Our Full 2024 Secret Benefits Review: The Results You Can Expect Using It
Sugar dating is becoming either more common or more visible these days. Back then, it used to be this secret arrangement that isn’t talked about in polite circles. But now, people are more open to the arrangement, whether as a sugar daddy or as a sugar mommy. So is finding your sugar baby more convenient if you do it online? In this Secret Benefits review, you’ll discover whether this sugar dating app is worth the money.
Let me start off with a summary of what I found on Secret Benefits compared to our all-time highest-rated hookup site, AFF:
Site
Our Experience
Our Rating
Free Trial Link
Experience Highlights
Try AFF For Free
Experience Highlights
Try Secret Benefits
Online data suggests there are at least 3.3 million sugar daddies – and many more sugar babies – in the United States alone.
“The romantic realm is becoming increasingly more flexible and diverse. Sugaring is one expression of this diversity,” explains The Arc Of Love author Aaron Ben-Zeev Ph.D. “It is unlikely that we can stop this trend; on the contrary, it may grow in the future.”
Upon attempting to create a Secret Benefits account as a man, the first thing you’ll notice is that you’ll have to pay a lot to be an active member. That’s because the Secret Benefits site wants to stop dirt-poor men – and seemingly even average earners – from wasting the time of its female users. The question is: will men get a good deal from the money they spend on Secret Benefits?
As a seasoned online dating expert, I know it can always be a concern when you have to pay before you try any form of online dating service, no matter how much money you earn. After all, there are a lot of scams out there – Pew Research found that half of dating app users say that fake accounts are “very common” – and there are even more dating apps that have seemingly very few active users on the other side of their paywalls.
That’s why I was keen to complete this Secret Benefits review for you.
Here at Heart Insider, it’s our mission to conduct the most comprehensive dating app reviews, so that you don’t have to waste time or money on an online dating service that can’t deliver a steady flow of new women into your life.
Our reviews are based on an extensive testing period, in which our online dating experts attempt to meet women themselves. So, you can be sure that our verdicts are unbiased and legitimate.
With that said, let’s explore how it was to make connections with women using the Secret Benefits site.
To ensure a fair test, I used the same stock photos, bio and demographical information that we use for all of our dating app reviews. I tested out the site for a couple of days with a blank profile to see if there are any suspicious people who would message a completely blank profile.
After this, I filled in my profile to entice women to message me. However, while creating an account on Secret Benefits is free, messaging women is not. So I had to pay for credits to be able to message at least 20 women in the hope that at least a few of them would either respond or be interested in a date.
While you’ll learn about the different features of the Secret Benefits site in this review, my ultimate verdict is based on how easy it is to meet beautiful women on this app. How many women responded to my messages? How many agreed to swap contact details? And how does this compare to other similar dating websites?
These are the ultimate figures that we know men will care about most.
Since we use the same profile and opening messages for every review, I will compare SecretBenefits to our favorite hook-up apps, so you can discover which one is the best for your needs.
2024 Secret Benefits Review – Top Sugar Dating Site or an Absolute Drag?
We’ll begin this Secret Benefits review with a basic summary, so you can get a speedy verdict on whether it’s worth using. If you don’t care to hear about every detail of the Secret Benefits app, this summary is perfect for you.
Below, you’ll find ratings out of 10 for the most important aspects of Secret Benefits, based on what we know is important to male online dating users. For reference, these figures have been compared to AFF, which we have consistently rated as the top hook-up website right now.
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|---|---|---|
| Overall Our team rates each site objectively based on many hours of independent research, the features each site offers, and how it compares with other sites. The ratings are the opinion of our editors and their extensive experience. |
1 | 9.5 |
| Quality of Women Our opinion of how attractive the typical woman is that uses this site and how easy they are to connect with compared to other sites. |
8 | 9 |
| Popular How many people are using this site to actually meet people compared to other sites. |
5 | 9 |
| Usability How easy is this site to use and how quickly can an average person begin meeting people compared to other sites. |
5 | 10 |
| Privacy & Safety Does this site take proper precautions to safeguard its members, their identity, and their data. |
10 | 10 |
| Effective Our opinion of how easily an average person will be able to achieve their dating goals with this site compared to other sites. |
1 | 9 |
| Value Will the time and money spent using this site pay off for an average person based on the opinions and experience of our editors. |
1 | 8 |
On the surface, Secret Benefits looks like the real deal. A dream come true, even. Its home page encourages you to sign up for free and makes no mention of sugar dating. In fact, its tagline is “where experienced and attractive people meet.”
