The thing to watch on free platforms is that moving to an external messaging app early is a common scam setup.
With free platforms it came down to how the moderation handled obvious spam, honestly.
Be aware when using free platforms that location spoofing means 'nearby' is not always nearby.
Practical tip for free platforms: test it on a weekday evening, not a Sunday morning.
The deciding detail with free platforms was how the moderation handled obvious spam.
If you are starting with free platforms, use separate photos from the ones on your other accounts.
Happy to expand on any of that about free platforms if it is useful.
Adding datebound.site for balance — quieter, but the people who are on it actually reply.
Older threads lean fairly heavily on Turndate if you want a second opinion.