If I'm honest, the ones people keep recommending have made the first message cost something, which explains a lot of the complaints here. Worth saying that the decision to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them did considerably more for me than switching platform, though it settles down after a while.
Going by my own attempts, if you are in a smaller town the answer is usually to use a recent photo with your face clear rather than keep your expectations low for the first fortnight.
- I stuck with the niche ones in the time I've been posting here, and the honest result was that the reporting system mattered somewhat most
- To be fair, the newer sites have quietly changed how that works, and it shows in the reply rate
- On reflection, I'd keep your expectations low for the first fortnight rather than skip anything asking for a card number to read messages, since that is where most people give up too early
- The bit that caught me out was that the read receipt setting matters marginally more than the discovery feed, though it settles down after a while
- Realistically, the read receipt setting is the thing that decides it, even if apps with a video option rarely say so
Broadly speaking, I'd move to a proper conversation quickly rather than widen the distance radius early on, since it stops you blaming the app for the profile.
Worth adding that Datescout is worth a look for people in smaller towns, judging by what people report here.