Once you create an account, your main dashboard will be packed with attractive women in your local area to message. If you wait long enough, you’ll also notice that your inbox begins to flood with messages from women. That was my experience, anyway.
The catch is that you’ll need to buy and spend 10 credits to reveal a message and have a conversation with this person. That’ll cost you between $2.90 and $4.50 per conversation, depending on how many credits you buy at a time.
Around one third of dating app users have paid for premium features, according to Pew Research, but few will expect this amount just to send a pick-up line. Sure, it’s chump change to the type of guys who can afford a sugar baby, but it’s certainly a lot more expensive than most of the other online dating websites we tested.
Still, I coughed up the cash to message these women. Here’s what happened after I did…
I was flooded with messages before I even began testing the site
I received 44 messages during my first week of testing Secret Benefits. Remember, it costs 10 credits to read what these women had to say. Once you’ve paid that, you can continue to message each other for free.
I responded to 20 women’s messages and here are some examples of what most conversations looked like.
1.
2.
3.
Remember you’ll pay up to $4.50 for the pleasure of each of these conversations.
Of the 20 conversations I paid for, only two of them went past the opening exchange, but these quickly fizzled out too. Here’s the first conversation:
My conversations died very quickly on Secret Benefits
Imagine paying up to $4.50 to start a conversation, only for the other participant to ignore the question. I imagine you’d feel as ripped off as I did. This happened 90% of the time during my Secret Benefits review, even though it’s established that men on this website are willing to pay for a sugar baby.
Here’s the second disappointing conversation I had:
Some 57% of men using dating apps say they don’t get enough replies, according to Pew Research. This is likely to be how you’ll feel after spending extortionate amounts of money to message women on Secret Benefits.
There are other ways to spend credits on Secret Benefits
It’ll cost you 10 credits to start a new conversation from scratch. It’ll cost you 10 credits to unlock a user’s “secret photos”. You can also pay to “boost” your message in their inbox or to turn on read receipts for a conversation. From my experience, it wasn’t worth it. Most of the “secret photos” weren’t even that interesting (at least in the profiles I decided to unlock), and my “boost” didn’t get any of the women to be more engaged in the conversation.
Why AFF is a better option
Only 53% of dating app users say it was a positive experience, but I’d bet the rest of them are using the wrong apps. My experience using the Secret Benefits site was disappointing. Honestly, I feel pretty bad about it. There was no hint of even maybe meeting someone from this app. Most of the women I spoke to were barely interested in a conversation despite knowing that I spent credits to talk to them.
But there are better apps out there.
I couldn’t honestly recommend Secret Benefits to anyone, especially when there are so many more amazing hookup sites out there like AFF.
AFF has ranked as our favorite hookup website for some time, because it’s so easy to arrange a casual encounter with amazing women here. There’s no need for a sugar arrangement where you pay these women for their company. Instead, the women of AFF are looking for casual dates where the enjoyment is mutually exclusive, no money involved.
In spite of that, you still don’t have to pay to start individual conversations on AFF. Once you’re a member, you can message as many women as you like. It won’t take long before you’ve found someone willing to meet you though. To give you a more detailed look at how AFF works and how it performs for regular guys, you can also have a look at our Adult FriendFinder review.
What people are saying about Adult FriendFinder:
u/Changeusername5 – Reddit
I think it partially comes down to the area you live in. I live within 30 minutes of a large city and have had decent success with the website. Yes, there are bots but they’re pretty easy to spot. Assume that any girl who has model looks or professional photos is likely fake. I find it humorous that a guy who is, say a 5 on a scale of 1 through 10, falls for messages from a gal who’s clearly way out of his league. When I message women on there I typically focus on those that are 7 or 8’s, as most bots use very attractive photos of themselves to reel in suckers.
