Active Audience | 59% |
Quality Matches | 45% |
Popular Age | 25-40 |
Profiles | 180 000 |
Reply Rate | 92% |
Ease of Use | 6 |
Popularity | 7.9 |
Fraud | Very Rarely |
Rating |
7.7
|
Registration | Free |
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BGCLive is a dating platform for the LGBT community. Many sites and apps that cater exclusively to the needs of the LGBT community. However, most of these platforms are for those people who are looking for casual sex and hookups. There are very few platforms that offer an added option of looking for a long and serious relationship. One such platform is the BGCLive website. Even though it considers itself as a platform for the LGBT community, it is mostly for gay men. This review will look into the platform’s various aspects, from its users to the website, and thereby give you a detailed analysis of the dating website. This review is not like other BGCLive reviews.
The site is available only in the English language. A majority of its members are from the US, where English is the native language.
BGCLive does not have a parent company and operates on its own. There is no company above the platform that overlooks its operation.
The search URL for the platform is bgclive.com. It is a US-based dating platform with a majority of its users coming from the northwestern US.
BGCLive was started in 2007 to build a community for mostly gay and bisexual men. It has now got 13 years of experience in the online dating platform.
It is available in the form of a website and app. The website is accessible from all parts of the world. However, the site mostly has members from the US. Hence, it becomes complicated to find matches in areas other than the US.
This BGCLive review will dive into the unique features of the platform that separates it from its peers. These features define the platform for what it is.
BGCLive is more of a social media platform for gays and bisexuals than a dating platform. It has forums that encourage discussions. Moreover, it is a safe space for gay and bisexuals, where they feel free and do not feel society’s burden.
It has extensive search filters. You can look for matches based on their height, age, looks, HIV status, etc. The expanded search parameters help in providing a more refined search result.
As mentioned multiple times in this BGCLive review, most of the members are from the US. As per the website, it has more than half a million members. It is not very impressive, considering it has been online for 13 years. 93% of the members are male, while females account for just 4%. The remaining 3% consists of transgender. More than 70% of the members are black. Being a platform for the LGBT community, the platform is open to all sexual preferences. Gays and Bisexuals form 75% of the total members.
There is no detailed information about the age composition of the members. Only adults above the legal age of 18 can be part of the platform.
It does not have many fake profiles. It is because every user must verify their account after completing their registration. It ensures a minimum number of fake profiles.
This part of the BGCLive review will look into how the platform can be accessed. Diverse ways of accessibility ensure the members to connect to the platform on the go. The ease of accessing the platform is also an important aspect.
BGCLive has an app for smartphones, but it is only available to Android users. iOS will have to access the website through the web browser. The app has all the features of the site. However, the app looks very outdated. It can be a good enough reason for users to move out of the platform. There is a lot to catch up on in terms of the design of the app.
It has a website, which is how the platform was started. However, the design of the website indicates that the site has not been updated since its launch. It will give you the impression that the site is not being used. However, it is fully functional.
There is no way through which the app can be accessed from your computer. However, the website has been optimized to work on your smartphone in case you don’t want to download the app.
The BGCLive website can be easily accessed from browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. You can also enter the site through Apple Safari if you want to have a PC from Apple.
Sometimes users are not able to access the site due to some reasons. Sometimes it is due to some technical defaults. However, most of the time, it is because the users forget their password and enter the wrong password.
The design of both the website and the app is very outdated. They have not been updated in ages. Both of them look very basic with no elements as such. The design of the site and app is very disappointing and does not please the eyes at all. It would be natural if you feel like closing the app or site as soon as you enter it. However, as a blessing in disguise, the straightforward and unattractive design makes the website and app usability easy. As per this BGCLive review, the app and website have an abysmal design and easy usability.
The sign-up process of BGCLive is quite simple and straightforward. After entering the sign-up page, you have to provide your username and password. Along with that, you also have to provide an email ID. Then you have to give some necessary details like your Name, Age, Gender, and Race. Additionally, there are two optional fields – Zodiac sign and Sexual orientation. There are four sexual preferences to choose from in the platform, which is gay, bisexual, bi-curious, and straight. After filling in all these options, you are done with the registration.
BGCLive has an advanced block option called Smart Blocking, which allows users to unmatch as well as block users based on profile characteristics such as age, sexual position, number of photos, ethnicity, etc.
You can only be a part of this platform if you are above the age of 18. Any person below the age of 18 cannot become a member of BGCLive.
