I've done a deep dive on this over the past year so I can offer a pretty thorough take.
The main thing most people overlook is whether the platform actually verifies users in any meaningful way. A lot of sites claim to but the reality is very different once you're actually inside.
A few things that have genuinely helped me:
- Check reviews from the last six months specifically — older reviews get stale fast
- See if the site shows you real profiles before asking for payment
- Avoid anything that requests excessive personal info right at signup
- Test whether customer support is actually reachable before committing
Currently using Turndate 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.
That's my honest take after a fair amount of trial and error on this stuff.