MetroDate Review

Metrodate Introduction

Metrodate.com was created in 1998 and pioneered features that we take for granted now, 25 years later. It was one of the first sites to introduce the idea of matching according to location, rather than by categories, and using advanced searches. Metrodate changed from a paid subscription model to being totally free in 2009, which was an unusual move but led to a jump in popularity of the site.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at some of those features, what it involves to create a profile, and the lasting effects of the change from paid to free.

What Type Of Dating Site Is Metrodate?

• Adult Fun (Hookups)
• Dating & Romance (Serious Relationships)
• Friendships

Who Is Metrodate For?

• Straight
• Gay
• Lesbian
• Bi

Metrodate.com allows you to select "I’m seeking” both men and women, meaning that gay, lesbian, and bi people can join. There are only two options for gender, so the metrodate website may not be the best place for people outside of the gender binary to seek partners.

Stats & Infographics Of Metrodate

The Metrodate com owner claimed that the site has 1.1 million members, however in review, the site seemed to be very quiet with few users. Metrodate com is a global dating site, however, more than 90% of the members of the site are based in the United States. Something to keep in mind if you live anywhere else around the world.

Male - Female Ratio

Age Demographics

Country Distribution

Registration Process Of Metrodate.com

There is a thorough registration process involved to join Metrodate.com. There are 2 sets of questions on the homepage that initially creates your metrodate log in, followed by 4 pages of information about you, the person you’re seeking, and some longer, open-ended questions for your profile. At this stage, your profile is “90%” complete, only requiring you to add photos to reach 100% completion. Take note, you can’t view any other members until you have added photos.

However, even after you’ve added your photos, metrodate pushes the goalposts further away. You can’t enter the ‘Chat’ area of the site until you’ve verified your email address. The site indicates that the email containing the simple 1-click verification may end up in your spam folder, but adding newsletters@metrodate.com and services@metrodate.com to your address book will help avoid that outcome. However, despite following that instruction, we did not receive the verification email. We tested using Gmail, Yahoo mail, and AOL email addresses, and could not verify our email with any of them. 

At this point, with photos added and email unverified, our profile was back down to 45% complete. Metrodate does give personalised advice on how to reach 100% completion, which includes adding multiple photos and adding a video and voice message to your profile. The fact that you can reach 100% profile completion without verifying your email though, does make it quite redundant as a step in this process though.

Metrodate Mobile Application / Compatibility

There is no mobile application available for metrodate.com, however, the site is available on mobile. The mobile version has the same format as the desktop metrodate website, but it is very zoomed out since the mobile screen is much smaller.

This means the font is small and it may be difficult to use. The mobile site has most of the same features as the desktop metrodate website. The only feature that is not available is the City Guide tab, which includes information on recommended restaurants, nightlife, and events in the area.

Men Vs Women On Metrodate

The good news is that both men and women are treated totally equally on www metrodate com. The registration process is identical, with the same questionnaires. Both genders are also subject to restrictions on interacting with others if they do not have a photo and continued restrictions if their email address is not verified. Neither men nor women have any additional features available to them on www metrodate com.

Metrodate Top Features

City Guide Tab

Metrodate has a tab that gives you area-specific information and ideas of what to do in your local area. These include upcoming singles events, suggestions of where to go for nightlife, restaurant suggestions and discounts, and upcoming singles cruises, single trips, and special offers. This is an excellent idea, but in practice, this tab was mostly empty for the cities we reviewed. 

Not-Interested List

Metrodate gives you the ability to mark someone as ‘not interested’. This will remove them from your search results, without them knowing that you’ve marked them. The user can still send you a message, but you’re able to whittle down your list of potential matches.

Video & Voice Profiles

Metrodate allows and encourages users to make a video and voice message to add to their profile to introduce themselves. This enables members to see what potential matches look and sound like in person and adds a layer of verification to prevent scammers from creating fake profiles.

Metrodate Offers, Prices & Costs

Metrodate is, refreshingly, completely free to use. There are no hidden costs to using it, once your profile is created and verified, you can start speaking to other members. 

Other sources indicate that you get a certain number of flirts for free but must pay extra if you want more flirts. However, as mentioned above, we could not get our email verified and therefore could not access the messaging feature to get more information.

Metrodate.com Pros & Cons

Pros

• Stringent photo and email verification required prior to use (this will prevent scammers and fraudsters from creating profiles to bother genuine members)
• Location-specific matches (find someone nearby instead of across the country)
• Free to use (cost effective)

Cons

• Very low user numbers (never more than 15 people online at once, in the reviewing period)
• Free to use (may attract more scammers and fraudsters)
• Difficult to verify email address (seemingly impossible with the most common email hosts)

Metrodate Safety & Security

Photo Requirement & Email Verification

Metrodate.com does not allow anyone to view other members if they have not uploaded at least one photo. They do this to prevent scammers from hassling the other members of the site, and because profiles with no photos do not get any attention. The site also does not allow members to interact with each other if they have not verified their email address. This was put in place to prevent fraudulent profiles from using the site to scam innocent people. 

Public Profiles Used In Advertising Material

In the terms and conditions, Metrodate specifies that they may use your public profile information in personal ads or publications in areas close to you. However, they’ll only print information that is public, which means anything public to other users of the site on your profile. Private information, like your email address and real name, will not be printed. Members may opt-out of being included in those publications.

Conclusion

Metrodate was an early player in the online dating game, however, it seems to have stagnated since its heyday. It’s free to use which is rare to find in these times, however, that comes with its own pitfalls, since it is easier for scammers to join.

Their more stringent verification methods, which ought to add to the security of the site, instead make it harder for real people to create profiles and start interacting with others. It may be worth a try if you live in or near a big city in the United States, but if you’re outside of that area it may not be worth the effort of setting up your profile.

Metrodate Tips

• This site is more active close to big cities! We’d recommend putting your location as a big city that you live in or near to, in order to see more profiles and have a higher chance of meeting someone.
• Don’t get too excited about metrodate’s Travel section, since it seems to have devolved into a blog containing a rather eccentric assortment of articles. Some articles include how to find metal roofing sheets in the UK, and instructions on online mastering, or even how to get the quality you want in your audio files.
• Total visits to Metrodate.com have quadrupled since August 2022, going from 9,000 to almost 36,000 visits in October 2022. This suggests that the site’s popularity may be picking up!