POF Review: Pros, Cons, Cost, and User Complaints

Plenty of Fish, usually called POF, is one of the older names in online dating. It still has a recognizable brand, a large dating-app footprint, and a free starting point that makes it easy to try without committing to a subscription.

But the current user reputation is mixed. Some people like the volume and low barrier to entry. Others complain about fake profiles, subscription frustration, app quality, inactive users, or poor support experiences.

This POF review breaks down how the app works, what is free, what paid features change, where users complain, and who should try Plenty of Fish today.

What Is Plenty of Fish?

Plenty of Fish is a dating app and website owned by Match Group. It is built around profiles, browsing, messaging, recommendations, and paid upgrades rather than only swipe-based matching.

Compared with Tinder, POF can feel more profile-heavy. Compared with Hinge, it can feel less curated. The appeal is that it gives users a broad pool and a relatively easy way to start, but the quality of that pool depends heavily on location, age range, and how actively people in your area use the app.

How POF Works

You create an account, add photos, fill in profile details, browse recommendations or search-style views, then message people through the app. POF's own profile tips recommend keeping your bio short and sweet, adding charming details, writing a memorable headline, staying positive, and proofreading.

POF's recommendations help page says the more work users put into profiles and messages, the more people are likely to take notice and the more the app can use available factors to make recommendations.

In practice, POF rewards the same fundamentals as most dating apps: clear photos, specific profile details, respectful messages, and quick filtering when something feels suspicious.

Is POF Free?

POF has a free version and paid upgrades. Forbes Health describes the app as offering a free option plus paid subscription tiers with advanced features and filters, with paid pricing starting at a weekly level in its current review.

Because dating-app prices and bundles change often, treat any specific price as temporary. Check the current app or website before subscribing.

The smart approach is to start free. See whether there are active, relevant profiles near you before paying for premium features.

POF Pros

It is easy to try without paying first

The free starting point is still one of POF's biggest advantages. You can create a profile, see whether the app has activity in your area, and decide whether the experience feels worth more time.

Profiles can include more detail than swipe-only apps

POF gives users room for profile details, a headline, interests, and conversation hooks. That can help if you want something more informative than a few photos and one prompt.

The user base can be broad

Because POF has been around for a long time, it may have users who are not active on newer apps. That can be useful in some cities and age groups, especially if Tinder or Bumble feel repetitive.

It has official profile and safety resources

POF publishes profile, conversation, photo, account, and safety guidance. Those help pages are useful because they show what the platform expects from photos, messages, and user behavior.

POF Cons

User reviews are mixed to negative on consumer-review sites

Trustpilot currently shows a low TrustScore for pof.com with a large number of reviews, and its AI-generated summary highlights frequent complaints about website issues, subscriptions, user experience, fake or inactive profiles, and price. Sitejabber also shows many negative user reviews and similar themes.

That does not mean every user will have a bad experience. It does mean you should go in cautiously, especially before paying.

Fake or suspicious profiles are a recurring complaint

Many public reviews complain about suspicious accounts. Treat that as a user-review pattern, not a verified count of fake profiles. POF's safety guidance recommends keeping conversations on-platform while getting to know someone, protecting personal information, and reporting suspicious behavior.

The free experience may not be enough for everyone

A free account can be useful for testing the app, but users often find that dating apps reserve visibility, filters, likes, or convenience features for paid plans. That can make the free experience feel limited even when signup is easy.

The app may feel less modern than competitors

Compared with newer apps that lean into prompts, compatibility mechanics, or cleaner swipe flows, POF can feel busy. Some people like that because it gives them more to browse. Others find it noisy.

Before you rewrite everything, get your profile scored and see which photos are hurting your match rate.

What User Reviews Say

Review platforms are not perfect, but they are useful for spotting repeated pain points. Current public reviews on Trustpilot and Sitejabber repeatedly mention subscription frustration, fake or inactive profiles, app or website issues, customer-service problems, and uneven match quality.

App-store reviews can be more mixed because they include active mobile users, but they still show the same split: some users appreciate the size and familiarity of POF, while others complain about payment, access, or profile quality.

The practical takeaway: do not rely on reputation alone. Test your local pool before paying.

Who POF Is Best For

• People who want to try a dating app without paying upfront.
• People in areas where POF still has an active local user base.
• People who prefer fuller profiles over pure swipe apps.
• People who are willing to filter carefully and report suspicious behavior.
• People who want another option alongside Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge rather than a replacement for all of them.

Who Should Skip POF

• Anyone who wants a highly curated dating experience.
• Anyone who gets frustrated quickly by low-effort or inactive profiles.
• Anyone tempted to pay before checking whether active local matches exist.
• Anyone uncomfortable with a platform that has many public complaints about subscriptions and suspicious profiles.
• Anyone who prefers prompt-led apps like Hinge or women-message-first flows like Bumble.

POF Safety Tips

POF's safety page recommends protecting personal information, staying cautious when moving conversations off-platform, and reporting suspicious behavior. That advice matters on any dating app, but especially on large free or freemium platforms where users frequently report fake accounts.

• Do not send money, gift cards, crypto, or verification codes.
• Keep early conversations on POF until trust is earned.
• Avoid sharing your home address, workplace schedule, or private identifiers.
• Use recent photos that represent you honestly.
• Report suspicious behavior from the profile or message screen when possible.

If your POF profile still is not getting matches, get a free profile score and a photo-by-photo action plan based on your actual photos.

POF Alternatives

If POF does not feel right, the better alternative depends on what you dislike about it.

• Hinge: better if you want prompts, stronger profile context, and a more curated feel.
• Bumble: better if you like cleaner app design and women-message-first mechanics in heterosexual matches.
• Tinder: better if you want the largest swipe-based pool and fast volume.
• OkCupid: better if you want more questions and compatibility-style information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is POF worth it?

POF is worth trying for free if there are active users in your area. It is harder to recommend paying immediately because current public reviews include many complaints about subscriptions, fake profiles, and user experience.

Is Plenty of Fish free?

POF has a free version and paid upgrades. Exact paid features and prices can change, so check the current app or website before subscribing.

What age group uses Plenty of Fish most?

POF can skew differently by location, and current public sources do not give one reliable global age-group answer. The best test is to create a free account and inspect the local pool for your age range.

Is POF better than Tinder?

POF may be better if you want broader profiles and a less swipe-only experience. Tinder may be better if you want a larger swipe pool and faster matching behavior. Try both free before paying.

Is POF safe?

POF publishes safety guidance and reporting options, but user reviews often mention suspicious accounts. Use normal dating-app safety rules: protect personal information, keep early conversations on-platform, and do not send money or codes.

Final Verdict

POF is not the obvious default dating app it once was, but it can still be worth testing. Its strongest argument is access: you can start free, build a fuller profile, and see whether the local pool is active.

Its weakest argument is trust. Current public reviews show enough recurring complaints about subscriptions, suspicious profiles, and user experience that paying before testing would be a mistake.

Use POF as one channel, not your whole dating strategy. Start free, stay cautious, build a clear profile, and only upgrade if the local user base is genuinely worth it.

Next, sharpen the rest of your profile with POF account, POF profile tips, Online dating red flags, Is POF Worth It? Free vs Paid Plenty of Fish, Best POF Headlines, and Best POF Headlines for Girls.