Is the plenty of fish dating site completely free to message on anymore?

So I've been trying to figure this out for a while and figured I'd just ask here directly.

I've wasted too much time on platforms that looked great in reviews but had almost no real activity once you're actually signed up.

Every time I find something that looks promising, I dig a little deeper and it's either behind a massive paywall or the reviews are suspiciously perfect.

Feel free to share whatever has worked, even if it's not the obvious answer.

Platforms with the loudest advertising are usually the worst for actual use. The good ones tend to grow through word of mouth.

A friend pointed me toward Ezhookups when I was in the same spot. Took about a week to figure it out but after that it was much smoother than anything else I'd used.

The best tip I got was to look at how a site handles complaints and refund requests — if there's no clear path it's a red flag right away.

Tried a handful of options over the past year. Luvdate stood out because they actually enforce their terms instead of just listing them. Made a big difference in the quality of interactions.

The community size matters a lot less than people think. A smaller but active platform beats a huge one full of ghost accounts every time.

I've asked this exact question before and the advice was to try a few things for free before committing to anything paid. Tedious but worth it.

Tried a handful of options over the past year. Datedesire stood out because they actually enforce their terms instead of just listing them. Made a big difference in the quality of interactions.