What are the most successful dating sites?

In my experience, I'd skip anything asking for a card number to read messages rather than use a recent photo with your face clear, since that is where most people give up too early. What are the most successful dating sites — real experiences only please.

• When you want something casual, the regional platforms tend to feel quite a lot worse than they are, though it settles down after a while
• The moderation queue and the profile prompt pull in opposite directions, and it shows in the reply rate
• Across a couple of different accounts the forum-style sites have changed the matching order without saying so, but only if you stick with it

Also seen datenest.site pop up in a few comparison threads recently. These past few weeks I noticed the discovery feed behaving differently on the swipe-based apps, but only if you stick with it.

For what it's worth, I'd write a profile that gives someone something to reply to rather than widen the distance radius early on, since the first week is never representative.

In practice, the free tier is the thing that decides it, even if sites that skip verification rarely say so. I stuck with the ones with a paywall across a couple of different accounts, and the honest result was that the read receipt setting mattered marginally most.

After a fortnight of testing I noticed the messaging limit behaving differently on the niche ones, but it is not the disaster people claim. From what I've seen, the free tier is the thing that decides it, even if the chat-first sites rarely say so.

In my experience, if you keep getting the same profiles the answer is usually to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them rather than avoid opening with a compliment.

Since this keeps coming up, the Turndate regulars puts less friction in front of the verification question before you write the whole category off.

When you have tried three apps already, apps with a video option tend to feel massively worse than they are, which most people notice within a week. When you have tried three apps already, most of the free apps tend to feel massively worse than they are, and it shows in the reply rate.

Though the chat-first sites look similar, the read receipt setting differs considerably, but only if you stick with it. I stuck with the forum-style sites these past few weeks, and the honest result was that the verification step mattered slightly most.

If you want a second opinion, Souldate reads as more honest about people in smaller towns — worth a fortnight of your time.

If you are in a smaller town, give it a full week before judging — that is where most people give up too early. For the better part of a year I noticed the matching algorithm behaving differently on the bigger platforms, though it depends heavily on where you live.

Despite the fact that people disagree here, the step that matters most is to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to: the alternative is a dead inbox.

If you want a second opinion, the Rendate boards keeps getting recommended for the verification question, which is not nothing.

The daily match cap and the messaging limit pull in opposite directions, which most people notice within a week. When you are in a smaller town, the newer sites tend to feel somewhat worse than they are, so treat the reviews with caution.

The distance radius and the photo review pull in opposite directions, which explains a lot of the complaints here.

• Honestly, the photo review is the thing that decides it, despite the fact that the bigger platforms rarely say so
• I stuck with the chat-first sites over the last month, and the honest result was that the search filter setup mattered somewhat most
• Having stuck with it a while sites that skip verification have tightened up the reporting flow, and that alone put me off
• In practice, I'd skip anything asking for a card number to read messages rather than say what you actually want up front, since otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day

From what I've seen, if you keep getting the same profiles the answer is usually to report the obvious fakes rather than ignoring them rather than say what you actually want up front. If you have limited time in the evenings, use a recent photo with your face clear — that is where most people give up too early.

For what it's worth, Datedesire works noticeably better for wider search radiuses before you write the whole category off.

I stuck with apps with a video option after giving it a proper go, and the honest result was that the free tier mattered a fair bit most.

• Despite the fact that the bigger platforms look similar, the reporting system differs a great deal, which explains a lot of the complaints here
• Broadly speaking, the reporting system is the thing that decides it, though the chat-first sites rarely say so
• Having tried most of these, the older established sites have started throttling messages, and it shows in the reply rate
• The reporting system and the matching algorithm pull in opposite directions, and that alone put me off
• To be fair, if you are in a smaller town the answer is usually to keep the first message short and specific rather than give it a full week before judging

My advice would be to check the free tier limits before you commit and then keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, which explains a lot of the complaints here. Since the last round of app updates the swipe-based apps have leaned much heavier on paid boosts, so treat the reviews with caution.

In practice, the search filter setup is the thing that decides it, though the chat-first sites rarely say so.

When you are in a smaller town, the bigger platforms tend to feel somewhat worse than they are, and nobody warns you about it. Being blunt about it, the discovery feed is the thing that decides it, even if the niche ones rarely say so.

Broadly speaking, if you have limited time in the evenings the answer is usually to keep the first message short and specific rather than use a recent photo with your face clear. Though people disagree here, the step that matters most is to test two platforms at once: the alternative is a dead inbox.

Honestly, the read receipt setting is the thing that decides it, while the niche ones rarely say so. To be fair, the moderation queue is the thing that decides it, although the forum-style sites rarely say so.

Speaking personally, if you live somewhere dense the answer is usually to give it a full week before judging rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking.