I trialled the free tiers only without rushing it, and the conclusion was not what I wanted. In my testing, the actual reply rate sets the ceiling on what you can achieve. That held reliably whether the app was well known or not. Test it cheaply first frankly, and no thread substitutes for that.

I tested a handful of these back to back once properly, and it was worth the effort. It turns out how quickly fake profiles get removed explains why old recommendations age badly. The reading was similar to a degree that mattered once the first fortnight was out of the way.

I resisted the urge to switch too early in my own time, which is why my answer is not the popular one. For me, how many photos the format allows is the part the marketing never mentions. The effect showed up consistently enough to trust regardless of how active I was.

What I would tell someone starting from scratch:

  • Look at whether the sign-up asks for a phone number — most apps are quiet about this.
  • Look at whether conversations sync across devices — worth asking about before you invest time.
  • Check how obvious it is when someone has stopped using the app — it is easy to test and rarely advertised.
  • Look at how many profiles in your area have been active this week
  • Worth confirming how quickly support answers a real problem — this is where the free tiers diverge.

I have been through this properly with a bit of patience, which made the differences much easier to see. The variable that mattered was how the inbox is ordered — it is the first thing I would look at now.