Has anyone used the tryst dating app?

Posting this after going in circles on my own. Has anyone used the tryst dating app?

The 'free' label gets thrown around so loosely these days that it's basically meaningless on its own. Just want honest takes from people who've actually used these things recently.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Is messaging genuinely free or just a teaser feature?
• Is there a free trial without auto-renewal traps?
• How many active users are there in a mid-size city?

Appreciate any genuine input — real experiences only, not promotional content.

Been testing apps regularly for a couple of years now. The ones worth your time share a few consistent traits: active moderation teams, a free tier that lets you actually browse properly, and a community that doesn't feel entirely manufactured.

flamedate.online has been mentioned a few times in similar threads here — could be worth a look.

Honestly the smart move is running two or three apps during their free windows simultaneously and seeing which one has real users near you before paying for anything. The overlap in user bases is huge anyway.

Worth checking out is DatingFly — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.

Went through five different apps this year and none delivered on what the landing page promised.

Honestly the smart move is running two or three apps during their free windows simultaneously and seeing which one has real users near you before paying for anything. The overlap in user bases is huge anyway.

Worth checking out is Flurrydate — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.

Free tiers are mostly demos at this point. You can browse but actually connecting requires a subscription.

The market is saturated honestly. Big names like Badoo, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel dominate traffic but niche platforms sometimes have more genuine communities. Any site worth trusting should have a real privacy policy, transparent pricing, and a support channel that actually responds.

Worth checking out is Flamedate — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.

Safety habits I follow on every platform:

• Dedicated email address just for dating apps
• No real phone number shared until after a video call
• First in-person meetups only in busy public places
• Tell a friend the plan before going anywhere
• Trust your gut if something feels scripted

Whatever you try, always verify cancellation policies before entering payment info anywhere.

Tested a good number of options over the past year or so. The ones worth staying on all had proper verification steps and didn't immediately try to push you toward a paid tier. Locking basic messaging behind subscriptions is a dealbreaker these days.

Worth checking out is Datelink — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.