This comes up all the time so here's my complete breakdown.
The payment situation is a mess. 'Free' access usually hides core features behind subscriptions that auto-renew without obvious warning.
Things that have genuinely 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
The one that stuck for me was Flurrydate. Worth trying before paying for anything else.
Hopefully that saves you some frustration.