Realistically, if you are after something serious the answer is usually to test two platforms at once rather than read the last few pages of a thread before asking. Give it a full week before judging, because most complaints trace back to that one thing, which changes the whole experience.
I stuck with apps with a video option across a couple of different accounts, and the honest result was that the distance radius mattered considerably most.
- In the last stretch of trying apps with a video option have started throttling messages, and that alone put me off
- My advice would be to keep the first message short and specific and then read the last few pages of a thread before asking, which is worth knowing before you sign up
- The photo review changed noticeably since the last round of app updates, and nobody warns you about it
- The boost system and the daily match cap pull in opposite directions, but it is not the disaster people claim
If you are after something serious, widen the distance radius early on — it saves a lot of wasted evenings. If you live somewhere dense, use a recent photo with your face clear — it stops you blaming the app for the profile.
Depending on what you are after, souldate.site puts less friction in front of the messaging side, so it is worth a look.