I gave each one a full month with a couple of accounts, before I trusted my own conclusion. In practice the size of the local pool separates the usable options from the rest. That held in a way I could measure in a way the app store reviews never captured.

I looked at what changed since last year once properly, so the comparison was at least fair. What actually decided it was the size of the local pool, which can be tested inside a week. It came out the same to a degree that mattered regardless of which city I set. I would start there genuinely, and adjust as you go.

Concretely, the factors worth weighing:

  • Look at whether you can delete your account without contacting support — the marketing never covers this.
  • Ask whether the sign-up asks for a phone number — I underestimated this at first.
  • Whether the user base skews heavily in your area — worth asking about before you invest time.
  • Whether prompts give people something specific to answer — it is easy to test and rarely advertised.
  • Look at how blocking works, and whether it sticks — it changes the experience completely.

I did the comparison properly in my own time, so take it as tested rather than assumed. Across all of them, how new accounts are treated in week one is the part the marketing never mentions. It became obvious to a degree that mattered even accounting for luck. I would be curious ultimately, so treat this as a starting point.