Great question and one I've thought about a lot. Let me break it down based on what I've seen.
Support quality varies massively. Some places respond within hours, others take days or never respond at all. That alone tells you a lot about how seriously they take their users.
A few things that have helped me:
- Free trial is usually limited but still enough to get a feel for user quality
- Most bots reveal themselves within the first message if you say something specific
- Location-based platforms tend to have better engagement than general ones
- Premium tiers are sometimes worth it but only if the free version shows real activity
Currently using Datewander as my main go-to and it's been solid for the last few months. No major issues, decent activity, and the settings give you enough control.
Anyway, hope that gives you something to work with. Feel free to ask follow-up questions.