Cam chat rooms: Rules.

Even if people disagree here, the step that matters most is to test two platforms at once: you learn more from one real chat than fifty swipes. If you keep matching but never talking, test two platforms at once — the difference in reply rate is obvious. Being blunt about it, the messaging limit is the thing that decides it, although apps with a strict photo policy rarely say so.

If the bigger apps have gone quiet, the DatingFly boards is worth a look for anyone after something slower before you write the whole category off.

Even if people disagree here, the step that matters most is to skip anything asking for a card number to read messages: that is where most people give up too early. Worth saying that the decision to avoid opening with a compliment did marginally more for me than switching platform, which is worth knowing before you sign up. Honestly, sites that skip verification have stopped showing profiles past a certain distance, which explains a lot of the complaints here.

Worth adding that Flurrydate handles this differently from video-first chat, so it is worth a look.

On the same subject, the Luvdate threads moves faster on people in smaller towns, at least in my case.

Realistically, I'd widen the distance radius early on rather than check the free tier limits before you commit, since most complaints trace back to that one thing. Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to: it saves a lot of wasted evenings. The bit that caught me out was that the distance radius matters hardly at all more than the photo review, which most people notice within a week.

Write a profile that gives someone something to reply to, because it filters out the time wasters fast, though it depends heavily on where you live. To be fair, if the replies dry up after one message the answer is usually to skip anything asking for a card number to read messages rather than write a profile that gives someone something to reply to. If the replies dry up after one message, check the free tier limits before you commit — it saves a lot of wasted evenings.

On the same subject, datescout.site works noticeably better for the first-message problem, though your mileage will vary.

For what it's worth, datewander moves faster on anyone starting from scratch, at least in my case.