For years, BBWs haven't had what a lot of other singles have had – a dating site that's aimed specifically at them, as well as averagely-built singles who are looking to meet plus-size people.
With the launch of WooPlus dating app, all of that changed.
WooPlus is a BBW dating app for plus-size singles to enjoy online dating and find love.
It's currently used by almost 500,000 active members worldwide; it will ban anyone who fat shames, and while it is at heart a generic dating/matchmaking site, it has a unique “like” feature that makes online dating FUN.
But is WooPlus the right dating site for you?
I created an account and tested it out – and this is my WooPlus review. I'll be taking a look at its pros and cons, as well as who it's for, who it isn't for, and whether its features are worth the money.
Let's start.
Who Is WooPlus For?
Plus-size men and women – WooPlus is aimed specifically at plus-size singles who want to meet fellow BBWs.
Anyone who wants to date a BBW – You don't have to be plus-size to sign up to WooPlus. In fact, you can be of average build. As long as you're using the site to find a BBW, that's totally cool.
Singles looking for friendship – While several WooPlus users are looking for love, a significant percentage of members are just looking to date and see what happens.
Singles looking for romance – If you're looking for a long-term relationship, WooPlus is a great place to start.
Those who are having no success on broader dating sites – By broader dating sites, we mean apps like Tinder aimed at anyone of any build. Because WooPlus is more niche, you'll find way more plus-size singles here than anywhere else.
Who Is WooPlus Not For?
People who don't want to date a BBW – If you have no interest in dating curvy singles, WooPlus isn't for you.
Singles who want a hookup – You can use WooPlus for casual sex, but that's not really why the site was created. If that's what you're looking for, you'll have more success elsewhere (such as Tinder).
How Does WooPlus Work?
WooPlus is a dating site for curvy singles who either want to meet other curvy singles or who perhaps want to date people of different shapes and sizes who are curious about dating plus-sized singles. It's more than just a dating site, though: WooPlus is a dating site, a matchmaking service, and a social network all rolled into one.
Its premise is simple: WooPlus wants to give BBWs a safe space in the online dating world where they're free to be themselves, flaunt their curves, and meet new people. There's a zero-tolerance approach to fat-shaming, most of the members are super friendly and nice, and even if you don't happen to find love on WooPlus, it's almost certain that you'll meet new friends.
It's free to send and receive messages, but you will need to upgrade your account to access some of the features like most dating sites. This is important to note because, while free members can only message people they've matched with, premium members can send messages to anyone, regardless of whether they're a match or not.
Pros
- WooPlus is the only reputable and established dating site which has successfully captured the BBW dating audience.
- For a niche app, it has a relatively admirable user base.
- You wouldn't have to face body shaming.
Cons
- Even though its user base is admirable, it's not a good fit for people outside the metropolitan area because you're likely to get very few matches.
Getting Started On WooPlus
WooPlus is somewhat unusual in that it lets you type in what you're looking for (man or woman) as well as your location before asking you to join.
Like pretty much all dating sites, you need to sign-up before you can view other profiles. However, you can't create an account on the desktop. Instead, if you try to sign-up on the desktop, you'll be given a link that directs you to the app.
Once you've downloaded the app, registration shouldn't take longer than a minute or two. All you need to do is confirm one or two choices given to you by the app (such as your gender). If you wish, you can also fill out the personality test now, and it's up to you how detailed, funny, and serious your answers are.
If you're taking WooPlus seriously, I recommend that you take the time to answer the questions thoughtfully. Doing so will not only improve the quality of your matches later on but will also demonstrate to others that you're taking this online dating thing seriously.
WooPlus Profiles Quality
WooPlus is like a lot of other dating sites in that it lets users display basic information in their profile, such as their occupation, their annual income, their religion, and their ethnicity. You can also display whether or not you have kids.
But because WooPlus is a BBW dating app, it also lets you list your body type and your body shape. For example, you can list your body shape as “hourglass,” and your body type as “supersized” – and so on. This is the sort of information that helps other users make informed decisions about whether or not to match with someone.
Other than that, most WooPlus members pay a lot of attention to their profiles, and you'll find that many are highly detailed – and quite funny. I'm not sure what it is about WooPlus users in particular, but they definitely have a sense of humor.
And the thing is, completing a WooPlus profile takes a bit of time because, as well as listing your basic information, you can also answer “checkpoints” – such as, for example, your fav food.
All in all, because WooPlus's profiles are so detailed, it's easy to find compatible matches, as well as come up with unique icebreakers. Also, WooPlus has very few fake profiles, thanks to an excellent vetting system. And if someone breaks the rule and/or “fat shames,” they'll be kicked out ASAP.
Making a Contact On WooPlus
Strangely, while you can search for people as a free member on WooPlus, you can't use the “location” filter until you've upgraded your account. It might seem like a minor thing, but it will frustrate free members.
Other than that, making contact on WooPlus is mostly as simple as it should be on a modern-day dating site. Full profiles are visible to everyone, and – like with many dating apps these days – you can only send someone a message until they've liked you and you've liked them back (basically, until you're a match).
That said, there's a catch: If you're a premium member, you can establish contact with someone regardless of whether you're a match or not.
There are a few different ways you can contact someone for the first time on WooPlus. You can either send them an opening message, you can comment on their photos, you can “poke” them, or you can send them a virtual gift. Poking someone is free, but you need to purchase the virtual gifts (although you get some for free when you first create an account).
