iHookup Review — Has it Really Been Improved?
The site no longer loads. The domain still exists but no server answers on it, so there is nothing left to join. Our original review is below, untouched.
What Happened to iHookup?
iHookup launched in 2009 as a no-strings hookup site and claimed more than three million members at its peak. It got a full redesign in 2016 and 2017, which is when we last reviewed it, and the makeover genuinely improved the look and the navigation.
What the redesign never fixed was the business model. The free account was close to useless, you needed a paid subscription to send or answer a single message, and the monthly price was high for what you got. That is why our original review landed on Below Average. The site did carry an unusual three-month guarantee, extending your membership free if you had not met anyone, which tells you how hard it was to actually get a result there.
There was no shutdown announcement. The domain still resolves, but nothing responds on it any more, which is the usual signature of an operator who stopped paying for hosting and let the site go dark. If you ever held a recurring subscription with them, check your card statement, because a dead site does not always mean a cancelled rebill.
For sites that are actually running, see our best hookup sites shortlist.
Our Original Review
Dating and Hookup sites are like anything else out there. Eventually, they get a makeover. Such is the case with iHookup.com — a hookup site that has been around since 2009. Back then, iHookup was one of those sites that offered some possibilities, but when you took into account its cost of membership, it fell well behind other hookup sites in terms of value.
In 2016 and early 2017, iHookup underwent a revamping. In order to see what, if anything, was improved on iHookup, we conducted a comprehensive review.
iHookup Review Results
- Popularity - 68
- Value - 35
- Features - 71
- Quality of Members - 68
- Safety - 78
- Customer Satisfaction - 65
Final Word on iHookup
While we were impressed with the new look of iHookup, we found that it was still overpriced. While the paid version does result in potential hookups, its performance is at, or below, other less expensive options. Users that live in large population centers might derive better results, but we would still only rate iHookup as BELOW AVERAGE.
— Pros and Cons of iHookup —
Pros
- Mobile app is now available
- Paid version does generate some results
- Revamped design is easier to navigate
Cons
- Mobile app requires allowing third-party app installation on phone
- Free version is practically useless
- Monthly membership is expensive
— Full iHookup Review —
The first thing that previous users of iHookup would notice with the new version is its modern look. The old version of iHookup was stuck in a style reminiscent of the previous decade. The new iHookup is easier to browse and navigate. In regards to design, the new iHookup is a definite improvement.
— iHookup Registration and Membership —
One of the drawbacks of iHookup had always been that you really couldn’t do much with it unless you had a paid membership. That, unfortunately, has not changed. In order to be able to respond to chat requests — or to initiate any communication with other members — you still need to have a paid subscription
One positive feature that iHookup has carried over is its three-month guarantee. Basically, if you have a paid membership for three months and you have not been able to score a hookup on the site, they will extend your membership for an additional three months — free of charge. Click here for a list of our favorite hookup sites that offer a guarantee.
The initial registration process is simple. It requires the selection of a username and password; in addition to a valid email address for verification.
— iHookup User Experience —
One of the biggest complaints about iHookup in the past was that it lacked a mobile app. Well, they have since added mobile functionality for Android devices. However, the app is not distributed through Google Play. This means that you must enable third-party apps to be installed on your phone. This is something that we simply do not like. During our iHookup review, we had to avoid the mobile app altogether for this reason.
Building your profile on iHookup now involves answering a series of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. These answers are used to generate matches for you, as well as to create reports on your anticipated hookup patterns. This is an interesting feature, although you will not really get any use out of it until you have been using the site for at least three months. For most, it’s just too much “science” for hookups.
— Cost —
iHookup offers gold and silver memberships.
The gold package has a cost of $34.99 a month. This can be lowered to $22.99 a month if you purchase 3 months in advance or $9.99 for the 12-month package. There is also a 2-day trial that will cost you $9.98.
The silver package will set you back $29.99 a month. The 3-month and 12-month packages will end up costing you $19.98 and $8.99 a month respectively if you pay in advance.
By opting for the gold package, you’ll get priority placement which means that more users will see your profile. Also, you’ll be able to send 200 emails a day, instead of the 50 you’ll get with the silver package.
In our tests during our iHookup review, the free membership was useless. All that you can expect from the free version are automated chat-bots trying to entice you to upgrade. The paid version, however, did provide us with potential hookup matches. Out of 40 “hookup outreaches,” in which we initiated first contact, three were willing to actually meet. While those figures are not bad, considering the cost — we felt that it wasn’t worth the price. There are other hookup sites that offer similar results for far less.
