bit older and a little less tech-savvy. This means that all those high-shooting professionals in fields like tech, engineering, etc., are likely to be found on more modern apps.

Additionally, a review of POF does need to look at the intentions of the singles on the app.

We have heard a lot of users report that most of the people they encounter on the app are looking for casual hookups and they’re not that smooth about it.

Yes, we’re talking about pictures you may not want to see… sent unsolicited and such. It’s certainly not the case for everyone on the app, but we’ve heard the most stories like that coming from this app. In fact, even the app’s ownership is aware of it and rather than seeking a real solution has posted this jab; POF’s virtual gallery of Dick Pics (It’s not what you think… Just users named Richard.)

How to Sign Up at POF

Signing up for POF is super easy and super quick…almost too quick. Wait, what does that mean? We LOVE that POF streamlined the sign up process, but we would like to see a few more hoops people need to jump through to create accounts to make it a little harder on spam and scam accounts. Still, though, the faster sign-up process is a shining spot of this review.

You can sign up for POF on their main website or through their app. Both methods are super simple, just take a look through these step-by-step guides:

Signup Up on Desktop:

1. Go to POF’s website and click “Register.”
2. Fill in your email, username choice, phone number and continue through the profile information prompts. 

Signing Up on The App:

1. Download the app from iTunes (Apple Phones) or Google Play (Android Phones).
2. Start the app and fill in your name.
3. Tap on “Sign Up.”
4. Follow the prompts to complete your profile.

Plenty of Fish Pricing | How Much Does POF Cost?

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A lot of the features on POF are completely free to use, including messaging. However, if you want an elevated experience, you can pay to upgrade to a premium account that comes with some perks. These include things like being able to see someone’s extended profile, viewing past interactions with someone, read receipts, see who is interested in you, and see the date and time of when someone viewed your profile.

Is it worth the upgrade cost? Maybe. It is quite cheap and these are some nice perks to have. That being said, we probably see some better investments of your dating money through some of the POF alternatives we recommended earlier. If you want to learn more about the pricing and payment options and what exactly you do and don’t get, make sure to check out our POF cost breakdown now.

Note – POF membership prices may change daily. When conducting this review over the course of multiple days our team reported minor changes to prices consistently. These changes were often minimal (like 60 cents more for 12 months of premium). More than anything this struck our reviewers as another random example of the brand’s unprofessionalism.

POF Complaints – User Reviews

To give a fair and complete review of Plenty of Fish we wanted you to hear from more than just our team. Here are some complaints that we’ve been emailed from readers who’ve used POF.

• “Several yrs ago I was on POF for quite a while, but no luck. Then got back on but had lot of trouble with site working correctly. At one time I was a paying member.” – J.G.
• “Why cant I sign in?” Lynda J.
• “I’m not receiving any POF email. No notifications or anything letting me know I have messages. It’s almost like my emails from POF are being intercepted.” Cindy M.

In addition to these complaints we also reviewed what users were saying in their app store reviews and we noticed some consistent trends. These include lots of technical issues, an abundance of fake profiles/scammers , and POF being overly pushy with ads. We also noticed a pattern of users saying that match preference features like age, distance, and gender don’t work at all for them.

Customer Support Options

POF has a really great help section on their website and app. It is super easy to find solutions to your problems and search for specific features. They even include video tutorials and interlinking to help you quickly get to all the information you need. 

However, we really dislike when sites don’t have direct contact methods for customer support. You can fill out an email enquiry form through their help page, but that is as far as it goes. No live chat option is available and they specifically state that they have no contact number and if you find one by Googling, “don’t call it because it is a scam.”

We did however find an official contact phone number listed deep in their terms of service. 

POF Customer Affairs: (800) 952-5210

There is also a Plenty of Fish Support Twitter page (@pofsupport), but it appears to be much less active than the brand’s other social media accounts (that are used for marketing).

If the company wants to see improvement in its Plenty of Fish reviews, it may really want to improve upon the customer experience starting with better access to customer service.

Get Started Now!

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Plenty of Fish FAQ – Answering Questions About POF

Do I Have to Pay for a POF Subscription?

No! You can use POF for free, but your access to features will be limited. Paid members receive access to extended profile viewing, can upload more images, get read receipts, experience no ads, and much more. 

What are the perks of paying for POF?

If you decide to pay for a POF membership you will be able to see who likes you, have unlimited likes, search by username, be among the first to look at new members, see extended profiles, get read receipts for messages, and best of all you won’t have to look at all the ads free members have to deal with.

What Can I Use Tokens On?

You can spend your POF Tokens on:

• Boosts
• Super Yes
• Priority Messages

How Much Do Tokens Cost?

Tokens can be purchased for $3.99 a piece. However, you can save money by buying them in bulk. They come in bundles of 10 for $19.90 ($1.99 a piece) or 5 for $14.95 ($2.99 a piece). 

Can You Use the POF App Without Connecting a Phone Number?

No. As a way to keep accounts secure and limit the number of fake profiles you need to connect a mobile number to verify your account when signing up for the POF app. You will not be able to sign in or browse singles until you’ve done this.

Is POF Good for Long-Term Romance?

POF is pretty versatile in their dating approach. If you can put up with the app’s shortcomings, It can be a great way to meet new friends, short term romances, steamy hookups, and long-term partners. The only problem is that you might have to weed through a lot of people interested in things you are not. To improve your experience, try to mention your dating goals in your profile information so it is upfront knowledge for your matches.