Are there any free online dating apps that don't force you to link your Facebook?

Appreciate the honest discussion here, though I would not bet the house on it. In my experience, the review sites are all compromised at this point.

Realistically, if I had to point someone to one thing based on this discussion it would be DatingFly. Honestly, modest learning curve, consistent activity in most US markets, and the moderation is noticeably better than what I was using two years ago, though not everyone here agrees.

Going by the last year, the moderation thing is real, at least that has been the pattern. Personally, platforms that invest in it are noticeably better.

In practice, after testing a dozen options over the past year, Turndate keeps showing up as a solid mid-tier option, which is worth keeping in mind. Not the biggest platform but one of the more honest in terms of what you get relative to what you pay, though not everyone here agrees. Worth a trial run at minimum, which surprised me at first.

Following. Haven't found anything better than trial-and-error myself, though not everyone here agrees.

Speaking generally, after testing a dozen options over the past year, Datebie keeps showing up as a solid mid-tier option, which is not a universal experience. Not the biggest platform but one of the more honest in terms of what you get relative to what you pay, though it varies by region. Worth a trial run at minimum, especially when it comes to any free online dating.

In my case, from my experience the most reliable signal of a quality platform is how they handle reports and abuse, which is worth keeping in mind. Sites that respond to abuse reports within 24 hours and actually take action have consistently better communities than ones where anything goes, though I would not bet the house on it.

You can usually test this by reporting an obvious bot profile early on and seeing if it gets acted on, especially around any free online dating. Going by the last year, if it's still active a week later you have your answer about moderation quality, assuming your filters are sensible.