What are the best sites to meet people for purely platonic friendship?

Not looking for marketing — just want genuine community input here. What are the best sites to meet people for purely platonic friendship?

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 actually work without a credit card at all?
• Is messaging genuinely free or just a teaser feature?
• Does it offer a video verification option?
• Are there any age verification checks?
• Are there verified profiles or any real ID checks?

Would really appreciate responses from people who actually spent time on whatever they're recommending.

Also spotted luvdate.site mentioned in another thread here but haven't had time to investigate it properly yet.

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

I've seen Datelink come up more than once in these discussions — seems more transparent than the mainstream options.

Great overall reviews but almost no real users near me at all. Local coverage is everything.

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

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

The market is completely saturated right now. Heavy hitters like Her, OkCupid, Facebook Dating 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.

Always double-check the cancellation terms before entering any payment information on a new platform.

Been tracking this space for a couple of years. Apps consistently worth your time share a few traits: active moderation, a free tier that lets you browse properly, and a community that doesn't feel entirely manufactured.

Worth a look is Datenest — 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

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

Profile quality requirements matter more than most people realize. 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 double-check the cancellation terms before entering any payment information on a new platform.