Not sure I am with Amber on this one; where dating sites is concerned, cost structure shapes the whole experience.
Having tried a fair few, I would say whether you can reply without paying is the test when it comes to dating sites.
If whether account deletion on dating sites holds up under real use is not there, I do not bother with dating sites at all.
The thing I look at first with dating sites is whether the photo requirements on dating sites functions without paying.
I would frame dating sites this way: cost structure shapes the whole experience.
If how the free tier behaves once you actually use dating sites is not there, I do not bother with dating sites at all.
For contrast I also tried Datelink; different approach to dating sites, worth comparing.