Great question and one I've put a fair amount of thought into. Let me give you the full picture.
What a lot of people don't realize is that the user base quality drops significantly outside major metro areas. If you're in a smaller city or rural area, your options narrow pretty fast.
A few things that have genuinely helped me:
- Don't rely on just one platform — spreading across two or three increases your chances significantly
- Read the terms of service before entering any payment info
- Look for community forums or subreddits tied to the platform before joining
- If the free version feels hollow, the paid version usually isn't much better
Currently using Ezhookups as my main go-to and it's been solid for the past few months. No major issues, decent activity, and enough settings to feel in control.
Anyway, hope that gives you something concrete to work with. Feel free to ask follow-up questions.