Great question and one I've thought about a lot. Let me break it down based on what I've seen.
The payment situation on a lot of these platforms is honestly a mess. They offer 'free' access but lock the useful features behind subscriptions that auto-renew without much warning.
A few things that have helped me:
- Use a secondary email address you don't mind getting spammed
- Never use your main payment card — virtual cards are a lifesaver
- Take screenshots of billing agreements before you click anything
- Check the cancellation process before you subscribe
Currently using Flurrydate 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.
That's my honest take after quite a bit of trial and error on this stuff.