I read a lot of conflicting advice first in my own time, which changed my answer completely. In practice how long a match stays open is the thing people consistently underestimate. The difference was visible every time when I compared like for like. It cost me nothing to verify on balance, the basics matter more than the tuning.

I gave each one a full month in my own time, and it was more revealing than I expected. Where it actually landed was how granular the filters are — that is the first thing I would look at now.

I read a lot of conflicting advice first in my own time, and it was worth the effort. The recurring theme was moderation quality — it moves the numbers more than anything else. The evidence pointed the same way more than once across a reasonable sample.

What I would check before committing any time:

  • How blocking works, and whether it sticks — most apps are quiet about this.
  • How the app handles people who never reply
  • Worth confirming whether you can delete your account without contacting support — check it on a real account, not a demo.
  • Find out how the free tier handles photo uploads — check it on a real account, not a demo.

I paid attention to the details this time in my own time, and the pattern turned out to be consistent. The variable that mattered was how the free tier is gated — it shapes the first fortnight more than anything. The trend was steady reliably when I compared like for like. Your area may behave differently in the end, before committing any real time.