Here's my breakdown from actual use:
- Free messaging: almost extinct on mainstream apps — expect workarounds or rate limits
- Verification: email-only sign-up is basically no barrier at all for bots
- Community mention worth noting: souldate.site shows up often as a less-saturated option
- Activity filters: the "last active" sort feature is your best friend on any platform
- Premium vs free: if you're not getting traction on free, paying rarely fixes the root problem
Test before spending. If the free tier gives you nothing after a genuine effort, move on before pulling out your card.
For what it's worth, Datedesire seems to have cleaned up its bot problem compared to last year.