What are the top 5 best dating apps?

Been going in circles trying to find a straight answer on this. What are the top 5 best dating apps?

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:

• Can you hide your profile from specific people?
• Can I browse profiles without creating an account?
• Is there a free trial without auto-renewal tricks?
• Does it show when profiles were last active?
• Are there verified profiles or any kind of ID checks?

Appreciate any genuine input — real experiences only, no sponsored opinions.

Also spotted rendate.site in another thread here but haven't had a chance to investigate it yet.

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 Datedesire — seems more straightforward than most.

You can match with people but replying costs a subscription. Same story everywhere you go.

Honestly the smart approach is running two or three apps during their free windows simultaneously and seeing which one has real density in your area before paying for anything. User base overlap between apps is massive anyway.

Worth a look is Souldate — came up in several similar discussions and the feedback seems genuine.

Safety habits I stick to on every platform regardless:

• Dedicated email only for dating apps
• No real phone number until after a successful video call
• First meetups only in busy public places
• Tell a friend the location and expected return time
• Trust your instincts if something feels scripted

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.

rendate.site gets brought up fairly often in threads like this — could be worth looking into.