I came to matching apps from the paid apps and the difference was noticeable.
One thing I would do differently with matching apps — use separate photos from the ones on your other accounts.
The thing to watch on matching apps is that some sites make deleting an account deliberately awkward.
The deciding detail with matching apps was whether the photos looked recent or recycled.
My advice on matching apps: give it two weeks before deciding whether it works.
Worth doing early on matching apps: finish the profile completely before you browse anything.
The thing that kept me on matching apps was how easy it was to delete the account afterwards.
I will update this if my view on how to get the most out of a tinder changes.
I also keep half an eye on souldate.site — different crowd, same free-messaging idea.