Louis S. – SiteJabber
AFF has been around for a long time and it is an established community with mostly real users. I have used it in the past and what can I say: I had a blast. Messaged a countless number of chicks but actually hooked up with two of them. My advise. Just send out messages that really work, nothing like hey Hun, What’s up?!… just be creative and don’t forget to stay active.
As if that wasn’t enough, AFF is currently running a free trial, so you can see for yourself what’s on offer and how easy it is to find some action.
Positives and Negatives of Secret Benefits
- There are plenty of beautiful women on Secret Benefits
- Women message you first in their droves
- The site doesn’t bombard you with ads
- You have to pay to read and respond to messages or to start your own conversations
- The women on this site would appear to be mostly unresponsive
- This will be one of the most expensive websites a regular user will ever pay for
Profiles, Pictures, and Members
Secret Benefits encourages members to fill out a lot of information about themselves. You’re given space for a bio, plus an extra space to mention what you’re looking for. Among the prompts of attributes you’re asked to mention are your annual income and net worth.
You can add public photos, plus private photos that other members would pay 10 credits to access, with your permission. Most of the members I browsed on Secret Benefits had multiple public and private photos.
Most women on Secret Benefits are very beautiful. Indeed, you’d surely need to be somewhat attractive to believe you could attract a sugar daddy in the first place.
Dating Coaches Recommend These Hookup Apps For Regular Guys
Instead of using Secret Benefits, there are a few hookup apps that work much better for regular guys. If you haven’t had the kind of success you think you should online it’s probably in large part because you’re on the wrong app. These are the ones dating coaches recommend you start with:
| Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Hookup Site Right Now | Experience Highlights
| 9.5 | Try AFF For Free |
Great If You're Handsome  | Tinder Highlights
| 8 | Try Tinder |
2nd Best For Most Guys  | Experience Highlights
| 8 | Try Passion |
Design
The Secret Benefits website is well-designed. You’ll see a list of recommended profiles on the main dashboard. Then, there are separate tabs for your inbox, your list of matches and your own profile. All in all, the design isn’t anything new or innovative, but it gets the job done.
Messaging and chatting
You’ll pay 10 credits for each conversation you want to start or continue. You won’t be able to read messages that other people send, unless you pay that 10-credit fee. You can send pictures in your chat, but that’ll cost you 10 credits per photo.
Your inbox alerts you when it’s “your turn” to talk to someone, and that’s a useful feature to help you see which conversations you haven’t responded to. Unfortunately, that alert rarely popped up for me, because the women on this website turned out to be so incredibly unresponsive.
Advertisements
No advertisements popped up during my time testing SecretBenefits, which is pretty good all things considered.
Pricing
It’s free to create a Secret Benefits account, but you’ll need to buy and spend credits to send messages to people. It’ll cost you 10 credits to start a conversation or reply to someone else’s opening message.
You can buy credits in the following batches.
- 200 credits for $89.00 ($0.29 per credit)
- 500 credits for $169.00 ($0.34 per credit)
- 2,000 credits for $289.00 ($0.45 per credit)
As you can see, the credits are incredibly expensive. However, since Secret Benefits is a sugar dating site, that’s pretty on-brand. We’re not saying it’s worth it, though.
How To Stay Safe As A Sugar Daddy
Most sugar dating safety guides are focused on protecting the sugar baby. Indeed, they are at risk of getting themselves into some dicey situations. However, sugar daddies need to take care too. These safety tips should help.
- Read trusted reviews. Reviews like these help save sugar daddies from wasting their money on useless sugar websites like Secret Benefits. It’s always worth getting an expert opinion before signing up to an unknown sugar dating website.
- Look out for verified profiles. Most legitimate sugar dating websites allow members to go through a verification process to prove they are the person in their photos. So, look out for this.
- Arrange video calls. This will spare you from being catfished by a potential sugar baby and it’ll help you test for in-person chemistry.
- Agree a deal upfront. A sugar dating study published in the Sociological Perspectives journal suggested that 40% of sugar babies don’t have sex with their sugar daddies. So, don’t assume that bedroom fun is on the table. “The best way to preserve yourself is through writing an agreement,” says dating writer Ana Ramadhayanti. “This can help you avoid upcoming conflicts.”