The users can verify their account only through one way, i.e., their email ID. You can check your account with the help of the email ID you provided during registration.
Once you complete your registration, the platform sends a confirmation link to the email ID you provided during registration. You just need to log in to your account and open that mail. Click on the confirmation link to successfully verify your account.
BGCLive does not provide an option to its users to make an account through their Facebook account. There is only one way to sign up, and that is using your email ID. The process of registration is straightforward, and there is no need to look for alternate options.
You cannot do anything on the platform without signing up. You need first to become a member to know what the platform has in store for you. Dating platforms increase their members in this wrong way.
BGCLive is mostly for members who are looking for a serious relationship. So the platform has a detailed questionnaire that allows its members to describe their potential match in the best way possible. The inquiry has many columns that require you to specify the age, race, HIV status of the members. The algorithm of the platform uses your answers to give you the best results. It is best to answer all the questions with utmost sincerity to get suitable matches. You can also upload photos into your public and private albums. Only those members can access your private collection, which has got your permission.
BGCLive provides its users with the option of deleting their photos anytime they like. You can do this by going to the ‘My Images’ option.
You can change your username by visiting the ‘My Profile’ option. Click on the link that says ‘Edit Profile’. From there on, you will navigate your way to the option of changing your username.
You can delete everything that you had entered in your profile. You first need to go to the ‘My Profile’ option. Then you have to go to the ‘Edit Profile’ option. Now you can delete all the information on your profile and save the changes.
BGCLive does not provide its users with the option of making their accounts invisible. You need to be careful about what you share in your profile, as every member of the platform can access it.
You can edit any information that you provide in your profile. You just need to visit the Edit Profile page, which comes under the ‘My Profile’ page.
This part of the BGCLive review will analyze the available options for members to find matches for themselves. More search options bring more efficiency in finding matches for yourself.
The platform offers an option called ‘Add to Favorites’, which allows its members to add profiles they like to their favorites list.
The platform has minimal methods to find a match. It has a primary search browser where you can find matches using specific parameters. These parameters are very extensive and provide a very refined search result that caters to your preferences. The site’s homepage has a section called Today’s Sexiest, where you can find the most popular users of the day. Other than these features, the homepage has articles from the forum along with the user who wrote the article. These are the only methods to find potential matches on BGCLive.
BGCLive does not provide its free users with the option of viewing the list of users who have liked their profile. However, this option is also not available to paid users.
Any dating platform needs to have some means of communication. Messaging and communicating with other users leads to intimacy as users get to know each other better. This BGCLive review will now look into the various ways of communicating with other users.
You can communicate with other users in two ways. The first method is the most common. It is the messaging feature of the platform. You can message others by clicking on the tab that says ‘Messages.’ This tab is available on the homepage’s right side. The second method is through the forum. It is not for one-on-one communication. Forums contain articles from users, and you can share your views in the reply section. It is an excellent platform for healthy discussion and conversation.
To message a user, you need to visit his profile first. On the profile, you will find an option with the text ‘Send Message’ on it. Click on that option, and the site will redirect you to the ‘Messages’ tab of your profile. Then you simply start with your conversation. Replying to forum articles is also easy. You just need to open the article. You will find the option to answer and also read the replies of other users.
The messaging features get unlocked only for premium users. It means that the free users cannot make contact with their matches unless they upgrade their account to premium membership.
The homepage of the platform has several tabs on the left side. One of these tabs is labeled as Messages. Clicking on it will direct you to the messages page of the platform. Here you can view the conversations you had with other members. The messages that you receive can be viewed through this page.
There is no specific camera feature in BGCLive. If you want to upload a photo, you can simply do it from your smartphone. If you are operating the website from your PC, then you can upload the pictures from there.
BGCLive has a special type of blocking system called smart blocking, where you can tune the kind of people who can message and not message you. You can block members based on profile characteristics like age, sexual position, number of photos, ethnicity, etc.
The platform has free and premium membership where you get additional features as a paid user. This section of the BGCLive review will take you through the various subscriptions and what it will cost you. You can make the payment through Debit or Credit card.
Duration | Cost per month | Total Cost |
---|---|---|
1 Month | $4.99/month | $4.99 |
12 Months | $1.66/month | $19.99 |
BGCLive does offer premium membership to its free users after charging a fee. The fee is very low compared to other dating platforms.
