"It's a reliable website with real profiles. It's one of the best and quickest ways to find if anyone in your 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)
Hot or Not Review New Zealand October 2026
Hot or Not is a rating website that lets you rate photos uploaded by others in terms of attractiveness, and vice versa. All about Hot or Not in New Zealand.
3.9good
Hot or Not is a photo rating website for people who want to rate others' attractiveness
Relationships
Casual dating
Flirts
Is Hot or Not right for me?
last updated
Members in New Zealand7,680,000
Women / Men
35% 65%
From$9.17/mo
Age
Is Hot or Not right for you?
Find out if Hot or Not is the right service for you or if there are better options.
Better than Hot or Not
What Hot or Not really costs in New Zealand
Compared with other dating services, Hot or Not is in the upper midfield.
Premium
Premium is a subscription for the listed period, with paid extras such as invisible browsing and gifts.Total
1 week
5.00 NZD / week
5.00 NZD
1 month
14.99 NZD / month
14.99 NZD
3 months
11.66 NZD / month
34.99 NZD
Our pick: The 3 Month Premium plan costs 11.66 NZD per Month and totals 34.99 NZD, giving you Premium access for 3 months. It is the sensible balance.
6 months
9.17 NZD / month
54.99 NZD
Credits
Credits are one time packs spent on paid extras such as gifts, stickers and other paid actions.Total
150 credits
0.03 NZD / credit
5.00 NZD
550 credits
0.03 NZD / credit
15.00 NZD
1,250 credits
0.02 NZD / credit
30.00 NZD
2,750 credits
0.02 NZD / credit
60.00 NZD
Hot or Not costs last updated on Oct 14, 2026
Payment options in New Zealand
Credit CardPayPalVia Mobile Phone
No anonymous payment.With Hot or Not you cannot pay anonymously, the charge appears on your bank statement.
On your bank statement
The company does not publish what the statement shows and the checkout page or first invoice tells.
Hot or Not costs screenshot
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.
Free vs. paid services in New Zealand
FeatureFreePremium
Profile creation
includedincluded
Upload unlimited photos
includedincluded
Get matches
includedincluded
Chat with users
includedincluded
Browse through profiles
includedincluded
View photos
includedincluded
Undo your no votesReturn to the profiles you swiped left on
not includedincluded
Get the first spot in search results
not includedincluded
Get shown moreGet your profile presented more in Encounters
not includedincluded
Give gifts
not includedincluded
Add stickers to chatStickers are fun emoticons you can add to your chat
not includedincluded
View other profiles invisibly
not includedincluded
You can create a profile, upload photos, get matches, chat, browse profiles, and view photos for free. Premium adds undoing no votes, first place in search, more profile views, gifts, stickers, and invisible viewing.
Is Hot or Not right for me? →
How to cancel your Hot or Not subscription →
Is Hot or Not right for me?Who is signed up on Hot or Not in New Zealand?
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.
1,000,000
Logins per day in New Zealand
7,680,000
Members in New Zealand
Gender
26%
18-24
46%
25-34
12%
35-44
13%
45-54
3%
55+
Age of members
Signing up at Hot or Not
★★★★★ 4.0/5
- 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 authorise 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
★★★★★ 3.5/5
- 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)
- Women can send messages for free
Profile quality
★★★★★ 4.5/5
- 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
- Profiles are pleasantly detailed
- Profile pictures are visible to everybody for free
- You can edit your profile information later
The Hot or Not app
★★★★★ 4.5/5
- Same layout as Badoo
- User-friendly
- Optimised 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-optimised. 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.
Our field test
★★★★★ 4.0/5
Design & usability
Hot or Not has more or less the same layout, colours, 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 organised 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.
Special features
Finding people 1
EncountersFree
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.
Showing interest 1
GiftsPaid
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.
Messaging and contact 1
StickersPaid
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.
Final results
3.9good
“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.”
Is Hot or Not right for me?
tested October 2026
Signup4.0
Making contact3.5
Profile quality4.5
App4.5
Field test4.0
Overall3.9/ 5
Alternatives: Better than Hot or Not
Compare Hot or Not with other dating sites
Hot or Not experience reports
Cancelling your Hot or Not subscription
Contact details
| Company | Or Not Limited |
|---|---|
| Address | The Broadgate Tower, Third Floor, 20 Primrose Street, London EC2A 2RS, United Kingdom |
| Phone | 07976476 |
| sales@hotornot.com |
Hot or Not FAQ
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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Founder of DatingScout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
Chris founded DatingScout 17 years ago, and today he is one of the leading Online Dating Experts. He is the author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies" and the author of the Internet's largest online dating study analyzing 20 Million Profile Pictures with artificial intelligence. Chris Pleines holds a master degree in media science and appeared in numerous television interviews and publications to give expert advice as well as tips about online dating.