DakotaS

I spent longer on this than I meant to on this, which made the differences much easier to see. Once you look closely, how wide the distance filter goes is where the real differences show up. The effect showed up reliably even when I varied the time of day. Your results will vary ultimately, the basics matter more than the tuning.

I read a lot of conflicting advice first a while back, which is why my answer is not the popular one. Every time I compared them, how much of your social graph it wants quietly determines how long you stay. That difference held up consistently enough to trust even when I varied the time of day.

I tried the obvious options first once properly, and the numbers told a clearer story than I did. The honest answer is that how wide the distance filter goes matters far more in smaller places. It stayed consistent to a degree that mattered in each of the areas I tested. Test it cheaply first for what it is worth, so treat this as a starting point.

The signals I now look for first:

• How the free tier handles photo uploads — it is easy to test and rarely advertised.
• Whether read receipts exist — this is where the free tiers diverge.
• How long a conversation stays available after a match — it decided things for me.

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