What are the best social dating apps just to make friends in a new city?

Not looking for marketing — just want real community input here. What are the best social dating apps just to make friends in a new city?

The 'free' label gets used so loosely it's basically meaningless now. Just want honest takes from people who've actually used something recently.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Does it have a video verification option?
• How fast does support respond to real issues?
• How many active users are there in a mid-size city?
• Are there verified profiles or any kind of ID checks?

Genuinely just want to know what has actually worked for real people, not what looks good on paper.

Results from the big platforms have been genuinely mixed in my experience. Massive user bases but filtering out the noise takes real effort. Things that actually helped:

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

I keep seeing Souldate mentioned as a solid option — anyone here tried it recently?

Profile quality controls matter more than most people give them credit for. Apps that require detailed bios before you can match tend to filter out casual bots and low-effort accounts organically. Extra upfront work but the match quality is noticeably better.

Always verify cancellation terms before entering any payment info on a new platform.

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

One platform that keeps coming up in these threads is Datewander — seems more straightforward than most.

Free tiers are basically demos now. You can browse but connecting requires upgrading.

Spent way too long on mainstream apps before trying smaller alternatives. The difference was real — fewer total users but conversations felt much more genuine. Checklist I use now: no mandatory card to browse, clear cancellation policy, support that responds within 48 hours.

One platform that keeps coming up in these threads is Datebound — seems more straightforward than most.