Just like its website, the method to cancel the subscription is also impossible in case of BGCLive. There is no option where you can cancel the subscription from the site itself. There is also not the option of sending emails to the platform. The only way to cancel the subscription is to contact customer care.
Not all subscriptions of BGCLive get auto-renewed. The one-month plan of the platform receives automatically renewed after each month. However, the one-year plan is a one-time payment plan.
You cannot avail refund for the cycle which has already started. Once the payment gets deducted for a cycle, you don’t get a refund for that period. Payment once made is permanent and final.
Out of the two plans, a subscription gets auto-renewed only for the monthly. The yearly plan is a non-recurring plan with a one-time payment.
BGCLive has a strict no refund policy. Once you make a payment, it is final and cannot be revoked in any case.
To maintain privacy, payment made to the platform appear in your credit card bill as CCBill.
There is no restriction on paying for multiple users from the same credit card. However, when you pay the monthly subscription for others, their amount gets automatically deducted from your card in the next cycle.
You can make payment for the monthly plan to subscribe for a month. However, remember to call the customer care and cancel your subscription before BGCLive deducts the amount for the next month.
The members of the platform usually have a safe and secure experience. The people behind the website work hard to provide its members with the feeling of safety. Members have to verify their email to use the platform compulsorily.
The members have a safe experience with no threat to their privacy. The makers of BGCLive are committed to providing a safe experience to its members.
The platform does not provide any official information about the safety and technology behind sending and receiving messages.
It uses the IP address of your connection for providing search results as per the location. It uses the GPS of your smartphone in case you are using the app.
BGCLive has been on the internet for 13 years. The police can easily track the website as well as the office.
You can always ring up the customer’s care regarding any doubt you have about the platform’s privacy policies.
This section of the BGCLive review will look into how safe and secure the platform is for its users.
Even though the platform likes to maintain transparency, it has not provided any official information about thread moderation in the forum.
The platform is often not able to take action as there is no proof against the fraud users. All those transactions happen outside the platform.
BGCLive expels or bans those accounts that they feel are fake. It will also remove those accounts that are reported by many members.
You might be unable to access your account when your account is found to be reported too many times or when the site feels it to be a fake account.
Once you get expelled from the platform, your account gets permanently banished from the site.
There is no option to reactivate the account. You will have to make a new one and behave properly the next time.
Whenever you make a profile, make sure not to provide any information that can be misused by others. Do not provide information like address and mobile number to keep yourself safe in BGCLive.
You can block a suspected scammer by visiting their profile. There you will find the option to prevent the profile.
You should avoid posting information like address, mobile number, bank account number, etc., to avoid any type of fraud.
It is a platform where the users can contact the customer care for any doubt they have. They can look up in the FAQ section for answers or submit their question on the Contact Us page. There are multiple options to approach the people behind the platform.
BGCLive is definitely not the best site I’ve used because it’s protection system is kinda weak, and the design looks old. But I would say that most profiles here are real, at least it seems so. All people I’ve talked to here were real and very pleasant. I would recommend considering this site if you want to have a nice chat with people sharing your lifestyle.
The platform cannot be called the best dating platform due to its lack of members and members’ concentration in one area.
The platform is very safe as it tries its best to remove fake profiles and scammers.
It is a platform where most of the people are looking for a serious relationship rather than casual sex. However, you will also find members who are there for casual flings.
BGCLive does not charge anything during registration. However, you will have to pay a fee for a premium membership.
You can view and like the profile of other members. There is a search option with multiple parameters. There is also a messaging system to communicate with the members.
BGCLive has fake members, but it is very less due to the people running the platform.
There are a lot of dating sites and apps that are exclusively for the people of the LGBT community. The most popular website is Grindr. There are also other dating apps like OkCupid, Tinder, Bumble, etc. BGCLive is way behind these platforms in every aspect.
Company: BGCLive
Twitter: @bgclive_com
BGCLive is a good site for gay and bisexual men. However, it has some drawbacks. The website and the app need to be updated immediately. The number of members is very limited and concentrated in one area. It limits the scope of finding someone elsewhere. However, BGCLive is a very experienced site, and you should give it a try before you think of ruling it out.
Veronica Long is a relationship expert who wants her clients to learn and grow in their relationships. She has studied psychology and worked in fields that allowed her to do research on infidelity, addiction, PTSD, and mental illness. Thanks to her ability to empathize and soothe her clients, they can discuss and strategize even their worst relationship and personal challenges.
Education
RH Certified Relationship Expert
Expertise
Dating, Relationships.