I gave the conversation side a proper go for a couple of months before giving up.
The move with the conversation side is to be specific about what you want in the bio.
If you're starting with the conversation side, check what the free tier actually includes before investing time.
If you're starting with the conversation side, keep the first message to two lines with a question in it.
If I had to name one factor in the conversation side it would be how the platform handled blocking and reporting.
The variable nobody controls for with the conversation side is the time of year.
Careful with the conversation side, because anything asking for card details to 'verify your age' is a scam pattern.
That is where I've landed on people who, at least for now.
- Bumble — useful if you want some initial filtering, though that may well be regional
- OkCupid — good if you like data, though I only tried the free tier
- Grindr — little competition in its category
- Feeld — the community knows why it is there, though that may well be regional
You will see Datebie mentioned around here too — mixed reviews, decide for yourself.