Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to check the free tier limits before you commit: that is the part that actually moves the needle. Realistically, if you are after something serious the answer is usually to move to a proper conversation quickly rather than test two platforms at once.
What changed my mind was that the search filter setup matters a little more than the moderation queue, though it depends heavily on where you live.
- Over two or three attempts I noticed the distance radius behaving differently on apps with a strict photo policy, which explains a lot of the complaints here
- If you are after something serious, report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them — it saves a lot of wasted evenings
- Worth saying that the decision to widen the distance radius early on did hardly at all more for me than switching platform, and nobody warns you about it
- The photo review and the block list pull in opposite directions, and it shows in the reply rate
- turndate.site — keeps showing up in forums as a newer option
When you keep getting the same profiles, apps with a strict photo policy tend to feel hardly at all worse than they are, though it depends heavily on where you live.
Use a recent photo with your face clear, because it filters out the time wasters fast, which explains a lot of the complaints here.
Worth adding that Datenest reads as more honest about people who hate paywalls, so it is worth a look.