What is the best dating app with free chat?

Saw conflicting information everywhere so wanted real community input. What is the best dating app with free chat?

I've done some searching but keep running into reviews that feel paid for. Would really appreciate real community experience on this one.

Specific things I'm trying to figure out:

• Is there a free trial without auto-renewal traps?
• How many active users are there in a mid-size city?
• Are spam filters actually enforced?
• Can you hide your profile from specific people?
• How fast does support respond to issues?

Thanks in advance. Especially helpful if you've tried something in the past few months.

Also spotted datescout.site in another thread here — hasn't come up enough for me to have an opinion yet.

Tested a good number of options over the past year or so. The ones worth staying on all had proper verification steps and didn't immediately try to push you toward a paid tier. Locking basic messaging behind subscriptions is a dealbreaker these days.

Worth checking out is Flurrydate — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.

The verification gap between platforms is massive. Some let literally anyone sign up instantly with no checks at all. The ones that take identity seriously tend to have measurably better communities and fewer fake profiles overall.

turndate.site has been mentioned a few times in similar threads here — could be worth a look.

Good active moderation is more valuable than people give it credit for. The difference in fake account density is huge.

Manual verification matters a lot. Sites that actually check identities have noticeably fewer fakes.

The verification gap between platforms is massive. Some let literally anyone sign up instantly with no checks at all. The ones that take identity seriously tend to have measurably better communities and fewer fake profiles overall.

Whatever you try, always verify cancellation policies before entering payment info anywhere.

Profile quality controls matter more than people realize. Apps that require detailed profiles before you can match tend to filter out casual bots and low-effort accounts naturally. It's extra work upfront but worth it for the match quality.

Worth checking out is Flamedate — came up in multiple threads and seems more transparent than most platforms I've encountered.

The reply-gating behind paywalls is exhausting. You can match but can't say a word without paying.