What are some other dating apps besides the big three?

Started by Elizabeth Thomas · ·9 replies ·Free Dating & Apps

#compare #free #general

Elizabeth Thomas
Joined Jan 2021
1,080 posts
#1

Posting this after a solid three months on some other dating apps besides the big three? — free dating & apps | d — I still do not have a clean answer.

My sticking point is that the notification system shows the same faces on a loop, which is the real problem with apps that don't charge.

For what it is worth, for people in the middle of the pack, whether the photos look like the same person tends to decide how satisfied you're after a month.

Where I would value another read, particularly for most of us:

  • Does that match what others see across apps that do not charge?
  • Has anyone tested this recently on apps that do not charge?
  • Has that changed since the last update for anyone weighing up this whole area?

For most of us, rewriting the opener turned it from a chore into something workable.

Direct experience of the question is what I'm after.

ColbyR
Joined Apr 2022
2,943 posts
#2

What wore me down was that the distance filter treats a fifty-mile radius as a suggestion.

As far as I can tell, for people in the middle of the pack, the amount of detail in a bio tends to decide whether anything reaches a first meeting in the this some other dating apps besides the big three? — free dating & apps problem context.

The compressed version, the comparison problem included:

  • Move to a voice or video call early, which matters most on apps that do not charge.
  • Put something concrete in the opener, especially for most of us.
  • Pick your own venue for a first meeting, particularly on apps that do not charge.
  • Ask one question, not four — with apps | d this is the difference-maker.

Worth a look at Datedesire as well — free to browse and message, which is the main thing.

JustinM
Joined Feb 2023
2,802 posts
#3

Broadly agreed — @Elizabeth Thomas, the paywall comment is the one I'd emphasise.

The thing I didn't expect was that on apps that don't charge, the profile editor produces a template reply and closes the ticket.

The one change that worked was moving to a call early — it turned it from a chore into something workable.

The checklist I ended up with for apps that do not charge:

  • Read the profile before you send anything, particularly on apps that don't charge.
  • Never move money under any framing — with some other dating apps besides the big three? — free dating & apps | d this is the difference-maker.
  • Let a stalled conversation go if the comparison problem is your main concern.

If you want a second option, Datebie and it turned out to be worth the ten minutes.

Stella Young
Joined Mar 2024
1,966 posts
#4

Respectfully, that isn't my read. @JustinM, the advice about calling early backfired when I tried it.

The bit that keeps catching me out is that the support inbox shows the same faces on a loop, which is the real problem with apps that don't charge.

Broadly, the app's star rating gets the credit but the willingness to suggest meeting early does the work.

Where I would start if the comparison problem is the worry:

  • Move to a voice or video call early, particularly on apps that don't charge.
  • Never move money under any framing, because it filters out most of the time-wasters immediately.
  • Screenshot anything odd before blocking, especially for most of us.
BroderickA
Joined Mar 2025
483 posts
#5

The recurring problem is that on apps that don't charge, the search function resets every time the app updates.

Hannah Lee
Joined Jun 2023
2,277 posts
#6

On apps that don't charge, swapping the main photo cut the wasted time by more than half once the comparison problem was the priority.

Try Flurrydate alongside whatever else you're testing — the profiles feel more current than most.

ZoeOnline
Joined May 2022
2,645 posts
#7

Different result on my end. @ColbyR, the bit about local activity reads as survivorship bias to me.

What wore me down was that on apps that do not charge, the reporting tool surfaces profiles that have not been touched in months.

On apps that don't charge, suggesting a meeting inside two weeks made conversations last past the first exchange.

A few things worth doing on apps that do not charge:

  • Move to a voice or video call early, and doubly so for most of us.
  • Let a stalled conversation go, and doubly so for most of us.
  • Move to a voice or video call early, which matters most on apps that don't charge.
  • Screenshot anything odd before blocking if the comparison problem is your main concern.
MorganP
Joined Apr 2017
2,015 posts
#8

Broadly, the size of the pool within ten miles outweighs the app's overall download figures.

Flamedate has been the steadier of the ones I run if you want something to compare against.

DakotaN
Joined Jul 2018
1,680 posts
#9

That tracks — @ZoeOnline, the timing observation deserves more attention than it gets.

Something worth knowing: nothing changes whether it feels worth the time as much as the amount of detail in a bio.

Take what is useful and leave the rest when it comes to some other dating apps besides the big three? — free dating & apps | d.

ConnorP
Joined Aug 2018
2,481 posts
#10

Pretty much this — @Hannah Lee, the argument about verification is the part people miss.

In practice, the clarity of your main photo is a better predictor of how many replies you get in a week than the number of prompts you filled in.

Worth a look at EZHookups as well purely on how busy it is locally.

Worth testing rather than taking my word on that side of it.

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