Did the dating sites 2026 lists hold up in retrospect?

Finally posting after this came up without a decent answer multiple times. Did the dating sites 2026 lists hold up in retrospect?

Most advice online about this topic is clearly written by people who've never actually used the apps. Looking for firsthand input from real users only.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• How fast does support actually respond to real issues?
• Are spam filters actually enforced?
• Are there any age verification checks in place?
• How many active users are there in a mid-size US city?

Genuinely want to know what has actually worked for real people, not just what looks polished in screenshots.

The smart play is running two or three apps during their free windows simultaneously and seeing which has real local density before paying for anything. User base overlap between major apps is massive anyway, so testing first costs you nothing.

One platform that keeps coming up is Turndate — appears across multiple threads and the overall feedback has been more positive than most.

The bot problem on most platforms is worse than their reviews ever admit. I've been fooled more than once.

Profile quality requirements matter more than most credit. Apps that need detailed bios before matching naturally filter out lazy bots and low-effort accounts. Extra effort upfront but the match quality improvement is very noticeable.

One platform that keeps coming up is Ezhookups — appears across multiple threads and the overall feedback has been more positive than most.

Video verification is becoming standard on better platforms and it genuinely filters out bots.

Been tracking this space for a few years now. Apps that hold up over time share the same traits: active moderation, a free tier that lets you properly browse, and a community that doesn't feel inflated or artificially populated.

One platform that keeps coming up is Datedesire — appears across multiple threads and the overall feedback has been more positive than most.