Hot or Not
Hot or Not Registration
Hot or Not Messaging
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Our Review

DatingScout.com Author Chris Pleines
From: Chris Pleines
 • Reading Time: 4 minute(s)

Hot or Not was launched in 2000 by James Hong and Jim Young, both fresh out of the University of California, Berkeley. It was originally "Am I Hot Or Not" with the simple premise of uploading your photos to be rated on scale of 1 - 10. Interesting enough, this simple but effective idea went on to inspire the way many social networks operate today, including Facebook and YouTube. Currently, Hot or Not has 384 million users worldwide.

Hot or Not Members

Members
165,000,000 from USA
Members activity
1,000,000 daily logins
Gender Proportion
40 %
60 %
  • 384 million worldwide members
  • A million members are online at any given time

Members are very active on Hot or Not, seeing as about 1.5 million members are online at any given time. Fortunately, most of them are genuine users, thanks to the strict process Hot or Not has set up. Like most online dating services which are dominated by men, male members have to undergo a stricter registration than women. Women also get a 3-day premium trial upon signing in while men don't.

Females
Males

Hot or Not Age Range and Age Distribution

  • 18-24
  • 25-34
  • 35-44
  • 45-54
  • 55+

How to Signup on Hot or Not

Hot or Not Registration
  • Your purpose can be to make new friends, chat, or date
  • Quick alternatives offered (could be through Facebook, MSN, VKontakte, and others)
  • If you sign up through Facebook, your first name and few profile photos are automatically downloaded onto your profile

You could sign in either from scratch or through one of your social media accounts, and it's incredibly easy either way. If you register from scratch, you only have to fill in a few fields and upload some photos. If you do it through Facebook, you only have to authorize Hot or Not on a pop-up window. Your first name and your 6 - 7 latest profile photos are automatically used for your profile. The latter method is more convenient, but it could be jarring to suddenly have your photos posted without prior warning.

Making Contact on Hot or Not

Hot or Not Messaging
  • Swiping system
  • If you're matched with someone, you can start chatting
  • A lot of members have the option to only chat with verified users (to avoid spammers)
  • Only women can send free messages

Hot or Not employs the very popular swiping system, and it's probably the first social network that did so. Once you match with someone, you can start chatting with someone. However, a lot of the members only chat with verified users. Even if you've already match, you can't talk to them unless you're verified. You can verify your profile by connecting one of your social media accounts and uploading a photo that follows the exact same pose of a sample that they'll show you.

Hot or Not Profile Quality

Hot or Not Profile
  • Unlimited photos allowed
  • You can view someone's ranking on the search results and popularity (low/average/high/very high) during the current day
  • Photo can be public or private
  • You can also upload a video
  • The profiles are quite detailed
  • The profile information can be changed later
  • Profile pictures are visible to everyone for free

You can view someone's rating on the website. The rating is calculated based on how many people thought they were hot among all the people who visited their profile. You can also check out someone's ranking in search results and their popularity (low/average/high/very high) today. The personal details on profiles are minimal, but this is to be expected because Hot or Not doesn't advertise itself to be a matchmaking website. It doesn't even promise to be a dating site.

Hot or Not App

Hot or Not App 2
  • Same layout as Badoo
  • User-friendly
  • Optimized for mobile

The app is free for download at the Apple App Store and in Google Play. The features, functions, and design of the website were properly translated into the app. The app is user-friendly and mobile-optimized. However you can't see your score or anyone else's. Toggling the premium transactions would also be better if done on the desktop website.

Hot or Not Real Life Review

"It's a reliable website with real profiles. It's one of the best and quickest ways to find if anyone in my area is interesting. I love it because it's like Tinder but I'm not pressured to really get a girlfriend, you know? I could just rate photos all day, and I'll never run out of profiles to swipe on. Their customer service is superb too, they immediately refunded my money when I contacted them about making a mistake while paying for premium." - Male, Business Development Manager (28)

Design and Usability

Hot or Not has more or less the same layout, colors, font, almost everything as Badoo. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing. The website has a modern and sophisticated feel thanks to the white background, carefully organized functions, and updated fonts. Encounters, which is basically the foundation of the website, is the default landing page; so you know what the main purpose of the site is. The functions are easy to find and the entire layout can be navigated intuitively. 

Hot or Not Costs and Prices

Free Features
  • Profile creation
  • Upload unlimited photos
  • Get matches
  • Chat with users
  • Browse through profiles
  • View photos
Premium Features
  • Undo your "no" votes
    ?
    Return to the profiles you swiped left on
  • Get the first spot in search results
  • Get shown more
    ?
    Get your profile presented more in Encounters
  • Give gifts
  • Add stickers to chat
  • View other profiles invisibly

Is Hot or Not expensive or cheap?

In comparison to other providers Hot or Not is in the upper midfield.

Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
Premium
1 Week3.99 USD / Week3.99 USD
1 Month12.99 USD / Month12.99 USD
3 Months10.66 USD / Month31.99 USD
6 Months8.00 USD / Month47.99 USD
Credits
100 Credits0.02 USD / Credit1.99 USD
500 Credits0.02 USD / Credit9.99 USD
1,250 Credits0.02 USD / Credit19.99 USD
2,750 Credits0.01 USD / Credit39.99 USD
Hot or Not Premium
Payment Options
  • Credit Card
  • PayPal
  • Via Mobile Phone

In addition to the ones listed above, Hot or Not offers premium packages that are on both ends of the spectrum. The 1 day package costs 0.79 USD while the Lifetime package costs 79.99 USD. Women automatically get a 3-day free trial while men have to invite their email contacts onto the website to do this. However, during our test, we found that when men try to delete their account, Hot or Not will only then offer the 3-day free trial. The premium subscription can be activated through credit card, PayPal, SMS, and your app store account. 

Special Features

Hot or Not has a few features that although are common in the online dating world, can still provide an enjoyable social networking experience.

Encounters

This is Hot or Not's main feature. In this page, you are presented with profiles based on location, interests, etc. You can also set your search criteria to further filter the profiles that are shown to you. You can swipe left or right to show that you dislike or like them, respectively. Mutual matches here don't just lead to connections. Whenever someone swipes right on your photo in their Encounters page, your profile rating goes up. So make sure to use your best photo as your default photo.

Gifts

These are non-verbal ways to show someone that you like them. Gifts can either be cupcakes, coffee, ice cream, and many more. You can send someone a gift directly through their profile (on the upper right corner of their page) or through the gift icon in the chat box. Gifts sent can be private between you and the recipient, or available to be viewed by the public. You have to buy credits to be able to send gifts.

Stickers

Stickers are fun emoticons you can add to elevate your chatting in Hot or Not. You can find them by clicking on the smiley emoji on the bottom of your chat box. Stickers have to be bought using credits and they are available in packs. They never expire; once you buy sticker packs, they're available for your use forever.

Our rating

Signing Up: 4.0 / 5
Making Contact: 3.5 / 5
Profile Quality: 4.5 / 5
App: 4.5 / 5
Real Life Review: 4.0 / 5

Editor's Conclusion

DatingScout.com Author Chris Pleines
Chris Pleines
Founder of Dating Scout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
Design-wise, the Hot or Not website and app are fit for the digital-oriented generation that makes up most of its user base. Although it only has a few additional features, its main element is entertaining enough that it has attracted hundreds of millions of people around the world. And that seems to be the problem when looking at Hot or Not as a dating website. Most of its users sign up to have their photos rated, maybe talk to a few people, and nothing else. There's not much by way of functions to facilitate a relationship. If you want a dating website/app like Hot or Not but more straightforward in helping you find your next partner, check our Casual Dating category.

Hot or Not FAQ

Facts

What is Hot or Not used for?

On the website it says that Hot or Not is a social network for those who want to be friends, meet, and share experiences with fellow users.

What happened to Hot or Not?

Hot or Not fell off the grid but has since been bought by Andrey Andreev, the founder of Badoo, and rebranded accordingly. Hot or Not is now an updated app free for public use.

When did Hot or Not come out?

Hot or Not was originally released in 2000 as AmIHotOrNot.com, a basic photo rating website.

Are Hot or Not and Badoo connected?

In 2012, news came out that Hot or Not was purchased by the founder of Badoo. Since its relaunch, Hot or Not has looked similar to Badoo. However, they state in their privacy policy that Hot or Not is not powered by Badoo and their user base are not linked.

Is there a Hot or Not app?

Yes, it is available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

What's a good Hot or Not score?

Generally, a score above 7 would be considered good, but you have to remember that this is a dating app, and the rating isn't even close to scientifically accurate. A lot of factors (like location, time of activity, quality of photo, etc.) could affect your score.

What are Hot or Not connections?

Connections are made when you and a user swipe right on each other's profiles. You can then start chatting.

Usability

How does Hot or Not work?

Hot or Not works by presenting you with users based on your search criteria which you can swipe left or right on. The "People Nearby" tab is where you can see users near your area.

How do I see my Hot or Not score?

Your score is available on the right side of your profile.

How do I use Hot or Not without Facebook?

You can log in through Google+, MSN, and VKontakte, among others.

Does Hot or Not post anything on Facebook?

No. As part of its privacy policy, it will never post anything on your behalf. Hot or Not only uses your Facebook information for verification and for your photos.

How do I see who liked me?

On the left side of the home page, you'll see a tab titled "Liked you". 

Can I see who rated me on Hot or Not?

No, you can't. But you can see who visited your profile, liked you, and even favorited you.

What if I forgot my password?

There's a "Forgot your password?" button on the sign in page. It leads you to a pop up that requires you to enter your email or mobile number to reset your password.

How do I delete my Hot or Not account?

Click on the gear icon on the upper right corner of the web page. On the very bottom, you'll find "Delete account", then follow the instructions.

Payment

Is Hot or not free?

The app and most of the features are free, though there are additional in-app purchases.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Click on the gear icon on the top right of the page. Scroll to the "Payment Settings" section, click the pencil icon, then choose "Unsubscribe". 

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Contact details

Company:Or Not Limited
Address:The Broadgate Tower, Third Floor, 20 Primrose Street, London EC2A 2RS, United Kingdom
Phone-Hotline:07976476
E-Mail:sales@hotornot.com