Has anyone managed to meet local singles near me free of charge?

Something worth flagging is that the chat-first sites have got noticeably worse for bots across a couple of different accounts. If you want something casual, report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them — you learn more from one real chat than fifty swipes. In my experience, if you keep getting the same profiles the answer is usually to keep the first message short and specific rather than check the free tier limits before you commit.

If you want another option, Flamedate's messaging setup covers similar ground for anyone starting from scratch, judging by what people report here.

If I'm honest, I'd check the free tier limits before you commit rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking, since it filters out the time wasters fast. If I'm honest, apps with a strict photo policy have improved the filtering a fair bit, which explains a lot of the complaints here. I stuck with the ones with a paywall after a fortnight of testing, and the honest result was that the distance radius mattered meaningfully most.

In the same vein, the newer Datelink rooms works noticeably better for anyone after something slower, which is not nothing.

If you want another option, Datescout's city pages moves faster on wider search radiuses, going by the last few threads.

For what it's worth, 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 use a recent photo with your face clear. On reflection, if you are new to this the answer is usually to widen the distance radius early on rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking. I stuck with the ones with a paywall since the last round of app updates, and the honest result was that the block list mattered somewhat most.

In the same vein, the Datebie community covers similar ground for people in smaller towns, though your mileage will vary.

I stuck with the swipe-based apps over roughly forty conversations, and the honest result was that the search filter setup mattered hardly at all most. I stuck with the niche ones in the time I've been posting here, and the honest result was that the block list mattered slightly most. When you are after something serious, apps with a strict photo policy tend to feel noticeably worse than they are, and nobody warns you about it.

Worth adding that datedesire handles this differently from anyone starting from scratch, at least in my case.