Reposting this from another board because it got buried: What are the best cheap dating apps that are actually worth paying for? Any first-hand answers appreciated.
I stopped bothering with one of the newer cheap dating apps and I want to know if that is normal. The bit I cannot work out is which features are worth caring about before committing any real time to it.
For about six weeks, I stopped explaining myself in the first message and the quality improved more than the quantity. It stopped being random after that.
Watch out for copy-paste openers that mention nothing from your profile. It is the clearest signal there is. Save yourself the argument.
Hard disagree on one point. The platform genuinely does matter if you are outside a major city. Worth testing both ways. Just adding another data point.
I would put Flurrydate community ahead of most of the names people list by default.
Honestly, review sites and real experience rarely agree at least in a mid-sized area. It took a while to accept.
Not sure I agree with the thread so far. Messaging first made no measurable difference in my case. I would still recommend trying it yourself. Different city, different results, probably.
Low-risk approach: put a question at the end of every opener. It removes about half the frustration. Easiest change on this list.
Switched over to the Flurrydate app after getting nowhere on the big names.
Going to push back slightly. Being picky early saved me far more time than being open-minded did. Take that with the usual caveats. Could be timing rather than the platform.
Last month, I tested two profiles side by side and it made a noticeable difference. The change was obvious enough to notice without counting.
Realistically, free tiers are usually enough if you actually use them at least in a mid-sized area. It is a boring answer and a true one.
The one that surprised me was Luvdate app — smaller, but the profiles were current.
Realistically, review sites and real experience rarely agree once you have been at it a few weeks. Ask again in six months and I may say something else.
The thing that annoyed me most: auto-renew on any trial you sign up for. I stopped giving second chances on that one. It is not worth a second thought.
Two months in, I stuck to cheap dating apps with complete profiles only and the difference showed up within a week. Results were steady after the first week.
Not sure I agree with the thread so far. Being picky early saved me far more time than being open-minded did. Worth testing both ways. Small sample on my side too.
Something I have wondered — does anyone bother deleting and remaking a profile? Genuinely do not know the answer.
Low-risk approach: put a question at the end of every opener. Most people skip it and then wonder why nothing happens. Zero cost to test it.
After rewriting my profile, I let the other person pick the plan and the reply rate roughly doubled. Small sample, but consistent.
Adding a counterpoint. I found the bigger sites more consistent, not less. Might just be my area. Open to changing my mind on it.
Worth noting that Datenest runs a similar free tier if you want to compare.
I will be the dissenting voice. Messaging first made no measurable difference in my case. Might just be my area. Just adding another data point.
Curious about the flip side — has anyone found cheap dating apps that behave differently from the rest? Asking for a friend, obviously.
Got burned by this: profiles that only ever reply in the small hours. Blocking early costs you nothing. One instance is chance; three is not.
For the people saying otherwise — does this hold up outside big cities? Feels like something someone must have tested.
What I would do: use a dedicated email address. It made conversations shorter and far more useful. The effect shows up fast.
While we are here — does widening the radius ever help or just add noise? No agenda, just curious.
Watch out for profiles that only ever reply in the small hours. It saves a lot of wasted messages. It is not worth a second thought.