WooPlus Interface & Design
Unlike most dating sites, WooPlus is pretty much inaccessible on a desktop. You have to download the app to create and use your account. The app is easy enough to download via the App Store or Google, and it's available for both Android and Apple devices.
And yes, it's free.
Because everything must be done using the app, the WooPlus app covers absolutely everything. It's functional, easy to get the hang of, and you can easily search for other users and send messages.
And whenever you receive a message in your inbox, the WooPlus app will let you know.
The overall layout is very similar to Tinder and Hinge. The design is clean, the usability is good, and some icons tell you exactly what a specific function is. Overall, I have no complaints about it.
WooPlus has free features and paid features.
WooPlus Free Features
Send and receive messages – You can send and receive as many messages as you like as a free member.
Search function – The search function is free to use, but you're limited by the filters.
Comment on photos – WooPlus is as much a social networking site, and here you can leave comments on people's photos.
Free coins – You can send virtual gifts to other members, but you need to purchase these gifts with coins. When you first sign up, WooPlus treats you to some free coins.
Poke – Not sure what to say in your opening message? You can send them a poke instead!
WooPlus Paid Features
Search by location – Premium members get access to the search function in its entirety, which includes searching for other users by location.
Top-rated members – Premium members also get to search for the most active and top-rated members.
See if your message was read – If you're curious to know whether or not your message was read, you will need to upgrade your account.
Rounds of Card – Rounds of Card is WooPlus's unique take on matchmaking. It's a lot of fun, but it's only available to premium members. Essentially, it gives you the chance to land more matches.
See Likes – A premium feature many dating sites have is the ability to see who's liked you. WooPlus has it, but you do need to subscribe to use it. It's a useful feature because it means you can match with people there and then, as opposed to endlessly scrolling to see who's liked you.
Rewind – If you were swiping too quickly and said “Pass” to someone who seemed kinda cute, WooPlus Premium lets you go back to a profile.
Expired Matches – Matches expire on WooPlus if no one has made the first move. If you're a premium member, you can restart expired matches. This feature is ideal if you're a busy person who simply didn't get around to messaging a match.
Is WooPlus Free?
WooPlus is free to sign up to, and it's free to send and receive messages. But you will need to upgrade your account if you want to take advantage of the many premium features it has to offer.
WooPlus Membership Price
- 1 month – $18
- 2 months – $15 per month
- 3 months – $13 per month
- 4 months – $12 per month
- 6 months – $11 per month
- 12 months – $9 per month
- 24 months – $6 per month
Is It Worth Paying For WooPlus?
Compared to its competitors, WooPlus is very fairly priced. In fact, you could even say that it's an affordable, cheap alternative to some of the big players in the online dating world, such as Match and eHarmony. If you lock yourself into a 24-month contract, you'll be paying just $6 per month for all of WooPlus's features, which is a far better deal than you'll get anywhere else. The most attractive package, meanwhile, is the 6-month option. Again, compared to rivals, this represents something of a bargain.
Other Services
- eHarmony
eHarmony isn't aimed specifically at plus-size singles, but it's still a fantastic place to meet someone genuine. It was established in 2000, it's used by over 66,000,000 people worldwide, and it claims to be responsible for thousands of marriages. It's also used by a diverse array of people – including plenty of BBWs and those searching for BBWs. Moreover, thanks to in-depth search functions, it's possible to find what you're looking for without too much difficulty.
Where it really stands out is its sophisticated matchmaking algorithm. This uses your answers in an initial personality test to help match you up with compatible users. The test is very detailed, and the questions have been prepared by trained psychologists, which means you can be sure that their match suggestions are very on-point. eHarmony is more expensive than WooPlus, with prices for a 6-month subscription starting at $35 per month.
- Match.com
Match is one of the oldest and most established online dating sites in the world. It was launched in 1995, has 8,000,000 premium members and millions more free members. People largely use Match as a dating site and matchmaking service that helps them find something genuine. Indeed, a great majority of paying users are looking for something serious, with many of them falling into the 25+ age range.
Naturally, Match isn't specifically aimed at BBWs in the way that WooPlus is. But it's still totally possible to find what you're looking for by upgrading your membership and tweaking the search filters. Moreover, Match lists suggestions based on your preferences and how compatible you are with other users. Match's profiles tend to be very detailed, but there isn't much you can do as a free member. You can't see who's viewed you, and you can't send or receive messages. That said, when you do upgrade your account, Match is at least competitively priced.
Real Life WooPlus Review
I signed up to WooPlus as an averagely built single who was seeking a BBW. The signup process didn't take too long, although a personality test is easily the longest bit of the registration process. However, what I liked about the app is that you don't have to answer all the questions in one go.
Once my profile was up and running, I added a few more pics and searched for other members. I found the app easy to use, and I was soon swiping right for other users – and it wasn't long before I had a few matches.
That said, the matches didn't come thick and fast after the first day, although I largely attributed this to the fact that WooPlus has a much smaller user base than, say, Match. This is to be expected – after all, WooPlus is very niche. On the other hand, I found that most of my matches were talkative, and most of them responded to my initial icebreaker. This is hardly ever the case on other apps where many matches don't talk.
All in all, WooPlus had its pros and cons for me. One of the concerns I (and other users) had is that people might use an app like this to fetishize BBWs. While it might take longer to find what you're looking for on a site like eHarmony or Match, no one at least fetishizes BBWs.
On the other hand, WooPlus might have a smaller user base than many other dating apps. Still, its community is at least active, everyone seems genuine, and it's very easy to meet someone, whether a new friend, a date – or even a potential partner.