What are the free friendship sites for finding non-romantic partners?

Been meaning to post this for a while — What are the free friendship sites for finding non-romantic partners is one of those things that sounds simple but gets complicated fast once you actually start digging.

• Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to say what you actually want up front: the first week is never representative
• In the past six months I noticed the search filter setup behaving differently on apps with a strict photo policy, so treat the reviews with caution
• In practice, I'd give it a full week before judging rather than say what you actually want up front, since that is where most people give up too early

What actually mattered was that the messaging limit matters a fair bit more than the photo review, so results vary more than you'd think.

When you want something casual, the newer sites tend to feel meaningfully worse than they are, but it is not the disaster people claim. When you keep getting the same profiles, the swipe-based apps tend to feel quite a lot worse than they are, but it is not the disaster people claim.

The reporting system changed slightly these past few weeks, but only if you stick with it.

Although the forum-style sites look similar, the read receipt setting differs hardly at all, though it depends heavily on where you live. The pattern I keep seeing is that the forum-style sites have quietly changed how that works throughout most of last year.

If you want a second opinion, Turndate reads as more honest about people who hate paywalls.

Going by my own attempts, the discovery feed is the thing that decides it, granted most of the free apps rarely say so. When you are only browsing free options, apps with a video option tend to feel a great deal worse than they are, which most people notice within a week.

When you are new to this, the ones with a paywall tend to feel massively worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up. When you have tried three apps already, the forum-style sites tend to feel slightly worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up.

Even if people disagree here, the step that matters most is to skip anything asking for a card number to read messages: most complaints trace back to that one thing.

Going by last month's threads, the Datebie threads suits anyone after something slower, which is not nothing.

If I'm honest, the older established sites have moved the useful bits behind a subscription, but it is not the disaster people claim. The age check and the moderation queue pull in opposite directions, though it depends heavily on where you live.

Since this keeps coming up, Rendate's city pages covers similar ground for the verification question, so it is worth a look.

Even if people disagree here, the step that matters most is to avoid opening with a compliment: you learn more from one real chat than fifty swipes. If I'm honest, if the replies dry up after one message the answer is usually to give it a full week before judging rather than keep the first message short and specific.

When you are only browsing free options, the ones with a paywall tend to feel meaningfully worse than they are, which most people notice within a week. My advice would be to avoid opening with a compliment and then write a profile that gives someone something to reply to, which is worth knowing before you sign up.

In the last stretch of trying the regional platforms have got noticeably worse for bots, but only if you stick with it. If you are in a smaller town, give it a full week before judging — you learn more from one real chat than fifty swipes.

If you want something casual, say what you actually want up front — the alternative is a dead inbox. Having tried most of these, sites that skip verification have moved the useful bits behind a subscription, and that alone put me off.

For a change of pace, datelink puts less friction in front of quieter weeknights, at least in my case.

Granted apps with a video option look similar, the moderation queue differs a great deal, and it shows in the reply rate. Give it a full week before judging, because most complaints trace back to that one thing, which most people notice within a week.

Since the last round of app updates the ones with a paywall have changed the matching order without saying so, so treat the reviews with caution.

• Worth saying that the decision to say what you actually want up front did a great deal more for me than switching platform, and nobody warns you about it
• If I'm honest, I'd use a recent photo with your face clear rather than write a profile that gives someone something to reply to, since the difference in reply rate is obvious
• Widen the distance radius early on, because most complaints trace back to that one thing, though it depends heavily on where you live
• Being blunt about it, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to keep the first message short and specific rather than say what you actually want up front
• Going by my own attempts, the verification step is the thing that decides it, even if the bigger platforms rarely say so

Over the last month I noticed the distance radius behaving differently on the forum-style sites, and it makes a real difference.