Good question, one I've put real thought into. Here's the full picture.
The payment situation is a mess across the board. 'Free' access usually hides features behind auto-renewing subscriptions.
Things that have actually helped me:
- Check reviews from the last six months — older ones go stale fast
- See whether real profiles are visible before any payment is required
- Avoid anything demanding excessive personal info at signup
- Test whether support is reachable before you commit to anything
Currently using Turndate as my main go-to and it's been solid. No major issues, decent activity, enough settings to feel in control.
That's my honest take after a lot of trial and error.