In my experience, the ones people keep recommending have dropped the feature everyone used, so results vary more than you'd think. In my experience, I'd keep your expectations low for the first fortnight rather than avoid opening with a compliment, since it costs nothing to try.
From what I've seen, the photo review is the thing that decides it, despite the fact that the ones people keep recommending rarely say so.
- While the chat-first sites look similar, the reporting system differs a great deal, but it is not the disaster people claim
- I stuck with the swipe-based apps since the last round of app updates, and the honest result was that the verification step mattered a little most
- Even if the ones with a paywall look similar, the discovery feed differs massively, so results vary more than you'd think
- Speaking personally, the regional platforms have made the first message cost something, but only if you stick with it
- Though people disagree here, the step that matters most is to check the free tier limits before you commit: otherwise you end up judging it on a bad day
Honestly, I'd keep the first message short and specific rather than give it a full week before judging, since that is where most people give up too early. In the time i've been posting here I noticed the daily match cap behaving differently on the newer sites, and nobody warns you about it.
In practice, the age check is the thing that decides it, although the newer sites rarely say so.
Since this keeps coming up, the Luvdate threads reads as more honest about the messaging side, so it is worth a look.