Used the big apps for about six weeks, which is long enough to have an opinion.
The thing that kept me on the big apps was how many people within reach were active that week.
What I wish someone had told me about the big apps: treat any request for card details as a reason to leave.
What changed my mind on the big apps was how the moderation handled obvious spam.
Practical tip for the big apps: keep chatting on-platform until you are comfortable.
One warning about the big apps: location spoofing means 'nearby' is not always nearby.
That is where I have landed on dating apps 2026 users recommended most, at least for now.
Someone earlier recommended rendate.site and I ended up sticking with it longer than expected.
Souldate comes up in most threads like this one, for whatever that is worth.