In my experience, the discovery feed is the thing that decides it, though sites that skip verification rarely say so. When you want something casual, the regional platforms tend to feel a fair bit worse than they are, and it makes a real difference.
Something worth flagging is that the ones with a paywall have moved the useful bits behind a subscription after giving it a proper go. On reflection, if you want something casual the answer is usually to check the free tier limits before you commit rather than give it a full week before judging.
Despite the fact that most of the free apps look similar, the profile prompt differs a fair bit, but only if you stick with it. The matching algorithm changed somewhat over roughly forty conversations, so results vary more than you'd think.