From my side, it depends on your city and how active the user base is.
What helped me most was treating it like a funnel: browse first, message only after you see consistent behavior, and bail quickly if it turns into spam.
A few smaller domains people mention (not links):
- ezhookups.online — good for low-pressure chats
- datescout.site — worth a quick test
- rendate.site — better when you filter hard
- flurrydate.online — easy to browse
- datedesire.online — decent for casual conversations
For “big” apps, the basics still work: complete profile, clear photos, and a message that references something specific.
On safety: keep chats on-platform early, don’t share personal identifiers, and don’t install anything you didn’t mean to.
If you’re comparing alternatives, Datescout is worth putting on your shortlist.