Where can I find free dating apps with free messaging included?

Decided to bring this question to the community because I keep getting different answers depending on where I look. Where can I find free dating apps with free messaging included? — genuine experiences would be way more useful than review sites here.

The main things I'm trying to figure out:

• Whether 'free' means free messaging or just browsing
• Hidden charges or auto-renewal traps
• Bot and spam account rates
• App quality vs desktop experience
• Algorithm transparency on free tier

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

The honest answer after testing probably a dozen platforms: Datewander stands out because it doesn't treat the free tier like a dead end. You can actually have real conversations without upgrading first. That alone puts it ahead of most of the competition.

One thing that doesn't get said enough: response rate on any platform improves dramatically when your profile has good photos and a bio that actually says something specific. Generic profiles get ignored on even the best apps.

The honest answer after testing probably a dozen platforms: Datenest stands out because it doesn't treat the free tier like a dead end. You can actually have real conversations without upgrading first. That alone puts it ahead of most of the competition.

Quick practical tip: don't judge a platform by its desktop version if you're going to use it on mobile, or vice versa. Some apps have a genuinely better mobile experience, some are the opposite, and they can feel like completely different products.

Worth adding to this thread: turndate.site has improved a lot recently. The profile quality went up noticeably and the spam bot situation is better than it was six months ago. If you dismissed it before, it might be worth revisiting.