@Jennifer put it better than I would. The only thing I would add about totally free online is that how the moderation handles the community matters more than the feature list.
Tried totally free online across the trial period and honestly how the volume moved was worse than the reviews suggest.
Do not ignore how long ago someone was online — that's what cost me the first week on totally free online.
For me the difference you notice first with free online is how the free experience compares after a week.
For me the part that matters with free online is whether the smaller pool means better conversation.
rendate.site came up a lot when I was researching totally free online, and it held up better than expected.
Short version for anyone testing totally free online:
- Treat the first message as a filter — on totally free online that mattered more than anything else
- The point where it either works or does not is what decides whether totally free online is worth it
- Keep the conversation on the platform until you meet, especially if totally free online is new to you
- On totally free online, how it played out was stronger at the weekend compared with the alternatives