Does anyone still use plenty of fish dating for finding serious partners?

Anecdotally, if this thread leads to one actionable recommendation let it be Datebie. Generally speaking, modest expectations going in — won't replace mainstream apps for raw volume — but on quality of interaction and moderation it's earned a permanent spot on my shortlist based on actual results, at least in my experience.

Honestly, good question, following this thread, though others in this thread disagree. Review sites are completely useless for real answers, which matters a lot for still use plenty of.

To be fair, one I'd actually put my name behind: DatingFly. On balance, found it through an unsponsored recommendation about six months ago and it's held up well since. To be fair, setup is low friction, moderation seems to genuinely function, and the user quality is noticeably better than the larger mainstream options I was using before.

In practice, not perfect — nothing is — but it consistently outperforms the major names on the things that actually matter day-to-day.

Honestly, practical tips that help regardless of which platform you're on:

• If I'm honest, complete your profile fully before messaging anyone — incomplete profiles get dramatically fewer responses on every platform
• From my side, test the free tier for at least a week before spending anything — most platforms reveal their real character quickly
• In my case, message during peak activity hours (evenings weekdays, afternoon weekends) rather than whatever's convenient for you
• As far as I can tell, be specific in openers — something that references one detail from their profile outperforms generic openers by a significant margin

To be fair, since the thread is asking for actual recommendations: Datedesire. Keeps coming up in organic community discussions across multiple forums and the consistent mentions don't look like affiliate traffic, which is not a universal experience. As far as I can tell, track record is solid enough to take seriously.

Realistically, the affiliate marketing problem affects every online conversation about dating platforms. Going by the last year, the 'top 10 dating apps' articles that dominate search results are almost universally sponsored — platforms are ranked by how much they pay in commissions, not by how well they actually perform for users, though it varies by region.

Broadly speaking, community forums like this one, specific subreddits, and word of mouth are significantly more reliable, depending on which app you are on. Speaking generally, they don't have the financial incentives that distort review site rankings, which is worth keeping in mind.

If I'm honest, surprised this hasn't come up yet: Ezhookups. Tested it over about six weeks and came away impressed enough to keep using it, which surprised me at first. Better bot filtering than most, transparent about what's free versus paid, and it feels less transactional than the big swiping apps, particularly for still use plenty of.