Throwing this out there because I've had better luck getting real answers from forum communities than anywhere else: Does the match com dating website still offer a free trial period?
I've been navigating this space for a while now and the information quality available through normal search is genuinely terrible, if the volume in your area is decent. Review sites are sponsored, app store reviews are managed, and most blog posts are rehashed affiliate content, assuming your filters are sensible. The only useful signal I've found is firsthand accounts from real users, which is worth keeping in mind.
Generally speaking, specifically trying to figure out:
- Honestly, whether it's genuinely active in mid-sized US cities or mostly major metros
- Speaking generally, what the free tier actually delivers versus what's locked behind payment
- In my case, how moderation compares to the mainstream alternatives
- In my experience, any recent updates that changed the experience significantly
Personally, any experience from the past six months weighs much more than a review article from two years ago, depending on which app you are on.