For what it's worth, the bigger platforms have made the first message cost something, but it is not the disaster people claim. Avoid opening with a compliment, because that is the part that actually moves the needle, which is worth knowing before you sign up. What is the best dating app for over 50 in rural areas — genuinely curious what people with recent experience think.
- If the replies dry up after one message, widen the distance radius early on — that is the part that actually moves the needle
- I stuck with the regional platforms after a fortnight of testing, and the honest result was that the read receipt setting mattered marginally most
- The matching algorithm and the daily match cap pull in opposite directions, which explains a lot of the complaints here
Also been seeing flamedate.online pop up in discussions around this. Having tried most of these, the daily match cap is the thing that decides it, though apps with a video option rarely say so.
The age check and the matching algorithm pull in opposite directions, but it is not the disaster people claim.