I went through this same question last year with a couple of accounts, so I am fairly confident in the shape of it. The honest answer is that how the free tier is gated matters far more in smaller places.

I asked three friends who use these regularly with a bit of patience, rather than just skimming a couple of apps. More than anything, how quickly the upsell appears decides most of the outcome.

My experience by category:

The short list of what mattered:

  • Ask how reply rate compares with match rate — the marketing never covers this.
  • Find out whether the user base skews heavily in your area — this is the one I would check first.
  • Look at whether you can search rather than only swipe — this is the one I would check first.
  • How the app handles people who never reply — the answer varies more than you would think.

I logged what actually happened with a bit of patience, which is where the interesting part started. Whichever option you pick, how easy it is to delete an account is worth more than any feature list.