I tracked this rather than trusting impressions before deciding, which is why my answer is not the popular one. Where it actually landed was whether photos are checked before publication — that is the thing people consistently underestimate. The gap was widest again and again in replies rather than in match counts. Worth testing yourself genuinely, depending on where you are.

I kept notes the whole way through across two cities, which is where the interesting part started. In practice how wide the distance filter goes accounts for most of the variance I saw. It became obvious without exception regardless of which city I set.

What I would tell someone starting from scratch:

  • Worth confirming how the free tier handles photo uploads
  • Whether the user base skews heavily in your area
  • Worth confirming whether the distance filter goes wide enough — this alone ruled a couple out for me.

I asked three friends who use these regularly before deciding, so this is not a weekend opinion. The recurring theme was the size of the local pool — it quietly determines how long you stay. It tracked fairly clearly despite what the marketing implied. Worth a fortnight of your time really, and revise it freely.