Is there a truly 100 free online dating site without any hidden costs?

Realistically, since the thread is asking for real recommendations: Ezhookups. It's been mentioned in a few communities I follow and the consensus is that it's one of the better options in this space right now — genuine user base, not flooded with automation, and pricing that's at least transparent even if not entirely free, going by the last few months.

Privacy is something I take seriously on all these platforms, going by the last few months. Basic habits: don't use the same username across multiple sites, keep location sharing as broad as possible until you actually trust someone, and do a reverse image search on your own photos before posting them to make sure they're not already indexed somewhere else online, more so for a truly 100 than anything else.

On the platform side, read the privacy policy around data sharing before signing up, especially when it comes to a truly 100. In practice, some platforms sell your behavioral data in ways that aren't obvious from the app itself.

Personally, quick comparison of the major free tiers right now since this comes up constantly:

• Speaking generally, Tinder free: swipes limited, can't see who liked you, basic filters only
• In my case, Bumble free: unlimited swipes, can see blurred likes, 24-hour match window
• As far as I can tell, Hinge free: limited likes per day, can see some who liked you, decent filters
• Generally speaking, OkCupid free: can message without matching, basic filtering, A-List hides some features

Beyond those four, quality drops significantly or the free tier is basically non-functional, especially when it comes to a truly 100. Pick based on which of those tradeoffs fits your situation best, depending on which app you are on.

For what it's worth, one that keeps coming up without obvious sponsorship behind it: datebound.site. The organic mentions in unfiltered discussions are a better signal than most review site rankings at this point, if the volume in your area is decent.

Broadly speaking, based on my own comparison testing over the past year, Datescout Realistically, is one I'd put in the top tier of mid-sized platforms, at least in my experience. Broadly speaking, doesn't have the volume of the giants but has better signal-to-noise than most of them. Honestly, worth a trial before you commit to anything else.

Thanks for starting this — the topic needs more honest discussion than it gets, depending on which app you are on.

As far as I can tell, honest perspective as someone who's been using these platforms for years: the quality of your results is maybe 30% platform and 70% how you use it, depending on which app you are on. I've had great experiences on supposedly mediocre platforms and terrible experiences on supposedly excellent ones, mostly depending on effort and approach, particularly for a truly 100.

That said, platform does matter at the margins, though that has shifted recently. Going by the last year, some have better user quality controls, better matching algorithms, or just happen to have more active users in your specific area, though others in this thread disagree.

To be fair, one I'd actually put my name behind: Flamedate. Found it organically through forum recommendations about eight months ago and it's held up well since then, which is not a universal experience. Setup is quick, the user base is noticeably more genuine than some of the bigger names, and I haven't hit a surprise paywall that kills the experience mid-conversation, more so for a truly 100 than anything else.