- Trust your gut. Your gut instinct is impressively accurate when it comes to spotting phoney dating opportunities. You just need to keep your head clear so you can realize when something feels off. “When it comes to online dating, your instincts are your best friend,” says matchmaker Vince Ricco. “If something feels off or too good to be true, trust your gut and proceed with caution.”
- Practice safe sex. If physical intimacy is part of your agreement, make sure to use condoms at all times. A study from the Journal of Sex Research found that 72% of sugar babies would be involved with more than one sugar daddy at the same time – and that condom use was less common when the sugar baby felt she had less power than her partner. Sugar babies are twice as likely to have a sexually transmitted infection, the study found. “Putting on a condom needs to be as normalized as washing your hands or putting on a seat belt,” says sex therapist Renée D. Burwell.
What Other People Are Saying About Secret Benefits
Most other users who have posted Secret Benefits reviews were unimpressed with their experience.
u/Fun_Focus8159 – Reddit
“I decided to respond back to the 10 hottest girls that messaged me and used all my credits. So far, 2 responded. 1 is online only. The other has responded back a few times but the conversation faded out. No response from the other 8. So I’m out sixty bucks just to send 10 messages that went nowhere lol. What a waste of money.”
u/mraspencer – Reddit
“It’s so crappy. Unfortunately I actually DID meet a really nice SB on there once, so now there’s always that “hope” when I was looking.”
u/LotBuilder – Reddit
“I used it for 2 months and had zero meet and greets. It didn’t flow for me at all.”
Secret Benefits Frequently Asked Questions
Still unsure about Secret Benefits? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions to help you discover more about this site.
What is Secret Benefits?
Secret Benefits markets itself as a dating site where “experienced and attractive people meet”. However, once you use it, you’ll quickly discover it’s mostly a home for sugar babies seeking sugar daddies.
How can I contact Secret Benefits?
Once you’re logged into your account, visit www.secretbenefits.com/next/contact.
Is Secret Benefits real?
Secret Benefits would appear to be a real dating website. Most of the accounts include multiple photos and the bios were usually filled out, which is always a good sign. At the same time, I found no evidence that any of the women on the website were real, as I was unable to ever swap contact details before the conversation fizzled out.
Is Secret Benefits legit?
It’s possible that Secret Benefits is not a legit dating website. The technology is certainly available to create fake accounts that message you first, then quickly ghost you.
I found no concrete evidence that Secret Benefits is scamming its users in this way. But I also found no evidence that the women on this website are real, as they all ghosted shortly into the conversation before swapping contact details with me.
Is Secret Benefits a scam or fake?
The jury is still out. I couldn’t gather enough evidence to confidently call this website a scam. However, I also couldn’t verify whether even one real woman is using this website, and that’s a good reason not to use it either way.
Is Secret Benefits safe?
Secret Benefits will take good care of your financial details, and you can hide your private photos on this site with no fear.
What are Secret Benefits alternatives?
Four out of five dating app users report feeling excited about their potential matches, according to Pew Research, but Secret Benefits users are unlikely to be among them. You can see our most highly-recommended alternatives to Secret Benefits in our list of the best hookup apps and sites we’ve tested.
How does Secret Benefits work?
You can create a Secret Benefits account, but you’ll have to buy and spend credits to message other people on the website.
You can buy credits in batches of 200, 500 or 2,000. It costs 10 credits to start a conversation or reply to someone else’s opening messages. You might also spend credits on sending photos or unlocking secret photo albums.
Is there a Secret Benefits app?
No. Secret Benefits used to have an app, but it’s no longer available on either the iOS or Android app store.
How much does Secret Benefits cost?
It’s free to create a Secret Benefits account, but you’ll have to buy and spend credits to send messages to people.
You can buy credits in the following batches.
- 200 credits for $89.00 ($0.29 per credit)
- 500 credits for $169.00 ($0.34 per credit)
- 2,000 credits for $289.00 ($0.45 per credit)
Bear in mind that this is a sugar dating website, so you’ll be expected to pay any women you meet on this website for their company.
How much do sugar babies cost?
Sugar babies are free to charge whatever they wish for the companionship they provide. Prices vary depending on the individual and the service requested. However, a Sugar Place report suggests the average sugar date will cost you between $200-$600.
