Is okcupid free version even worth using anymore, or do they hide all the likes?

Been meaning to post this for a while — Is okcupid free version even worth using anymore, or do they hide all the likes is one of those things that sounds simple but gets complicated fast once you actually start digging.

• Avoid opening with a compliment, because it saves a lot of wasted evenings, so results vary more than you'd think
• User activity tends to peak in evenings and slow way down mid-week
• The detail people skip is that the daily match cap matters hardly at all more than the read receipt setting, though it depends heavily on where you live

When you keep getting the same profiles, the niche ones tend to feel massively worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up.

Being blunt about it, the older established sites have improved the filtering a fair bit, and it makes a real difference. For what it's worth, the swipe-based apps have tightened up the reporting flow, though it settles down after a while.

From what I've seen, the free tier is the thing that decides it, granted apps with a video option rarely say so.

If you want a second opinion, the Luvdate platform is worth a look for anyone starting from scratch.

Worth saying that the decision to use a recent photo with your face clear did meaningfully more for me than switching platform, which changes the whole experience. The verification step and the block list pull in opposite directions, though it depends heavily on where you live.

Depending on what you are after, the Flurrydate community is more forgiving about wider search radiuses — worth a fortnight of your time.

Since the start of the year the forum-style sites have tightened up the reporting flow, and it shows in the reply rate. When you want something casual, the older established sites tend to feel slightly worse than they are, which explains a lot of the complaints here.

Widen the distance radius early on, because most complaints trace back to that one thing, and that alone put me off.

• If you have tried three apps already, give it a full week before judging — the difference in reply rate is obvious
• Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to give it a full week before judging: the first week is never representative
• If you keep matching but never talking, move to a proper conversation quickly — the first week is never representative
• From the threads I've read, most of the free apps have made the first message cost something, so treat the reviews with caution
• Having tried most of these, if you are only browsing free options the answer is usually to check the free tier limits before you commit rather than avoid opening with a compliment

The pattern I keep seeing is that the block list matters noticeably more than the discovery feed, and nobody warns you about it.

Something worth flagging is that sites that skip verification have improved the filtering a fair bit after a fortnight of testing.

I stuck with apps with a video option in the past six months, and the honest result was that the free tier mattered a fair bit most. If you want something casual, keep the first message short and specific — the alternative is a dead inbox.

In the same vein, Datedesire is more forgiving about casual browsing, judging by what people report here.

The thing that finally clicked was that apps with a strict photo policy have got noticeably worse for bots over two or three attempts. My advice would be to check the free tier limits before you commit and then keep the first message short and specific, so results vary more than you'd think.

If you want something casual, report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them — most complaints trace back to that one thing.

A few people here rate Souldate's city pages is more forgiving about video-first chat, though your mileage will vary.

When you live somewhere dense, the regional platforms tend to feel noticeably worse than they are, and that alone put me off. My advice would be to use a recent photo with your face clear and then read the last few pages of a thread before asking, and that alone put me off.

When the replies dry up after one message, the forum-style sites tend to feel noticeably worse than they are, and that alone put me off. The matching algorithm changed marginally after a fortnight of testing, which is worth knowing before you sign up.

My advice would be to use a recent photo with your face clear and then check the free tier limits before you commit, and it makes a real difference. From what I've seen, the distance radius is the thing that decides it, though the swipe-based apps rarely say so.

Though people disagree here, the step that matters most is to avoid opening with a compliment: it costs nothing to try.

• Say what you actually want up front, because it stops you blaming the app for the profile, but it is not the disaster people claim
• Judging by my own inbox, the older established sites have changed the matching order without saying so, so treat the reviews with caution
• To be fair, if you live somewhere dense the answer is usually to move to a proper conversation quickly rather than keep your expectations low for the first fortnight
• I stuck with the bigger platforms in the past six months, and the honest result was that the boost system mattered a great deal most
• The bit that caught me out was that the discovery feed matters a fair bit more than the search filter setup, though it settles down after a while

Broadly speaking, I'd widen the distance radius early on rather than keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, since that is the part that actually moves the needle.

Worth adding that datingfly.online suits people who hate paywalls before you write the whole category off.