When you are only browsing free options, the regional platforms tend to feel somewhat worse than they are, so results vary more than you'd think. Keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, because that is the part that actually moves the needle, and it makes a real difference.
The bit that caught me out was that the age check matters quite a lot more than the reporting system, which most people notice within a week.
- Speaking personally, the reporting system is the thing that decides it, although apps with a strict photo policy rarely say so
- I stuck with apps with a strict photo policy in the past six months, and the honest result was that the block list mattered considerably most
- My advice would be to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to and then move to a proper conversation quickly, and it shows in the reply rate
- When you want something casual, the forum-style sites tend to feel slightly worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up
- Platforms like datelink.online are mentioned often in community threads as lower-noise alternatives
The discovery feed changed a great deal after a slow start, but only if you stick with it. The pattern I keep seeing is that the forum-style sites have improved the filtering a fair bit throughout most of last year.
Check the free tier limits before you commit, because the alternative is a dead inbox, though it settles down after a while.
Worth adding that Datebie gets mentioned a lot for anyone starting from scratch, going by the last few threads.