Plenty of Fish Review
Subscription type:
Payments:
Compatibility:
Pros
- Free search filters
- Free chat with Mutual Matches
- Voice messages and photo sharing in chat
- Selfie Verification and report tools
- Profile sharing can be switched off
- Twelve language versions
Cons
- Prices shown only at checkout
- Daily First Contact cap unstated
- Subscriptions are non-refundable
- Read receipts need Premium
- Face data kept for the account’s life
- Messages scanned by automated tools
Plenty of Fish (POF) is free to join, and unlike many rivals, matched members can chat without paying a penny. So what exactly are you buying if you upgrade? Mostly reach and convenience. The paid options get your profile in front of more people and unlock extras, but they don’t gate the basics.
The decision of whether POF is right for you will depend on your goals when it comes to the app: meeting people for casual encounters for free, or a more hands-on tool for getting noticed. This review explores the platform in detail, so you can see where it shines and falls short.
What Is Plenty of Fish (POF)?
Plenty of Fish is a dating service that belongs to the Match Group family. It’s free to join and works on the web and in iOS and Android apps, with twelve language versions on offer. Here’s what it includes, in brief:
- Ways to find people: Meet Me (the swipe tool), Discover, Search with free filters, My Matches, and the Interested in You list, plus Super Like for standing out.
- Messaging: Free, unlimited chat once you match, and a daily allowance of First Contacts for messaging people you haven’t matched with. Voice messages and photo sharing unlock inside a chat once a conversation gets going.
- Safety tools: Optional Selfie Verification, Face Check (a biometric video scan being rolled out in phases), and report tools.
Getting Started on POF
Registration is quick. You can sign up on the POF website or in the iOS or Android app.
- Choose the sign-up option and enter the basics, such as your gender, date of birth, location, and email address, then create a username and password.
- POF may ask you to verify your account, and you must be 18 or older to join. Once you’re in, you add photos and answer a few profile questions.
- Three early details shape how useful the account turns out to be: your photo, search filters, and the verification prompts. Settle them before you start browsing.
As you join the platform, it’s important to note the following:
- Your main photo is required: POF indicates you need a main profile image to send messages. Upload one before anything else, because without it you can’t start a conversation with anybody.
- Filters you get for free: ‘Search’ doesn’t sit behind a subscription. Free members can filter by gender, location, age, distance, religion, and more. Tight filters shrink your pool quickly. Thus, start wide and tighten later.
- Verification prompts: Expect POF’s verification tools early. Selfie Verification is optional and earns a badge, while Face Check may be required in some regions.
Finding and Messaging People on POF
POF gives you several ways to find people, a daily allowance for messaging people you haven’t matched with, and unlimited chat once you match.
Ways to Find People
First, there’s Meet Me, the swipe tool. Swipe left to pass, or right to Like someone. Tapping a photo opens the full profile first. Two Likes make a Mutual Match and open a chat. Super Like is available, too, but is pitched as an extra boost for a standout profile. POF doesn’t say which tiers include it.
Other routes you can use for finding people include the Discover page (to see who’s online), Search, My Matches, and the Interested in You list.
Messaging People You Haven’t Matched With
A First Contact is a message to someone you haven’t matched with yet. POF gives members a daily allowance of them, but the number isn’t mentioned. When you run out, POF suggests upgrading to Prestige or buying extra First Contacts on their own, as individual add-ons that don’t require moving up to a full Prestige subscription.
The receiving member holds the power here. A first message needs a reply or a Like back, and without one the sender can’t follow up. The advice for openers is to read the profile first and write something personal.
Chatting After You Match
Mutual Matches can message as much as they like. Get a conversation going, and POF unlocks what it calls Conversation Powers: voice messages and photo sharing inside the chat. Sending either requires the mobile app, and voice messages play on the apps or in a desktop browser.
POF Membership Tiers and Costs
POF sells three paid tiers, and each one builds on the one below it. The figure only appears when you tap 'upgrade.' Here’s what each tier adds, the billing rules, and how to cancel.
POF Plus
The entry tier adds unlimited Likes, a first look at new members, up to 16 photos, and extended profile details such as whether someone has or wants children. It also removes ads. The tier is about reach and polish rather than new ways to talk.
POF Premium
Premium includes everything in Plus and adds two things: a single screen showing everyone who Likes you, and read receipts.
POF Prestige and Extra First Contacts
Prestige tops the ladder with unlimited first contacts, unlimited priority likes, and unlimited messages that are seen first. POF says it’s currently offered only to some US members on iOS. Everyone else who wants more first contacts can buy them separately.
Billing Rules to Know
Read these rules before you subscribe, since renewals continue until you switch them off.
| Topic | What POF says |
|---|---|
| Charge | The full membership is billed up front, with a monthly breakdown shown for comparison |
| Lengths | Examples run from one week to six months |
| Renewal | Continues until you switch it off, ideally 24 hours before expiry |
| Deleting the app | Deleting the app or your account doesn’t cancel the subscription |
| After cancelling | Membership stays active through the current cycle |
| Refunds | Subscriptions are final and non-refundable, though special terms may apply |
| Moving up a tier | Same purchase method and same length, with the unused Plus portion refunded automatically on Apple and web |
How to Cancel POF Membership
You can cancel where you paid for the membership.
On a desktop browser, open Manage Account, pick Account Type under Membership, and choose Cancel Membership.
iPhone users can head to Apple ID subscriptions in Settings, and Android users can open Payments and subscriptions in Google Play.
Billing questions go through POF’s contact form, and POF asks you to write from the email registered on your account so it can verify you.
Safety and Privacy on POF
POF’s safety tools protect you from other members, and they also involve what POF collects and who sees it. So, is the platform safe? Let’s find out.
Selfie Verification and Face Check
Selfie Verification compares a short video selfie with your main photo and, on a match, adds a badge to your profile. Change that main photo and you’ll need to verify again.
Face Check is the stricter version: a biometric scan that confirms a live person, estimates age, checks your photos, and looks for other accounts using your likeness. Passing it earns a Photo Verified badge.
What Face Check Stores
Your video is deleted promptly, but two audit images are retained. The face data stays for the life of the account and is erased within 30 days of closure. In regions where the scan is mandatory, deleting that data also deletes the entire account.
Message Scanning
Automated tools scan interactions on the app, trained agents can review conversations once something is flagged, and POF also uses member interactions to train and improve those tools. Plenty of people won’t mind. Some will want to know before they type.
Profile Sharing Across Match Group
Some members see a setting called Expanded Discovery and Interaction. Switched on, it lets your profile appear across other Match Group services, where people may be invited to join POF to reach you.
You can turn it off, or restrict your profile to POF alone, through Your Privacy Choices. It isn’t available everywhere.
Who POF Is Best For
Different people will get different values from the same app. The three groups below cover the most common situations.
Members Who Want to Pay Nothing
Filters, Meet Me, and chat with Mutual Matches are all free, and you can judge the app at your own pace before deciding whether any perk matters.
Members Who Want More Reach
If you want more reach, look at Plus or Premium, but pick one specific feature you actually want, such as unlimited Likes or the list of people who Like you. Buying a tier for general reassurance is the quickest way to overpay.
Members Who Put Privacy First
If privacy is paramount, POF is worth considering. Read the Face Check and message-scanning details before registering, since some people will accept those practices and others won’t. Switching off cross-app sharing is a sensible first step if you stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay to use POF?
No. Joining, searching, using Meet Me, and chatting with Mutual Matches are all free.
Is there a limit on messages?
Mutual Matches can chat without limits, but messaging someone you haven’t matched with draws on a daily allowance of First Contacts. You can check your own account to find out.
Do I need a profile photo?
Yes, POF states that you need a main profile image to send messages, including First Contacts. Upload one first, or you won’t be able to start a conversation.
Which tier shows who likes me?
Premium gives you a single view of everyone who Likes you, and Prestige includes it because it contains everything in Premium. The Plus tier doesn’t include that view.
How do I stop being charged?
Cancel in the place where you subscribed, whether that’s the POF site, the App Store, or Google Play. Deleting the app or your account doesn’t cancel the subscription. So, cancel first.
What is Face Check?
It’s a biometric video scan that POF is rolling out in phases, wherever local rules allow, to confirm you’re a real person and compare you with your profile photos. Passing it earns a Photo Verified badge.
Which languages does POF offer?
POF lists twelve language versions: English, French, Spanish, Danish, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Polish.
Is POF Worth It? The Final Verdict
POF earns a try because its free tier covers search, swiping, and unlimited chat with matches. The case for paying is narrower, since each tier sells a specific convenience and the platform hides the price until checkout.
Weigh the data trade-offs honestly too, because face scans (where required) and automated message scanning are part of the deal. Start free, spend only when one perk clearly solves a problem you’ve already hit, and cancel before the renewal date if it doesn’t.