This is something I get asked about regularly so here's my full take.
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 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.