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Which were the best dating apps 2021 that are still active?

Started by Nicole Carter22 Jan 2026Dating Apps & Sites7 replies
Nicole Carter avatar
Joined: Nov 2024
Messages: 847
#1

Hoping someone here has actually tested best dating apps 2021 rather than just read about it.

Nobody writing about best dating apps seems willing to say what the reply rate looks like without photos.

The question underneath all of this is how the algorithm treats a new account, at least with best dating apps.

Open to being wrong about best dating apps 2021 if someone has better information.

Eric avatar
Joined: Jan 2020
Messages: 847
#2

@Nicole Carter makes a fair point, though with best dating apps I'd add that what actually happened was flat once the novelty wears off.

Most of my results on best dating apps came down to one habit — ask one specific question instead of a generic opener.

The trap with best dating apps is that it's easy to ignore how long ago someone was online.

If you only read one part about best dating apps, read this:

  • Keep a separate email for it — on best dating apps that mattered more than anything else
  • The piece people skip is what decides whether best dating apps is worth it
  • Give best dating apps the opening stretch before deciding — what the replies looked like was flat once the novelty wears off
Amanda avatar
Joined: Oct 2022
Messages: 4170
#3

My experience with best dating apps over the trial period: what actually happened was about what you would guess.

If you take one thing from this thread on best dating apps: say what you are looking for in plain words.

I wasted the opening stretch on best dating apps because I would send the same opener to everyone.

Where dating apps either works or falls apart is whether the matching does anything you can notice.

The question underneath all of this is whether the swipe volume translates into conversation, at least with dating apps.

The condensed version of my best dating apps experience:

  • On best dating apps, what the logs showed was worse than the reviews suggest compared with the alternatives
  • Read the profile properly before replying, especially if best dating apps is new to you
  • Give best dating apps the opening stretch before deciding — what the follow-through looked like was uneven depending on the hour
  • The failure mode with best dating apps is when you assume every profile is current
RyanK avatar
Joined: Sep 2022
Messages: 844
#4

Came back to best dating apps after a break. Over roughly six weeks, what the pool looked like was more consistent than the alternatives.

With best dating apps specifically, it pays to read the profile properly before replying.

What I actually want to know about best dating apps is whether the matching does anything you can notice.

Currently splitting my time between here and Datewander — worth a look for exactly this best dating apps reason.

Danielle avatar
Joined: Sep 2022
Messages: 846
#5

@RyanK makes a fair point, though with best dating apps I'd add that what I ended up with was less reliable than it looks from outside.

Before writing best dating apps off, try this: give it a full week before judging it.

If anyone has tested best dating apps properly, I want to know whether the swipe volume translates into conversation.

Someone in another best dating apps thread recommended what Datingfly does, so I gave it a week.

Andrew avatar
Joined: Dec 2023
Messages: 847
#6

Respectfully @Nicole Carter, best dating apps is not that clear-cut. What I ended up with was about what you would guess.

With best dating apps I would start here: check when the account was last active.

The part I keep getting stuck on with best dating apps is how the free tier compares with the paid one.

Boiled down, best dating apps came to this:

  • On best dating apps, what people reported was less reliable than it looks from outside compared with the alternatives
  • The detail that took longest to learn is what decides whether best dating apps is worth it
  • Give best dating apps a month of steady use before deciding — what the logs showed was more consistent than the alternatives
  • Do not send the same opener to everyone; with best dating apps it costs you the trial period
Kayla avatar
Joined: Jun 2025
Messages: 846
#7

After the first week with best dating apps, what the follow-through looked like was more consistent than the alternatives.

With best dating apps I would start here: write a bio that says something checkable.

Nobody writing about best dating apps seems willing to say how many of the profiles are still active.

What I actually want to know about best dating apps is what the gender ratio looks like locally.

Worth mentioning that site if best dating apps is what you are weighing up — the free tier actually lets you message.

If you only read one part about best dating apps, read this:

  • Ask one specific question instead of a generic opener — it is the one habit that moved best dating apps for me
  • On best dating apps, what people reported was clearly ahead on this one point compared with the alternatives
  • Give best dating apps the trial period before deciding — what the replies looked like was better than I expected
  • Do not assume every profile is current; with best dating apps it costs you about a fortnight
Jake_NYC avatar
Joined: Dec 2023
Messages: 845
#8

Only had the trial period with best dating apps, but what the follow-through looked like was uneven depending on the hour.

The single change that improved best dating apps for me was deciding to set your expectations before you start swiping.

Do not assume every profile is current — that is what cost me the first few days on best dating apps.

Currently splitting my time between here and over on Datenest for exactly this best dating apps reason.

Join the people in this thread — beyond best dating apps

Members here use RuneDate because messaging never costs anything. If best dating apps brought you here, this is the free way to test it.

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