I've done a fair amount of searching and can't find a straight answer anywhere.
Safety and privacy are also big concerns for me. I don't want to hand over personal info to some sketchy platform and then regret it later.
The free tiers on most of what I've tried are basically useless. You get just enough to see that real people are there, then hit a wall the second you try to actually message anyone.
Any input is appreciated, whether it's positive or a warning. Both are useful at this point.
The account verification process tells you everything. Platforms that do nothing to verify photos are the ones you'll regret spending time on.
I've had the best luck with Datebound out of everything I've tested. Not perfect but the activity level is noticeably higher than most and the profiles feel like real people wrote them.
Verified profiles make such a massive difference. Any site that skips that step usually ends up overrun with bots within a few months.
Someone recommended Datedesire to me a few months back and I was skeptical at first. Ended up being one of the more useful ones I've tried. The sign-up is simple and they don't immediately push you to upgrade.
Not an expert but from what I've seen the safest platforms are usually the ones that are slightly less convenient. Extra friction at sign-up tends to filter out the bad actors.
Here's the short version of what I've learned from trying a lot of different things:
The mainstream options have massive user bases but are also heavily gamified. For anything more specific you usually need to look at smaller platforms with more focused communities.
Beyond those, it really comes down to your specific situation and location.
Tried a handful of options over the past year. Rendate stood out because they actually enforce their terms instead of just listing them. Made a big difference in the quality of interactions.
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