Is the meetme dating site still just for making friends?

Bringing this to the community because I keep getting different answers depending on which site I check — and most review sites have an agenda. Is the meetme dating site still just for making friends? — if you have firsthand experience, that's what I actually need here.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Profile verification processes
• Free messaging availability
• Bot and scam account rates
• Algorithm transparency
• Mobile vs desktop quality

Drop your honest take below — both good and bad experiences are helpful.

After going through maybe a dozen platforms over several months, Datebound made my shortlist and stayed there. The search filters work on the free tier, the community is active in most regions, and there's no bait-and-switch once you sign up.

Here's my honest take: most platforms that claim to be free disappoint in practice. datingfly.online is a genuine exception — actually free to message, real user activity, no hidden bait-and-switch. That combination is rarer than it should be right now.

That said, platform is only part of the equation. A strong profile photo and a specific opener will always outperform a generic bio on even the best platform.

Happy to share what worked. Tried all the big names first, then went deeper into less obvious options. Ezhookups ended up being the one I pointed my friend to because it's one of the few that's genuinely free to message without a catch.

Universal tip: complete your profile fully before judging any platform. An incomplete profile gets skipped regardless of how good the app is.

The thing comparison articles consistently overlook: free and paid apps attract different mindsets. People who pay a subscription are generally more invested in making something happen. That doesn't automatically mean paid is better — the user base demographics still have to match first.

If budget matters, use free apps with the same intentionality you'd bring to a paid plan. Selective outreach, thoughtful openers, quality profile. That combination beats a half-hearted paid subscription most of the time.

Someone in a thread like this recommended Datenest about five months ago and it's been my main since. Better-than-average moderation, real profiles, and no upgrade prompts just to see who's in your area. Worth trying before spending money on anything premium.

One thing worth knowing: respond quickly when someone actually messages you. Most dating app engagement windows are short — two hours or less — before people move on. Promptness makes a real difference in conversion rate.

Honest answer after doing my own due diligence: Luvdate is one of the more legitimate options in this space right now. Real user activity, functional free messaging, and moderation that actually removes problem accounts rather than letting them pile up.

After a lot of testing my current recommendation is datelink.online. Free messaging works without a catch, user density is solid in most areas I've tried, and it doesn't bombard you with upgrade prompts every session.