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Anastasia was the name given to the last Russian princess in the reign of the Tsars. So, it was quite apt to name one of the biggest Russian dating sites after her. But how do you find your Russian princess?
Join me as I fly in from Miami Beach B.O.A.C. and go back to the U.S.S.R. Can AnastasiaDate find you love, or even get you that much-needed hook up? Read on as I find out.
My Initial Impression Of AnastasiaDate
First impressions of the site were a clean, easy-to-use website homepage. You are met by a handsome couple, with an instant sign-in form next to them. For ease of access, you can even sign in using Google accounts.
Below are some reassuring security measures. They include protection, verification, attention, and communication.
All entice you in, painting the picture of AnastasiaDate as a legitimate website. Further down you get some testimonials from members that have found love, and information on the app.
A quick scout down shows that they are owned by SOL Networks. This company runs several dating sites, many of them based on Eastern European love. Other reviews of their websites had mixed results, so I was eager to dive straight in with this one.
Getting Started on AnastasiaDate
I decided to opt for a manual log-in as opposed to a sign-up using Google. All I had to enter was my sexual preferences, name, email, and password. You do get a confirmation email, so make sure to check your spam folder as it was hiding in mine.
Logging in took me straight to my homepage. I had many quick click options arranged in a handy panel to the left, with my emails, contact list, and online members with quick access. The system had already started arranging matches for me and laid them out.
Locating Profiles On AnastasiaDate
On the far right of most pages lies a bar that refreshes every minute. It shows matches of Russian girls that are online, waiting to cam share. This is one of the best features of the website, as you don’t even have to perform a search to find girls.
This helps because the search function itself is quite limited. You can search by age, country, and type of interest. Interests are a strange addition because it is not a drop-down menu. This makes us assume it’s pretty useless unless you type in generic interests like ‘food’ or ‘walking’.
Clicking on advanced search does give you a few more options. These include smoking and drinking. However, it is unlikely you will need them, and they are still not extensive search criteria.
You can search in any country you like, not only Russia. You will find there are four other suggested countries at the top of the search. These include Serbia, Greece, Moldova, and Ukraine.
I have spent a lot of time in Russia, and I know it is a big place, so you do need to use the city function to find someone. I started in the capital, Moscow, itself a sprawling metropolis filled to the brim with people.
AnastasiaDate does not actually tell you how many profiles are in your search results. Looking in Moscow produced a lot of matches. 14 on a page and the pages extended to more than 12. It would have taken me a lifetime to go through them all.
I decided to do a search of Serbia, a much smaller country that was less populous. This also produced many results, which was surprising.
What Kind of People Use AnastasiaDate?
Most of the age groups on AnastasiaDate tend to be in the twenties and thirties age group. All the profiles were of girls that were very beautiful, with great pictures. Yet, I was unsure of how genuine the profiles were.
One thing that I did notice, was that on my search of Serbia, two of the profiles I had seen on other websites. This company operates another, almost identical website. Some of the profiles on that other site actually had AnastasiaDate watermarks on them.
This fluidity of profiles could be two things. The first is that, as the websites are identical in everything, when a girl signs up, she is placed on the two websites. The other option is that these are not genuine profiles, used to fill up the website itself.
However, its sister site did have genuine profiles amongst the ones that seemed too good to be true. Here though, I found it a little harder to discover these genuine ones.
International Dating
As I am aware that there is a large spread of Russian expats around the world. I decided to try and find out how the site fared out of its suggested countries.
A quick search in and around London produced fewer results. However, of the 13 it did give, the profiles looked a lot more genuine than others I had seen on the site.
They were still very good-looking but had fewer professional pictures and more of their profile filled in. This told me that the site did have real profiles, you just needed to hunt them out.
How Easy Is It To Navigate Around AnastasiaDate?
Navigating AnastasiaDate is very easy. In fact, most of the things you need are all housed on one page. Quick buttons let you switch from place to place, and even the help centre is always at the top of a page should you need assistance.
