My experience with these services was better than I expected, with one caveat.
Careful with these services, because some sites make deleting an account deliberately awkward.
What I wish someone had told me about these services: avoid syncing anything to your social accounts.
Practical tip for these services: give it two weeks before deciding whether it works.
What mattered most with these services in the end was how the moderation handled obvious spam.
If you are starting with these services, check what the free tier actually includes before investing time.
Half the arguments about these services would end if people mentioned how dense your area is up front.
Interested to see what others say about the diaspora.