Alt.com Review

Alt.com has a database of around two million profiles, with over 350,000 active members. Most of these members are aged between 25-34, although there are plenty of other users outside of this age range.

No matter what it is you’re into or are looking for, you’re bound to find other users on the site looking for the same thing. Most members are from the U.S., but some are from Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The expansive member database is a big reason why the site consistently ranks among the most frequently recommended BDSM dating sites.

As Alt is one of the most twisted and longest-standing sites around, you have the advantage of a large and genuine user pool and a higher chance of being matched with genuine members. There are hundreds of thousands of active members looking for hook-ups, both online and offline.

I found the site to be both user-friendly and easy to make my way around. Even someone who isn’t used to dating sites would find it an intuitive site to use. I not only found the site easy to navigate, but I was also impressed by the design. This wasn’t a surprise, considering the site is a part of FriendFinderNetworks. To sign up, all I needed to do was follow five basic prompts. It only took me a few short minutes to be all signed up and ready to meet other members on the site.

Once on the registration page, I had to enter a few basic stats and click on Register Now. Then I let the site know what sexual orientation I was looking for. I then had to enter the typical basic details, such as my location and date of birth. Then it was time to choose my username and password. I could share information regarding my marital status, BDSM role preferences, physical attributes, and body type. However, I wasn’t required to answer these questions as I could select “Prefer not to say” from the dropdown menu, so that’s what I did. The final step of the sign-up process asked me to choose an “Introduction Title” and to write about myself. I was a bit unsure what to write, as I’d never signed up for a site like this before. Fortunately, the site’s Writing Ideas tool offers some great suggestions as what to say.

The account verification process is strict but standard. I first needed to verify my email address before being taken to my profile page, as I wouldn’t have been able to proceed otherwise.

There are numerous ways in which I could contact other members. I could access all other members so that I could find as many matches as possible, or I could filter results by searching only for those who are online or who have recently joined the site. I could also see who has viewed my profile. There’s an Extended Search for Advanced Users option, where I could enter a desired age and country of origin to filter the results even more.

The in-depth messaging center is full of options to customize my instant messenger and inbox the way I see fit. I could include an auto-reply, which can be useful, as the site has received complaints from free members regarding fake messages. Fortunately, Alt.com has responded by allowing users to block others who annoy them. I get notifications when someone has read my message, and I can also use the Member Center Filter system to reject messages from members who don’t appeal to me. I could easily manage and organize messages, and the site includes a points system represented by flowers. I could flirt with other members by sending these flowers to other members.

There are some great options for connecting and chatting with other members. I could even engage with live models on the webcam if I was in a particular mood. It wasn’t always easy trying to come up with something to say, but fortunately, the site eases the burden by giving choices in introducing myself. I could add other members to my Hotlist as friends or send flirts to let them know I was interested. Most of these options would require me to upgrade my membership, but the adult chat rooms were available to all.

I could make my profile as open or as discreet as I wanted, meaning I could enter as little or as much information about myself as I liked. I sometimes struggle to know what to say in this part, at least beyond the first couple of lines. Fortunately, the site offers some profile examples to stimulate some creativity in that department.

As a male, I could share my size and girth. Sure, it’s a little personal, but this is a fetish site after all. I also had the option of disclosing my fetish preferences and experience level.

I could also include ways to get in touch with me using online messenger services, along with information like kinky fetishes, sexy testimonials, compatibility stats, personality basics, and friends. There’s also the Purity Test, which indicates just how pure (or not) you are.

The only thing that I wasn’t able to see are other member profiles unless I upgraded to a premium membership. So, that’s a route I may need to go down if I really want to make the most out of the site.

I was able to sign up for the site for free. With that, I could engage with as many webcams as many times as I wanted to. I was also free to explore the layout and basic structure of the site. What’s more, I could communicate with premium members if they started the conversation.

To really make use of the site, I acknowledge that I would need to upgrade my membership. Otherwise, I’d continue to have limited access, and my opportunities would remain limited, which isn’t ideal.

However, when looking at what it means to upgrade, I noticed that there were two levels I could upgrade to. The first level was Silver, which would unlock several features, but still hide others behind a paywall. That would cost me either $19.95 a month, three months for $35.97 ($11.99 per month), or $107.40 for a year ($8.95 a month).

For a Gold membership, it’s $29.95 for a one-month membership, $59.97 for three months ($19.99 per month), or $161.16 for an annual membership ($13.43 per month).

If I really want to use more of the site’s functions and features, I’ll need to upgrade to one of these levels. I’d be able to access all profiles and even view hidden photos. I’d also be able to use the advanced search function and get in touch with everyone on the site (free members included).

As a silver user, I’d be able to communicate with new users. If I upgraded to gold, however, I could connect with them instantly. As a silver member, I’d also be able to access videos and other members’ live broadcasts. But as a gold member, I’d be able to access all videos without restrictions. Silver level membership only provides partial access to other member articles and blogs, while gold membership allows full access.

One feature I particularly like with a premium membership is the Standard Contacts feature. This enables free members to see a paid member’s profile, send messages to that user, and chat with them live. If I took advantage of that feature, many other potential matches would be able to access my profile.

Another feature that grabbed my attention was the Hotlist. This is basically a dating site equivalent to a speed dial. You can use this feature to keep a shortlist of those members you’re interested in the most. You can refer to this list to be reminded of the profile you were checking out when you last visited the site.