Allison Robin, who authored the report, suggested that monthly allowances can sometimes be more cost-effective for sugar daddies.
“The average sugar baby allowance is $2,000-$2,500,” she said. “Most sugar babies ask for this amount on Secret Benefits and SugarDaddy.com”
How do I find out the price of a sugar baby?
It’s as simple as asking her. Many sugar babies prefer to be asked, as they can get uncomfortable bringing up this topic themselves. This discussion might be best saved for once you’ve swapped contact details away from Secret Benefits though, if only so you can save credits.
“The financial aspect of the relationship is something that can be brought up once a level of trust has been built,” says Alexis Germany, PR manager at seeking.com. “Anyone asking for money upfront is treating the situation as a job, and Sugar dating is not a job, it’s a lifestyle choice.”
How can you use Secret Benefits for free?
You can browse other people’s profiles on Secret Benefits for free, but you’ll have to pay up if you want to send messages to anyone or read the messages sent to you.
Can you send messages for free on Secret Benefits?
Once you’ve paid the initial 10 credits to message someone, you can continue to send as many messages back and forth for free.
How do you cancel your Secret Benefits account?
You can hide your Secret Benefits account by clicking your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen, navigating to “Settings” then “Hide My Profile”.
To go one step further and delete your account from the Secret Benefit database, you’ll need to get in touch with the customer service team at www.secretbenefits.com/next/contact
This article may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.
References:
Anderson, M., Vogels, E. A., Turner, E. (2020). The Virtues and Downsides of Online Dating. Pew Research Center.
Ben-Zeev, A. (2020) Why sugar-daddy relationships are on the rise. Psychology Today.
Ferebee, A. (2024) I infiltrated the sugar baby and sugar daddy underworld and you won’t believe what happened next. Knowledge for Men.
King, K. (2024) 2024’s best hookup apps & hookup sites we’ve tried personally. Heart Insider.
Kirkeby, K., Lehmiller, J. J. & Marks, M. J. (2022) Sugar Dating, Perceptions of Power, and Condom Use: Comparing the Sexual Health Risk Behaviours of Sugar Dating to Non-Sugar Dating Women. The Journal of Sex Research, 59:6, 731-741
Lebowitz, S. (2018) I went to a ‘sugar baby summit’ and learned ‘sugar daddies’ give tuition, gifts, investments, or cash—but they say it’s about much more than money. Business Insider.
McClain, C. & Gelles-Watnick, R. (2024) From looking for love to swiping the field: Online dating in the U.S. Pew Research Center.
Ricco, V. (2024) 12 essential dating safety tips for online daters. Tawkify.
Robin, A. (2024) How much to pay sugar baby-sugar daddy allowance guide. Sugar Place.
Scull, M. T. (2020) “It’s its own thing”: A typology of interpersonal relationshp scripts. Sociological Perspectives, 63(1), 135-158.
Senkus, T. (2024) Adult FriendFinder review 2024 – Is this app worth it? Heart Insider.
Contributing Authors:
Joe Elvin
Joe Elvin is an internationally known confidence and dating coach with nearly a decade of experience. He is the successful author of several dating and confidence books that have helped thousands of men find success. While traveling the world Joe consistently finds new and valuable ways to meet and attract women. Joe has a Bachelor’s Degree in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University and he has been featured in many large publications including AskMen, TSB Magazine and The Good Men Project.
As one of the most prolific writers on Heart Insider, Joe has reviewed over a hundred dating apps. He is the site’s foremost authority when it comes to selecting what dating app works for whom. From an app’s mechanics to its algorithm to telltale signs that a dating app is a scam, Joe’s is able to expertly discern between dating apps that provide value and those that don’t.
Tom Senkus
For more than two decades, Tom has dated extensively and studied behavioral psychology as a way of understanding the complexities of human nature until he became an expert. After traveling as a touring musician and living in more than 15 countries, Tom has cross-referenced his experience in seduction, dating, and interpersonal dynamics with the ever-changing landscape of 21st-century dating. His work as a writer has appeared in 500+ publications (digital and print). Tom is also the author of several books (available on Amazon). In his free time, you can find Tom recording music and cooking the best Cincinnati-style chili you’ve ever had.
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