The search is limited but quick to use. It also contains quick links to live cam chat, cam share, and places you can buy gifts for the girls on the site.
How Good Is Free Membership?
Free membership is good on AnastasiaDate. You can browse as many times as you like and view the profiles you find without restriction. In fact, the paywall only comes into play once you begin to communicate with other members, either in the form of sending mail or opening the chat box.
Is Paid Membership Worth It On AnastasiaDate?
AnastasiaDate has a very unconventional method of payment. Instead of different subscription plans, you buy blocks of credits every month.
The lowest package is 23 euros a month for 150 credits. Be aware that after month one, the price of this rises.
The largest package gives you 1500 credits a month for 352 euros. That is a lot of money and a lot of credits, especially when starting out. In fact, you may struggle to use them all if you do take out this package.
Payment can be made with all the major cards. It is all protected by MacAfee secure, Mastercard ID, and VISA secure so appears safe enough.
Once you have your credits, they can be used for a number of communication services. Live chat will cost one credit per minute, six credits per minute are used for cam sharing and a letter is ten credits.
Cam Sharing On AnastasiaDate
If you click on a female currently online, then you open up the cam chat window. This pop-up is where you can chat with the girl. You do need a subscription, and you have the option to go full screen and share your own camera.
It is worth noting that you do not get audio chat. All of your communication has to be through typing, which can be tough if their English is not good. This is a little dated, and one feature that could do with an upgrade.
LGBT Dating
If you are searching for any relationship that is not heterosexual, then this website is not for you. Even the search criteria only give you the option of being a man searching for a woman.
Customer Service
Like its sister site, AnastasiaDate does not tell you much about how it works. I could not work out the difference between love letters, which cost ten credits, and love notes, which are unlimited, in the subscription. In fact, the site has very little guidance at all on how to use it and find love.
What it does have is a very handy help centre. The link is at the top of each page and clicking on it brings up an interactive FAO section.
How Good Is the AnastasiaDate App?
AnastasiaDate does have an app on the Google store. It rates at a 3.7 overall. None of the reports talk about any issues with functionality, so the app works well and has regular updates.
The app itself is easy to use. It has the standard messenger and Tinder-style interface. You can add notifications so you can get your messages on the move.
Many of the lower ratings about the app are to do with it being a paid service. Many of the paid dating sites have these as an extension of their service. Their low ratings often come from people expecting an app that works for free by using ads, though it is not the case here.
How Discreet Is AnastasiaDate?
AnastasiaDate can be as discreet as you wish. You can upload profile pictures if you want, though it is unlikely many people will be searching for you. The site is men searching for women, so you can rest assured you will not get seen.
Billing comes from the larger company, SOL Networks based in Malta. This will show up on your statement, not AnastasiaDate, so it does afford some discretion.
My Overall Impressions Of AnastasiaDate
The website operates well. Search functions are easy, as is the navigation. It has plenty of profiles, particularly if you are in built-up areas like Moscow and St Petersburg. The profiles all have beautiful girls on them.
In terms of expat dating, your chances slim a little. Searches are best performed in the five countries suggested.
The app is worth a try if you are willing to pay. View it as an extension of your AnastasiaDate experience as opposed to expecting a free, Tinder-style service, and it will enhance your experience.
The payment system, which uses credits, is a very strange one. As you pay by the credit to make any communication, it is hard to know if girls are speaking to you because they want to meet someone, or because they are getting paid.
I spoke to several women who were online. Some had better English than others, some seemed genuinely interested in me while others wanted the credits. I could not differentiate between the two and this made meeting a match quite hard for me.
Should I Join AnastasiaDate?
AnastasiaDate has some beautiful women on its books. However, how genuine they are remains to be seen. By introducing a credit payment system, it is hard to know if women are talking to you because they want to meet you or because they are getting paid.
If you want a webcam service with hot Russian girls, then go for it. However, the sister site, Russian Brides, is almost identical. On this site, I did seem to find profiles that were more genuine, although I did have to put in some legwork to find them.