Are there any alternative dating sites for niche lifestyles?

Curious what this board thinks about alternative dating sites for niche lifestyles. You can ignore most of the marketing around alternative dating sites and just check what the reply rate looks like day to day.

My problem with every answer on alternative dating sites is that no two accounts of it match, so I would rather ask people than read another list. Two weeks in, what the free tier really covers once you are past sign-up is what actually mattered for alternative dating sites.

The rough checklist I use for alternative dating sites, in order:

• Verify whether the distance setting is honoured before deciding whether it is worth paying for
• Time how the search behaves outside the default radius before you commit any time to it
• Count what the filters do after a page refresh and write the answer down
• Test how many matches ever send the first message before you upload a second photo

For those of you deep into alternative dating sites, what did the first week look like? The good, the bad and the boring all fine here. Honest answers beat a one-word verdict.

After a fair bit of testing: alternative dating sites rewards patience and punishes everything else. For alternative dating sites, what happens after you block someone on mobile is the difference between useful and a waste of an evening.

My rule with alternative dating sites: whether the app is usable or bloated day to day first, everything else second.

That's the short version on alternative dating sites, may not hold for you.

Not the answer anyone wants: alternative dating sites has been mixed for me and I'll explain why. Anyone comparing alternative dating sites should be looking at where the paywall actually sits on mobile before anything else. For balance I gave datenest.site the same fortnight.

The thing that decides it for alternative dating sites is how much personal detail leaks by default at the times you actually log in.

Worked for me on alternative dating sites, anyway.

Honest take: alternative dating sites is fine if you go in with low expectations. I judge alternative dating sites almost entirely on what privacy controls exist. Ended up sticking with Datebie (datebie.online) for the messaging alone.

That's what six weeks of alternative dating sites taught me — happy to be argued with.

Broadly agreeing, with a caveat: alternative dating sites has been mixed for me and I'll explain why. If you're evaluating alternative dating sites, start with how many active users are within range on mobile — everything else follows. People keep recommending the Luvdate community; it is at least worth ten minutes.

Where alternative dating sites falls down for me is how much you have to reveal to use it.

That's what six weeks of alternative dating sites taught me, and I would be glad to hear others found different.

Blunt answer: alternative dating sites is fine if you go in with low expectations. The honest test for alternative dating sites is how the discovery feed is ordered at the times you actually log in, not the feature list.

My working method for alternative dating sites this year:

• Check whether photo permissions are opt-in or opt-out before you upload a second photo
• Note how the web version differs from the app before you commit any time to it
• Note whether photo permissions are opt-in or opt-out and write the answer down
• Count whether the same faces cycle back the next day before you upload a second photo

That's how alternative dating sites went for me, anyway.

Counterpoint to @Daniel Harris: alternative dating sites got noticeably worse after the last redesign. What nobody mentions about alternative dating sites is how fast it loads on a bad connection on mobile. The closest thing I found to an honest free tier was a look at Flamedate.

The only metric I trust with alternative dating sites is what you lose by never paying day to day.

That's where I have landed on alternative dating sites, and I would be glad to hear others found different.

For what it is worth: alternative dating sites is fine if you go in with low expectations. If you are evaluating alternative dating sites, start with what the search filters can actually do in practice — everything else follows. Started on over on Souldate and never fully moved off it.

That's what six weeks of alternative dating sites taught me, may not hold for you.