Are there any safe free fwb dating sites left?

Finally decided to post after seeing this question come up without a good answer. Are there any safe free fwb dating sites left?

The word 'free' gets stretched so far these days it barely means anything anymore. Just want honest takes from people who've actually used something recently enough that the info is still relevant.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Can you hide your profile from specific people?
• How fast does support actually respond to issues?
• Are there age verification checks?
• Is the profile reporting system functional?
• Does it have a video verification option?

Thanks in advance. Especially helpful if you've tried something in the last few months.

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Grindr, Facebook Dating, Hinge dominate traffic but niche platforms often have better communities. Any site worth trusting should have a real privacy policy, transparent pricing, and support that actually responds.

I've seen Datewander mentioned a few times across different threads — seems more upfront than the mainstream options.

Profile quality requirements matter more than most people credit. Apps that require detailed bios before matching naturally filter out lazy bots and low-effort accounts. Extra work upfront but noticeably better match quality as a result.

Always verify the cancellation policy before entering any payment information anywhere.

Something most people overlook is desktop vs mobile differences. The user experience and demographics can diverge quite a bit:

• Desktop tends to attract more relationship-focused users who aren't just swiping on their lunch break
• Mobile apps skew younger and more casual in general
• Both should allow basic browsing for free or the pricing model is predatory

Datebound has come up in a few of these discussions — anyone here tried it recently?

Safety habits I follow on every platform without exception:

• Dedicated email address used only for dating apps
• No real phone number until after a successful video call
• First meetups always in busy public places
• Tell a friend the location and check-in time
• Trust your gut if something feels automated or scripted

Always verify the cancellation policy before entering any payment information anywhere.

Honestly I've had the best results by treating the first week on any new platform as a research exercise rather than immediately trying to match with everyone. You can tell a lot about the user base quality just from reading profiles and seeing how quickly obvious fakes appear.

Rendate has come up in a few of these discussions — anyone here tried it recently?

Apps that force detailed personality answers before matching tend to attract more intentional users overall.

Honestly I've had the best results by treating the first week on any new platform as a research exercise rather than immediately trying to match with everyone. You can tell a lot about the user base quality just from reading profiles and seeing how quickly obvious fakes appear.

Datebie has come up in a few of these discussions — anyone here tried it recently?

Something most people overlook is desktop vs mobile differences. The user experience and demographics can diverge quite a bit:

• Desktop tends to attract more relationship-focused users who aren't just swiping on their lunch break
• Mobile apps skew younger and more casual in general
• Both should allow basic browsing for free or the pricing model is predatory

Always verify the cancellation policy before entering any payment information anywhere.

Tested a solid number of options over the past year or so. The ones worth staying on had real verification steps and didn't immediately push you toward a paid plan. Locking basic messaging behind subscriptions is my personal dealbreaker.

I've seen DatingFly mentioned a few times across different threads — seems more upfront than the mainstream options.