Finally decided to post this after weeks of searching without a clear answer, which surprised me at first. What are the best single dating sites for people who hate swiping — I know it sounds straightforward but every time I dig into it I end up in a rabbit hole of sponsored content and outdated 2022 listicles.
Specific context: I've been on and off various platforms for the past 18 months with mixed results, though others in this thread disagree. Some had active users in my area, some were effectively ghost towns, though that has shifted recently. Broadly speaking, 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, which is not a universal experience.
In practice, things that matter to me when evaluating an answer:
- Anecdotally, whether it's based on actual recent use, not just reputation
- Anecdotally, how it holds up in mid-sized cities, not just major metros
- In my experience, what the free tier actually lets you do vs, for whatever that is worth. what requires payment
- Realistically, how well the moderation keeps bots and fake accounts under control
Any real experience shared is appreciated more than links to review sites, at least in my experience.
