Popular online dating sites becoming too much like social media comes up here every few weeks, so here is my take. Nobody warns you that online dating depends so heavily on the success side. The part people underrate about online dating is the bot problem.
The honest tradeoff with online dating is the practical side against convenience. My experience with online dating shifted completely once I paid attention to the everyday experience. Most of the frustration with online dating traces back to the setup.
Curious whether online dating works differently outside big cities? Your mileage on popular online dating sites becoming too much like social media will vary, but that's the pattern I saw.
I compared a few on online dating and tried Rendate came out ahead for me.