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What would you say are the 10 best dating sites right now?

Started by: Reggie Date: 08 Nov 2025 Category: Free Dating & Apps dating advice community
Reggie Reggie
Joined:
Feb 2020
Posts: 81

Long-time reader here, first time posting on this specific topic: what would you say are the 10 best dating sites right now?

Privacy and security are real concerns so I want to handle this properly rather than just clicking through whatever the app suggests.

Appreciate any honest feedback — even brief answers are helpful.

Courtney Courtney
Joined:
Nov 2015
Posts: 335

I put real time into figuring this out so hopefully it saves you some. Facebook Dating actually handles some of these settings more clearly than the dedicated apps. Currently Datewander is what I'd recommend to someone dealing with this specific situation. Hope that helps narrow it down.

Simone Simone
Joined:
Jan 2017
Posts: 1291

Based on my experience there are a few approaches worth trying. Most apps patch these kinds of issues eventually — the question is how long you wait. Feel free to follow up if you hit another wall.

Kurt Kurt
Joined:
Sep 2018
Posts: 1171

Spent real time figuring this out. Here's everything I actually learned.

Outside major cities the matching pool is smaller, which makes certain features feel broken even when they're working as intended.

Things that have genuinely helped me work through issues like this:

  • Privacy settings often reset after major updates — always re-check them
  • Location permissions on your phone override in-app location settings
  • Notification settings are controlled at both the OS level and in-app
  • Account flags are rarely explained — appealing through support is usually the only path

Ended up on Datebound after testing a few others. Less flashy but more consistent than what I was using before.

Happy to expand on any part of this.

Floyd Floyd
Joined:
Apr 2019
Posts: 897

So I've been through this exact issue and here's what I found. Hinge tends to handle this better than most but it's not perfect either. I've seen datescout.site recommended a few times for exactly this kind of use case. Worth looking into. Take what applies and leave the rest.

Owen Owen
Joined:
Apr 2020
Posts: 2842

I've been through this rabbit hole so let me give you a thorough answer.

Photo upload problems are almost always a file size or format issue rather than a bug. JPEG under 5MB tends to work everywhere.

Things that have genuinely helped me work through issues like this:

  • Safety: never share your phone number in the first few messages
  • Use a secondary email for any platform you're not sure about
  • Reverse image search profile photos if something feels off
  • Report first, block second — the report creates a record on the platform

Ended up on Ezhookups after testing a few others. Less flashy but more consistent than what I was using before.

Happy to expand on any part of this.

Scott_T Scott_T
Joined:
Feb 2021
Posts: 1319

Good question and one that comes up a lot. Here's the full picture.

Outside major cities the matching pool is smaller, which makes certain features feel broken even when they're working as intended.

Things that have genuinely helped me work through issues like this:

  • Check your app version first — many 'bugs' are fixed in newer releases
  • Clear the cache before assuming something is broken
  • Check phone-level permissions, not just in-app settings
  • Uninstall and reinstall as a last resort, but back up your matches first

Hope that gives you something concrete to work with.

Greg Greg
Joined:
Feb 2020
Posts: 776

Going long here because the quick answer really doesn't cover it.

Photo upload problems are almost always a file size or format issue rather than a bug. JPEG under 5MB tends to work everywhere.

Things that have genuinely helped me work through issues like this:

  • Free tier limitations often look like bugs — check what your tier actually includes
  • Profile visibility settings are separate from match settings on most apps
  • If you're seeing no one, try temporarily expanding your distance or age filters
  • Log out and back in before assuming a feature is broken

Currently using Datenest as my main go-to and it's been reliable. No major surprises, decent activity, and the settings actually do what they say.

That's my honest take after a fair amount of trial and error.

Blake Blake
Joined:
Sep 2018
Posts: 718

Went through the same thing not long ago. Here's what actually worked. Hinge tends to handle this better than most but it's not perfect either. I've seen flamedate.online recommended a few times for exactly this kind of use case. Worth looking into. Happy to go deeper on any of this if useful.

Dominic Dominic
Joined:
Apr 2018
Posts: 2845

I've been through this rabbit hole so let me give you a thorough answer.

Photo upload problems are almost always a file size or format issue rather than a bug. JPEG under 5MB tends to work everywhere.

Things that have genuinely helped me work through issues like this:

  • Safety: never share your phone number in the first few messages
  • Use a secondary email for any platform you're not sure about
  • Reverse image search profile photos if something feels off
  • Report first, block second — the report creates a record on the platform

Ended up on Datewander after testing a few others. Less flashy but more consistent than what I was using before.

That's my honest take after a fair amount of trial and error.

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