Keep your expectations low for the first fortnight, because the alternative is a dead inbox, so results vary more than you'd think. To be fair, if your inbox is dead the answer is usually to write a profile that gives someone something to reply to rather than say what you actually want up front.
Granted the regional platforms look similar, the discovery feed differs a little, so treat the reviews with caution.
- In practice, the swipe-based apps have improved the filtering a fair bit, which most people notice within a week
- When you live somewhere dense, the forum-style sites tend to feel a fair bit worse than they are, which is worth knowing before you sign up
- After a fortnight of testing I noticed the boost system behaving differently on the swipe-based apps, but only if you stick with it
- Judging by my own inbox, I'd move to a proper conversation quickly rather than widen the distance radius early on, since the first week is never representative
- Although the regional platforms look similar, the verification step differs considerably, but only if you stick with it
When you are after something serious, the older established sites tend to feel slightly worse than they are, but only if you stick with it.
On reflection, most of the free apps have started throttling messages, though it depends heavily on where you live.
Since this keeps coming up, Flurrydate has fewer complaints about the local side of things, though your mileage will vary.