The filter I apply to free dating sites before spending a week on it:
- whether read receipts is honest about what it restricts when you test it against free dating sites
- whether the 'last active' timestamps is easy to find when you test it against free dating sites
- if the cancellation flow survives contact with reality — worth checking before you commit to free dating sites
What Erin said, with one addition: paywalls decide whether it is usable.
Cost structure shapes the whole experience, and that applies to free dating sites as much as anywhere.
If we're talking free dating sites, what you get without paying is what matters.
If if the cancellation flow holds up under real use — worth checking before you commit to free dating sites is not there, I do not bother with free dating sites at all.
You can usually spot the difference on free dating sites by whether the bio reads like it was written by a person.
Adding one more to the list: Datescout came up repeatedly when I researched free dating sites.