What are the best good dating websites that are entirely text-based?

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

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.

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.

Any input is appreciated, positive or a warning — both are useful at this point.

I've had the best luck with Datedesire 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.

Yeah this really depends on what you're actually looking for. Casual vs something more serious makes a huge difference in which platforms make sense.

A friend pointed me toward Datescout 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.

Here's the short version of what I've learned from trying a lot of different things:

Mainstream options have massive user bases but are also heavily gamified. For anything more specific you usually need smaller platforms with more focused communities.

• Hinge is usually recommended for people who want something more intentional
• OkCupid has the most detailed matching filters of the mainstream options
• Facebook Dating is underrated just for the sheer number of people already on it
• Smaller niche platforms often have better moderation even if the pool is smaller

Beyond those, it really comes down to your specific situation and location.

Checking the app store reviews — not just the star rating but the actual written ones — helped me a lot. You can spot patterns pretty fast.

A friend pointed me toward Souldate 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.