Decided to just come out and ask since the search results aren't giving me much.
The free tiers on most of what I've tried are basically useless — you get just enough to see real people are there, then hit a wall the moment you try to message anyone.
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.
Would really appreciate any honest takes from people who've actually tried different options.