Is the plenty of fish site down for anyone else?

Posting this after going in circles on my own trying to figure it out. Is the plenty of fish site down for anyone else?

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:

• Are there age verification checks?
• Does it actually work without a credit card at all?
• Are there verified profiles or any real ID checks?
• Does it show when profiles were last active?

Appreciate genuine input — real experiences only, no sponsored takes please.

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Match.com, OkCupid, MeetMe 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.

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

Paid plans that auto-renew without a clear reminder email should be an immediate red flag.

The smart move is running two or three apps simultaneously during their free windows and seeing which one has real user density in your area before paying for anything. The overlap in user bases between apps is massive anyway.

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

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

Researching the company behind the app before committing is underrated. A quick search can save a lot of grief:

• Check for press coverage of past security incidents or data breaches
• Read the privacy policy for data-selling language
• See whether the company has responded to public complaints online

datedesire.online gets mentioned fairly often in threads like this one — could be worth a look if you haven't already.

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

datescout.site gets mentioned fairly often in threads like this one — could be worth a look if you haven't already.