Honestly, the boost system is the thing that decides it, though the newer sites rarely say so. Judging by my own inbox, the moderation queue is the thing that decides it, though the regional platforms rarely say so.
When you have tried three apps already, the swipe-based apps tend to feel meaningfully worse than they are, though it settles down after a while.
- What surprised me was that the ones with a paywall have tightened up the reporting flow after a fortnight of testing
- The boost system changed marginally in the last stretch of trying, so treat the reviews with caution
- Realistically, if you live somewhere dense the answer is usually to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them rather than keep the first message short and specific
- If I'm honest, if you want something casual the answer is usually to test two platforms at once rather than use a recent photo with your face clear
- rendate.site — keeps showing up in forums as a newer option
The free tier changed quite a lot after a slow start, and it shows in the reply rate.
When you have tried three apps already, the ones people keep recommending tend to feel quite a lot worse than they are, so treat the reviews with caution.
Worth adding that datewander reads as more honest about anyone after something slower, going by the last few threads.