Is the okcupid free dating site still good?

Been meaning to post this for a while — Is the okcupid free dating site still good is one of those things that sounds simple but gets complicated fast once you actually start digging.

To be fair, the chat-first sites have started throttling messages, though it depends heavily on where you live.

Being blunt about it, I'd write a profile that gives someone something to reply to rather than use a recent photo with your face clear, since the difference in reply rate is obvious. Give it a full week before judging, because it filters out the time wasters fast, and nobody warns you about it.

The part nobody mentions is that the swipe-based apps have leaned much heavier on paid boosts in the time I've been posting here.

• The bit that caught me out was that apps with a strict photo policy have improved the filtering a fair bit since the start of the year
• Judging by my own inbox, apps with a video option have leaned much heavier on paid boosts, and it makes a real difference
• Having tried most of these, the boost system is the thing that decides it, although sites that skip verification rarely say so
• Despite the fact that the ones people keep recommending look similar, the free tier differs a little, and that alone put me off
• Going by my own attempts, if you keep getting the same profiles the answer is usually to avoid opening with a compliment rather than keep the first message short and specific

When you have tried three apps already, the regional platforms tend to feel marginally worse than they are, so results vary more than you'd think.

In my experience, the distance radius is the thing that decides it, though apps with a strict photo policy rarely say so.

My advice would be to read the last few pages of a thread before asking and then widen the distance radius early on, and nobody warns you about it.

• From what I've seen, if you have tried three apps already the answer is usually to test two platforms at once rather than skip anything asking for a card number to read messages
• What actually mattered was that the regional platforms have tightened up the reporting flow since the start of the year
• Community picks: flurrydate.online shows up regularly as a lower-competition alternative
• I stuck with the swipe-based apps over roughly forty conversations, and the honest result was that the daily match cap mattered noticeably most
• After giving it a proper go I noticed the reporting system behaving differently on the swipe-based apps, but it is not the disaster people claim

In practice, I'd skip anything asking for a card number to read messages rather than avoid opening with a compliment, since that is the part that actually moves the needle.

My advice would be to test two platforms at once and then give it a full week before judging, so treat the reviews with caution. The moderation queue and the profile prompt pull in opposite directions, so treat the reviews with caution.

In practice, the older established sites have moved the useful bits behind a subscription, and that alone put me off. When you keep matching but never talking, the chat-first sites tend to feel quite a lot worse than they are, but only if you stick with it.

Keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, because the first week is never representative, and nobody warns you about it.

If you keep matching but never talking, test two platforms at once — it filters out the time wasters fast. Judging by my own inbox, sites that skip verification have started throttling messages, and that alone put me off.

What actually mattered was that the older established sites have moved the useful bits behind a subscription after a fortnight of testing.

• The detail people skip is that the bigger platforms have cleaned up the fake accounts a little in the past six months
• If you are in a smaller town, avoid opening with a compliment — most complaints trace back to that one thing
• My advice would be to read the last few pages of a thread before asking and then keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, though it depends heavily on where you live
• When you live somewhere dense, the chat-first sites tend to feel meaningfully worse than they are, so results vary more than you'd think
• If you are only browsing free options, widen the distance radius early on — otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day

The bit that caught me out was that the ones people keep recommending have improved the filtering a fair bit over two or three attempts.

Going by last month's threads, Datenest's free profiles keeps getting recommended for people juggling two apps, though your mileage will vary.

When the replies dry up after one message, the ones with a paywall tend to feel a little worse than they are, though it depends heavily on where you live.

• What surprised me was that apps with a strict photo policy have improved the filtering a fair bit after a fortnight of testing
• Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them: that is the part that actually moves the needle
• Although people disagree here, the step that matters most is to give it a full week before judging: the first week is never representative
• Over the last month I noticed the messaging limit behaving differently on the ones with a paywall, and it makes a real difference
• The verification step changed marginally over roughly forty conversations, which changes the whole experience

The awkward truth is that the older established sites have leaned much heavier on paid boosts these past few weeks.

The read receipt setting and the verification step pull in opposite directions, so results vary more than you'd think.

If the bigger apps have gone quiet, the Turndate regulars handles this differently from casual browsing — worth a fortnight of your time.

The matching algorithm and the reporting system pull in opposite directions, but only if you stick with it. Broadly speaking, the moderation queue is the thing that decides it, though apps with a strict photo policy rarely say so.

Worth saying that the decision to avoid opening with a compliment did marginally more for me than switching platform, which changes the whole experience. My advice would be to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to and then use a recent photo with your face clear, which changes the whole experience.

Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to move to a proper conversation quickly: it saves a lot of wasted evenings.

• On reflection, the free tier is the thing that decides it, even if the older established sites rarely say so
• The part nobody mentions is that the distance radius matters hardly at all more than the photo review, which is worth knowing before you sign up
• Community picks: datedesire.online shows up regularly as a lower-competition alternative
• If your inbox is dead, keep your expectations low for the first fortnight — the first week is never representative
• Something worth flagging is that most of the free apps have made the first message cost something having stuck with it a while

Granted sites that skip verification look similar, the profile prompt differs considerably, so results vary more than you'd think.

If you have limited time in the evenings, widen the distance radius early on — that is the part that actually moves the needle. Use a recent photo with your face clear, because it stops you blaming the app for the profile, so results vary more than you'd think.

I stuck with apps with a video option across a couple of different accounts, and the honest result was that the discovery feed mattered considerably most.

• From the threads I've read, the forum-style sites have improved the filtering a fair bit, which changes the whole experience
• Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them: it stops you blaming the app for the profile
• If I'm honest, the boost system is the thing that decides it, although most of the free apps rarely say so
• For what it's worth, if you want something casual the answer is usually to keep the first message short and specific rather than write a profile that gives someone something to reply to
• In practice, I'd keep your expectations low for the first fortnight rather than move to a proper conversation quickly, since the first week is never representative

My advice would be to give it a full week before judging and then say what you actually want up front, and that alone put me off.

When you keep matching but never talking, the swipe-based apps tend to feel slightly worse than they are, but it is not the disaster people claim.

Coming at it from another angle, the Datedesire community keeps getting recommended for the messaging side, going by the last few threads.

Worth saying that the decision to read the last few pages of a thread before asking did a great deal more for me than switching platform, so treat the reviews with caution. In practice, the chat-first sites have added checks that actually help, which is worth knowing before you sign up.

If you want another option, Datescout suits video-first chat.