FriendFinder Dating Site Review

“FriendFinder may just be your next great adventure.”

Many Internet dating franchises have come and gone, but for very good reason, FriendFinder.com has withstood the test of time. It remains one of the most popular relationships-based websites around, now boasting over 20,000,000 registered members internationally.

First of all, FriendFinder, founded in the earliest days of the Internet by CEO Andrew Conru, isn’t just about dating, sex and marriage, it’s about finding community of people with like minds and tastes.  Apropos its name, FriendFinder is about making friends, acquaintances, finding pen-pals, activity partners, maybe even cultivating future business partners and collaborators – in essence, becoming a global family. 

The FriendFinder network has developed 15 sites that span lifestyle and special interests across the board, including niche communities based on age, culture, religion and sexual orientation.  The FriendFinder group includes sites tailored to geographic locations, specific ethnic cultures and languages such as Jewish FriendFinder (for the Jewish community), Asia FriendFinder (for the worldwide Asian community), Amigos (for Latinos in the English, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking community), BigChurch (Christian community), OutPersonals (for gay and alternative dating and lifestyle), and Senior FriendFinder (for adults over the age of 40).

There are pros and cons to signing up with FriendFinder.  To get the bad news out of the way first, the initial “free” service is very, very limited -- really only a teaser, although you can use the chat rooms after logging in.  If someone on the other end sounds appealing, you can click on their profile and add them to your circle of friends.  And with free membership, you can upload as many as 20 photos or pictures with your introductory profile, as well as send instant messages and browse FriendFinder.com’s international member profiles database.

But if you’re really serious about finding that special someone, be prepared to whip out your credit card and subscribe to the Gold or Silver premium memberships in order to post your best possible profile and to view the profiles or communicate most effectively with other members. 

The premium membership application process can be time-consuming.  It involves sending FriendFinder a photocopy of your valid driver’s license, state I.D. or passport as well as the printed form from the site.  The upside of this is that members can be more assured of added personal security as they conduct the searches for whatever they are – or aren’t – looking for.  As Andrew Conru says:  “Internet dating isn’t about just being hip, slick and cool, but about making the experience really effective for our members.  We’re quite unique in taking this more focused approach.”

Once approved for premium membership at FriendFinder, the sky’s the limit in terms of site accessibility.  As of this writing, a Gold 12-month access is $139.94; 3 months, $59.94; a 1-month membership is $39.94.  Silver 12-month access is $99.94; 3 months, $39.94; a 1-month, $22.94.  Both subscriptions enhance a customer’s ability to view and contact all members, faster profile and photo approvals, increased storage limits, advanced keyword search options and offers timely, superior customer support.

FriendFinder also offers features like a daily horoscope, free e-greeting cards, chat rooms arranged by geographic location, photo ratings -- and an interactive magazine written by and for members, with member submitted articles, fiction, poetry, and, best of all, a question and answer advice forum to make the most of your Internet dating experience.  With all that, FriendFinder is truly the one-stop place to go online to find instant friends and lovers!