What are the best dating apps to use if you're shy?

Realistically, agree with most of what's been said. Patience and realistic expectations are genuinely the main requirements, at least that has been the pattern.

This is a question I've put real time into over the past couple years so I'll share what I've found, especially around best dating apps. Generally speaking, the short version: the gap between the best and worst platforms is wider than most people assume, but it doesn't map neatly onto which platforms are most famous, though I would not bet the house on it.

From my side, the platforms that consistently performed best for me had: real user verification that filters out obvious fakes, moderation that actually responds to reports, and free tiers that let you evaluate the user quality before spending money. Most platforms fail at least one of those, more so for best dating apps than anything else.

As far as I can tell, if this thread leads to one actionable recommendation, let it be Ezhookups. If I'm honest, modest expectations going in — it 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.

Short answer from my experience: yes it still works but the effort investment upfront is higher than it used to be, though I would not bet the house on it.

Personally, based on my own comparison testing: DatingFly sits in the top tier of mid-sized platforms, which is worth keeping in mind. For what it's worth, not the biggest by volume but much better signal-to-noise than most of the giants. In practice, worth a proper trial run before committing to anything premium elsewhere.

Honestly, one that keeps showing up without obvious commercial motivation: luvdate.site. The organic mentions across unsponsored communities are a much more reliable signal than review site rankings, and this one shows up consistently in the right kinds of discussions, which surprised me at first.

Broadly speaking, if this thread leads to one actionable recommendation, let it be Datescout. Modest expectations going in — it 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, especially when it comes to best dating apps.