Ashley MadisonOur review.

What Ashley Madison is in 2026

Ashley Madison is the most famous discreet dating brand on the planet, and it knows it. The old slogan "Life is Short, Have an Affair" is gone: the homepage now sells "Where Desire Meets Discretion" and pitches the site to married people, singles, open couples, polyamorous folks and anyone who wants a hookup that stays off their public profile. The core promise has not changed, though: meet like-minded adults without your boss, your ex or your neighbour ever knowing.

The scale is serious. Ashley Madison claims 91 million member accounts created since 2002, apps on iOS and Android, and a toolkit built entirely around privacy: blurred or masked photos, a private gallery you unlock person by person, a discreet billing name and a stealth app icon on iPhone.

Verified facts (19 Oct 2026)

• Read today: the homepage, the official Help Center (Billing & Payments, Using Ashley Madison, Refunds, Discounts & Free Trials, FAQ) and the Terms, last updated 6 August 2026.
• Operator: Ruby Life Inc., with addresses in Toronto (Canada) and Limassol (Cyprus). The homepage notes that models are used for illustrative purposes.
• Membership is free, but Credits are required to send Messages, Winks and Private Key Requests. Members get free daily Winks, free daily Private Key Requests, unlimited Favorites and access to Discover.
• No free trial. New members get an Introductory Package of 100 Credits; select members may receive complimentary 30-day subscriptions with qualifying Credit purchases.
• Paid extras: Ashley Preferred (more daily Winks and key requests, 30-day search boost), Ashley Prime (stand out in search, "50% more messages" for 30 days), Priority Man (30-day local search highlight) and a mandatory Mobile Access Fee whose price varies by region.
• 18+ only, and at least the age of majority where you live (Terms).

How it works

Sign up, write a greeting, add photos and pick your Interests and Desires. Every text change and every photo is manually approved, usually within one to four hours. Your public gallery must stay clothed; anything spicier — sheer lingerie, suggestive poses, soft nudity — goes into your private gallery, which only opens for members you hand a Private Key. You can crop, blur or mask your face before uploading, and switch on Automatic Private Key Exchange so your gallery opens to anyone who opens theirs first.

Messaging is where the Credits go. The first message to a member costs Credits; after that, normal messages to the same person are free, but Priority Messages are switched on by default and cost extra, so check the icon next to the text box before you fire off a dozen openers. Broke? A Collect Message works like a collect call: the receiver pays 5 Credits to read it, plus more to reply. Badges help you spot real players: Selfie-Verified, ID Verified, paying members and new arrivals.

Pricing

Ashley Madison does not publish its Credit prices: packages appear on the Buy Credits page once you are logged in. What is public is the structure. You start with the 100-Credit Introductory Package, then buy bigger packs. Auto Credit Top-Up reloads your balance whenever it drops to 12 Credits or less — with the last package you bought, or the 200-Credit pack if your last buy was the intro one — so switch it off in Settings > Account > Purchases if you want to stay in control. Subscriptions renew monthly until you cancel.

Payment is genuinely discreet: major cards including prepaid ones, PayPal, Google Pay in the US, Interac in Canada and money orders in the US and Canada, all under a billing descriptor that does not say Ashley Madison (banks can override it). The flip side: all sales are final. Refunds only exist where local law imposes a cooling-off period, and unused Credits vanish if you delete your account or stay inactive for 12 months.

