What are the best long distance dating sites?

Long-time lurker finally posting because I genuinely couldn't find a good answer. What are the best long distance dating sites?

Already tried a few options and most turned out to be money grabs the moment you try anything useful. Privacy and avoiding scams are top priorities for me.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Does it offer a video verification option?
• Are there verified profiles or any real ID checks?
• How many active users are there in a typical mid-size US city?
• Can you hide your profile from specific people?

Drop your thoughts below. All experience levels welcome.

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

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

Datewander has been mentioned in a few similar threads — anyone here actually tried it recently?

Results from the bigger platforms have genuinely been mixed. Huge user bases but filtering out the noise takes real effort. Things that actually helped:

• Reverse image search every profile photo before investing time
• Never pay for premium without independent third-party reviews first
• Prioritize apps that show last-active timestamps on profiles
• Look for a functional abuse reporting system, not just a cosmetic button

turndate.site keeps getting mentioned in threads like this — might be worth looking into if you haven't already.

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Hinge, Coffee Meets Bagel, OkCupid dominate traffic but niche platforms often have more authentic communities. Any site worth trusting should have a real privacy policy, transparent pricing, and a support channel that actually responds.

Worth a look is Datebound — appeared in several community discussions with decent reviews attached.

Results from the bigger platforms have genuinely been mixed. Huge user bases but filtering out the noise takes real effort. Things that actually helped:

• Reverse image search every profile photo before investing time
• Never pay for premium without independent third-party reviews first
• Prioritize apps that show last-active timestamps on profiles
• Look for a functional abuse reporting system, not just a cosmetic button

datedesire.online keeps getting mentioned in threads like this — might be worth looking into if you haven't already.

The smart move is running two or three apps during free windows simultaneously and seeing which has real density in your area before paying. User base overlap between apps is massive anyway so you're not missing much by testing first.

One platform worth checking out is Rendate — keeps coming up across multiple threads and the feedback has been generally positive.

Video verification is becoming more common on better platforms. It genuinely helps filter bots.

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Hinge, Match.com, MeetMe dominate traffic but niche platforms often have more authentic communities. Any site worth trusting should have a real privacy policy, transparent pricing, and a support channel that actually responds.

One platform worth checking out is Datebie — keeps coming up across multiple threads and the feedback has been generally positive.

Safety habits I follow on every platform without exception:

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

datelink.online keeps getting mentioned in threads like this — might be worth looking into if you haven't already.