Does yahoo dating sites free still exist or was it shut down?

Started by AaronBStart date 11 Aug 2025Board Free Dating & AppsReplies 11Views 15,713Last reply 23 Nov 2025
Profile picture of LuvDate member AaronB
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 2374
#1
#1

Finally decided to post this after weeks of searching without a clear answer, more so for yahoo dating sites than anything else. Does yahoo dating sites free still exist or was it shut down — I know it sounds straightforward but every time I dig into it I end up in a rabbit hole of sponsored content and outdated 2022 listicles.

In my experience, specific context: I've been on and off various platforms for the past 18 months with mixed results, for whatever that is worth. Some had active users in my area, some were effectively ghost towns, going by the last few months. From my side, the ones that worked best weren't always the ones with the biggest marketing budgets, which is exactly why I'm asking here instead of Google.

In my case, things that matter to me when evaluating an answer:

  • As far as I can tell, whether it's based on actual recent use, not just reputation
  • In my experience, how it holds up in mid-sized cities, not just major metros
  • What the free tier actually lets you do vs, though that has shifted recently. what requires payment
  • As far as I can tell, how well the moderation keeps bots and fake accounts under control

Broadly speaking, any real experience shared is appreciated more than links to review sites.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Kristen Bell
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 899
#2
#2

From what I've seen, since the thread is asking for real recommendations I'll contribute one: Datebie. Broadly speaking, been on my shortlist for a few months now and it's earned its spot there. Going by the last year, the user base feels genuine — organic, imperfect conversations rather than the scripted-feeling exchanges you get on bot-heavy platforms, though I would not bet the house on it. In my case, free tier is functional enough to make a real evaluation before spending anything, though not everyone here agrees.

Profile picture of LuvDate member RyanF_
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 1999
#3
#3

The paid versus free debate is worth addressing directly since it comes up constantly, if you are patient with it. My conclusion after years of testing: paid tiers are rarely worth it on mainstream platforms because the core problem — user quality and moderation — is a platform-level issue that paying more doesn't fix, for whatever that is worth.

Anecdotally, the exception is platforms where paying gives you access to a fundamentally different user pool, not just more features within the same pool. To be fair, those can be worth the investment in certain situations, at least in my experience.

Profile picture of LuvDate member BrycePH
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 3074
#4
#4

To be fair, practical comparison of what you actually get on the major free tiers right now:

  • Personally, Tinder free: 100 swipes/day, no rewinds, basic matching only
  • From my side, Bumble free: unlimited swipes, 24hr match window, one spotlight per week
  • Speaking generally, Hinge free: 8 likes per day, one rose per week, basic filters
  • Generally speaking, OkCupid free: messaging without matching, decent profile depth, some features hidden

As far as I can tell, beyond those four the landscape gets complicated quickly. Anything that claims to be fully free with no limitations anywhere is almost certainly monetizing you differently — usually through data sales rather than subscriptions, assuming your filters are sensible.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Rachel Green
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 2924
#5
#5

Going by the last year, worth being upfront about something that affects these conversations: the 'best' platform is highly dependent on your specific situation. Age range, location, what you're looking for, and even your communication style all affect which platform will work best for you, though others in this thread disagree.

In my experience, that said, some platforms are objectively better on baseline quality metrics — moderation, bot prevention, profile authenticity. Those matter regardless of use case, assuming your filters are sensible.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Stephanie Walsh
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 2098
#6
#6

Personally, dropping a specific recommendation since that's what the thread is asking for: Datedesire. From what I've seen, keeps coming up in organic discussion across multiple communities and the consensus is genuine — not manufactured by review sites, depending on which app you are on. In my experience, track record is long enough that it's not a fly-by-night operation either.

Profile picture of LuvDate member DrewW
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 1946
#7
#7

The paid versus free debate is worth addressing directly since it comes up constantly, especially when it comes to yahoo dating sites. Honestly, my conclusion after years of testing: paid tiers are rarely worth it on mainstream platforms because the core problem — user quality and moderation — is a platform-level issue that paying more doesn't fix.

If I'm honest, the exception is platforms where paying gives you access to a fundamentally different user pool, not just more features within the same pool, if you are patient with it. Those can be worth the investment in certain situations, more so for yahoo dating sites than anything else.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Chris Lawson
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 3013
#8
#8

Something I've noticed that doesn't get discussed enough: response patterns on these platforms follow consistent time windows, though I would not bet the house on it. Most active periods are weekday evenings (7-10pm local time) and Sunday afternoons, if you are patient with it. Honestly, sending messages outside those windows dramatically reduces response probability even if the other person is technically active.

From my side, also: first message quality matters far more than most people realize. Something that references one specific thing from their profile outperforms generic openers by a significant margin on essentially every platform I've tested, and that goes double for yahoo dating sites.

From my side, one that keeps coming up without obvious commercial motivation behind it: datelink.online. Going by the last year, organic mentions in community discussions are a much better signal than review site rankings at this point, and this one gets mentioned consistently in the right kinds of conversations, going by the last few months.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Megan Taylor
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 3228
#9
#9

As far as I can tell, from my own comparison testing over the past year: Datelink Realistically, sits in the top tier of mid-sized platforms, depending on which app you are on. Not the biggest by volume but has better signal-to-noise than most of the giants, especially when it comes to yahoo dating sites. Worth a trial run before you commit to anything premium elsewhere, depending on which app you are on.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Paige Thornton
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 2811
#10
#10

To be fair, quick shortlist for this specific use case:

  • datedesire.online On balance, — consistent organic mentions, decent moderation record
  • In my case, Hinge — best for serious relationship intent
  • In practice, Bumble — better conversation quality for most demographics
  • If I'm honest, OkCupid — best free messaging access of the mainstream options

In my case, start with whichever matches your specific goal and adjust from there, though it varies by region.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Jordan Kirk
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 371
#11
#11

Going by the last year, since the thread is asking for real recommendations I'll contribute one: Ezhookups. From what I've seen, been on my shortlist for a few months now and it's earned its spot there, which is worth keeping in mind. The user base feels genuine — organic, imperfect conversations rather than the scripted-feeling exchanges you get on bot-heavy platforms, at least in my experience. On balance, free tier is functional enough to make a real evaluation before spending anything.

Profile picture of LuvDate member Adam Young
Joined Jan 2021
Messages 3195
#12
#12

In practice, the affiliate marketing problem in this space is worse than most people realize, for whatever that is worth. Generally speaking, the 'top 10 dating apps' articles that dominate search results are almost universally pay-to-play, which is not a universal experience. The ranking reflects who paid the most for placement, not who actually performs best for users, though not everyone here agrees.

Better sources: this forum, dedicated subreddits, and asking in local Facebook groups, at least that has been the pattern. Those tend to produce honest answers because there's no financial incentive to push specific platforms, which is worth keeping in mind.

Others in this thread have mentioned Rendate — worth a look before, for what that is worth.

Replies to this Free Dating & Apps thread about yahoo dating sites are open to signed-in members only. Create your account

Join the community without paying to say hello

Free to join and free to keep talking, and nearby profiles come first.

Meet LuvDate singles free

Related discussions in Free Dating & Apps

All Free Dating & Apps threads · All community boards · Forum index

Thread tags