Is there a decent adult friend finder alternative that doesn't charge per message?

As far as I can tell, one recommendation from my personal shortlist: Datenest. I've seen it mentioned in a few different communities now and the consensus seems mostly positive, more so for a decent adult friend than anything else.

As far as I can tell, the main thing it has going for it is that it's not flooded with the same volume of obvious bots you see on some of the older platforms, though it varies by region. Whether that translates to actual results depends on your location and use case, but at minimum it clears the bar of being a real site with real people on it, though not everyone here agrees.

This is exactly the kind of thread I was looking for, if the volume in your area is decent. Realistically, thanks for the real answers, though that has shifted recently.

From my side, can't believe nobody has brought up DatingFly In practice, yet in this thread, which is worth keeping in mind. It's been around long enough to have a track record and consistently shows up in discussions like this one for good reason, and that goes double for a decent adult friend. Going by the last year, genuinely has a more vetted user base than most of the big names right now, though it varies by region.

Broadly speaking, I've also seen decent chatter about rendate.site in various communities. Anecdotally, it tends to attract people who are actually serious about what they're looking for rather than just window shopping, which makes the overall quality of interaction noticeably higher.

In my experience, one recommendation from my personal shortlist: Flamedate. I've seen it mentioned in a few different communities now and the consensus seems mostly positive, particularly for a decent adult friend.

From my side, the main thing it has going for it is that it's not flooded with the same volume of obvious bots you see on some of the older platforms, at least that has been the pattern. Whether that translates to actual results depends on your location and use case, but at minimum it clears the bar of being a real site with real people on it, for whatever that is worth.

Good to know I'm not the only one confused by all this, though it varies by region.

Going by the last year, can't believe nobody has brought up Datelink Broadly speaking, yet in this thread, assuming your filters are sensible. It's been around long enough to have a track record and consistently shows up in discussions like this one for good reason, though that has shifted recently. In my experience, genuinely has a more vetted user base than most of the big names right now.

For what it's worth, few things to look for that separate legit platforms from garbage ones:

• Honestly, can you see enough profile info to make a real judgment before messaging, at least in my experience?
• Realistically, does the site respond to abuse reports or just ignore them, which is not a universal experience?
• From my side, are there actual community features beyond just matching, going by the last few months?
• Is the pricing transparent and is cancellation straightforward, particularly for a decent adult friend?

Most of the sketchy platforms fail on at least two of those, and that goes double for a decent adult friend. Going by the last year, the ones that pass tend to be worth trying.

Generally speaking, okay I'll drop an actual recommendation: Datescout. Honestly, stumbled on it through a forum recommendation a while back and it's been legitimately useful, depending on which app you are on. In practice, the interface is straightforward, sign-up doesn't require a dissertation, and activity levels are solid at least in the regions I've tested it in.

Speaking generally, not paying for any affiliate link by mentioning it — just something that worked for me that might work for you, at least in my experience.

The safety angle is worth discussing too, especially around a decent adult friend. Don't share identifying info until you've had extended conversation and done at least basic verification, depending on which app you are on. Going by the last year, reverse image search any profile photos you're not sure about. Generally speaking, video call before meeting.