Pros

• The biggest name in discreet dating, with a huge historic member base
• Real privacy toolkit: blur, mask, private keys, stealth icon, discreet billing
• Free daily Winks and key requests to test the water
• Selfie and ID verification badges
• Web, iOS and Android

Cons

• Credit prices are hidden until you log in
• Priority Messages on by default eat Credits fast
• Mandatory Mobile Access Fee on top
• Purchases are non-refundable outside legal cooling-off periods
• The 2015 hack still hangs over the brand's privacy pitch

Gifts, Credits and the real cost structure

Ashley Madison does not sell a classic monthly membership. Everything runs on Credits, with a few optional subscriptions on top. Here is how the money flows, according to the official Help Center (checked 26 Oct 2026):

• Credits pay for Messages (including Priority Messages), Winks and Private Key Requests. Credit packages are not subscriptions and never expire, but any Credits left are forfeited if you delete your profile. If you deactivate instead, they are held for 12 months.
• First message, then free: after your first message to someone, your next regular (non-Priority) messages to that same member are free.
• Priority Messages are on by default. They jump to the top of the recipient's inbox with a read receipt and cost extra Credits. The cost is shown in the message composer, and you can switch the default off in Settings.
• Collect Messages work like a collect call: the person receiving one pays 5 Credits to view it, plus more to reply.
• Auto Credit Top-Up refills your account with your last package when you drop to 12 Credits or less. If your last purchase was the 100-Credit introductory package, it tops you up with the 200-Credit package instead. It can only be switched off from the web version (Settings, Account, Purchases).
• Subscriptions: Ashley Preferred, Ashley Prime and Priority Man are 30-day products, and buying Credits triggers a subscription offer that renews monthly if you accept it. Cancel it on the Purchases page.
• Mobile Access Fee: a mandatory fee whose price varies by region.

What are Gifts? Gifts are paid virtual gifts you send with a message, only in the iOS and Android apps. You open a member's profile or chat, tap the gift icon, choose a gift, pay, then add your custom message. Every Gift comes with Priority Inbox placement and a read receipt, so it is essentially a premium way to make sure your message gets seen. A Gift must be sent at the moment you buy it, and the Help Center publishes no Gift prices: you see them in the app before paying.

Who it is for

Ashley Madison is for adults who want no-strings, off-the-record fun and are ready to pay for it: married or attached people, open couples and singles who value discretion over a big swipe pool. If you want a broader adult social network with groups and live content, AdultFriendFinder is the bigger playground. If you are kinky, queer or poly and want a community rather than an affair site, Feeld fits better. Victoria Milan is the closest like-for-like rival.

Compare the whole adult dating ranking, and if privacy is your priority, pair any dating app with a tool from our privacy tools list.

Verdict

7.3/10. Ashley Madison still delivers the thing it is famous for — a discreet, adult-only marketplace full of people who want the same thing you do — and its privacy tools are the best in the category. You pay for that: hidden Credit prices, add-on fees and a strict no-refund policy mean you should set a budget and kill Auto Top-Up on day one.

FAQ

Is Ashley Madison free?

Joining, building a profile and browsing are free, and you get free daily Winks and Private Key Requests. Sending messages requires Credits.

How much does Ashley Madison cost?

Credit packages are only shown after login, so no public price exists. New members start with a 100-Credit Introductory Package; a Mobile Access Fee also applies, priced by region.

Does Ashley Madison have a free trial?

No. The Help Center says there is no free trial, only the introductory Credit package and occasional personalised offers.

What appears on my bank statement?

A discreet billing descriptor that does not mention Ashley Madison, although some banks, Apple Pay, Google Pay and iTunes may still show the name.

Can I get a refund?

Generally no: purchases are final, except during the legal cooling-off period that some countries and US states impose.

Is Ashley Madison only for married people?

No. It now targets singles, open relationships, polyamory and casual dating as well as affairs.

What are gifts on Ashley Madison?

Paid virtual gifts sent with a message from the iOS or Android app. Each Gift includes Priority Inbox placement and a read receipt, must be sent at the moment of purchase and can carry your own message. Prices are shown in the app, not in the Help Center.

How does Ashley Madison's cost structure work?

Membership is free; Credits pay for Messages, Winks and Private Key Requests. Your first message to someone costs Credits, and later regular messages to that person are free, but Priority Messages (on by default) cost extra. Optional 30-day products (Preferred, Prime, Priority Man), a monthly subscription offered at checkout and a mandatory Mobile Access Fee come on top. Credits never expire but are lost if you delete your profile.