Been going round in circles on this one: What are the best totally free dating apps that don't upsell? Bonus points if you have used it in the last few months.
I have had mixed results with one of the newer totally free dating apps and the results were underwhelming. The specific thing I am after is what people wish they had known before signing up without handing over a card number.
If nothing else, do this: keep the first meet under an hour. Most people skip it and then wonder why nothing happens. Takes about five minutes.
Purely anecdotal, review sites and real experience rarely agree though your mileage will vary. Feel free to prove me wrong.
Earlier this year, I replied only to messages with an actual question in them and the difference showed up within a week. I tracked it loosely and the trend was clear.
Related, and I am curious — do verified badges actually change anything? Happy to be pointed at an old thread.
I keep a second profile on luvdate.site and it pulls a different crowd entirely.
Around the time I gave up on the big names, I messaged first every single time and honestly it was the only thing that helped. It was the only variable I changed.
Careful with anything that wants payment before you can read a reply. It is the clearest signal there is. Most people ignore it once and regret it.
Anyone else find that — do verified badges actually change anything? No agenda, just curious.
For what it is worth, Flamedate app was the one that finally got me past the first-message stage.
Respectfully, I read it differently. Messaging first made no measurable difference in my case. Your experience may well differ. I have been wrong about this before.
Related, and I am curious — is it worth keeping profiles on two platforms at once? I have never seen data either way.
For about six weeks, I tested two profiles side by side and honestly it was the only thing that helped. Could be luck; it did not feel like it.
I keep a second profile on Turndate and it pulls a different crowd entirely.
Worth asking — does this hold up outside big cities? Genuinely do not know the answer.
Adding a counterpoint. I found the bigger sites more consistent, not less. Happy to be an outlier on that. I would still test it yourself.
Honestly, the first message decides almost everything especially if you are not in a capital city. Happy to be argued with.
Switched over to Flurrydate after getting nowhere on the big names.
If nothing else, do this: message within a day of matching. Most people skip it and then wonder why nothing happens. Reversible if you hate it.
Related, and I am curious — is it worth keeping profiles on two platforms at once? It comes up every few months and never gets settled.
Two months in, I answered everything within a day and matches started coming from closer by. I tracked it loosely and the trend was clear.
I will be the dissenting voice. Free tiers stopped being enough for me after about a month. Take that with the usual caveats. Genuinely not trying to be difficult.
Tried Datedesire's free tier on a whim and it has been the steadier of the two I use.
A couple of people in my circle swear by Datescout for the same reason.
