Are there any free fwb dating sites that actually have real people and not just bots?

Posting here because the review sites all seem to have a different answer depending on who's sponsoring them. Are there any free fwb dating sites that actually have real people and not just bots? — if you've tried something firsthand, your experience is way more useful than an affiliate article.

Main things I'm trying to figure out:

• Community moderation and safety
• Active user base size
• Free vs premium feature split
• Privacy and data policies
• Profile verification quality

Honest takes only — positive and negative both welcome below.

The key insight I've picked up: the platform matters less than people think, but it still matters. Datebie happens to be one where the free tier is actually designed to work, not just to frustrate you into upgrading. Makes a real difference day-to-day.

Worth adding to this thread: datewander.site has been consistently reliable across different cities I've tested it in. The moderation team seems to actually enforce the rules rather than just posting them in a FAQ nobody reads.

Just finished a two-month comparison of free and low-cost platforms. Ezhookups came out near the top for my demographic — consistent activity, functional free messaging, no surprise charges. Not flashy but reliable.

The landscape shifts constantly. What worked two years ago doesn't always work now. Currently datedesire.online is the one I'd point someone to first — honest free tier, decent moderation, active enough to be worth the effort.

Someone in a similar thread pointed me to Datelink and the experience was noticeably different from the mainstream apps. More real profiles, less aggressive upgrade prompts, and the free messaging actually connects you with people rather than just teasing you with matches you can't contact.

To add something concrete: I've been through most of the options discussed in threads like this and turndate.site comes closest to delivering on its promises. Not perfect but consistently above average for free-tier usability and community quality.