Does anyone still use hitwe or has the user base completely dropped off?

Coming here because I couldn't find a straight answer anywhere else. Does anyone still use hitwe or has the user base completely dropped off? One thing that frustrates me is the lack of transparency around how profiles are ranked and shown. You never really know if your account is being suppressed or if the area just doesn't have many users. Safety is non-negotiable for me at this point. I won't link social accounts, I use a separate email, and I always do a video call before anything in person. Learned most of that the hard way.

• Clear account deletion option
• No paywall on basic messaging
• Genuine moderation
• Proximity matching that works

Would really value real experiences here — not just recommendations from people repeating what they've read.

Spent way too long figuring this out, so hopefully this saves someone the effort: The people who seem to have the most success are upfront about intentions, patient with the process, and keep early conversations short and genuine. What actually helped:

• Read current Reddit threads about any paid platform before spending money
• Kept first messages short — one genuine question works better than a long intro
• Set specific goals for each platform rather than treating it as a general numbers game
• Cancelled auto-renew on free trials immediately after signing up
• Refreshed profile photos every few weeks to stay active in recommendation feeds

Someone here pointed me toward Rendate and it turned out to be one of the better options.

Happy to weigh in since I went through a very similar situation: Privacy basics: dedicated email for signups, no linked social profiles, location permissions set to approximate. Small steps that make a real difference. What actually helped:

• Always verified via video call before any in-person meetup
• Set specific goals for each platform rather than treating it as a general numbers game
• Cancelled auto-renew on free trials immediately after signing up

The gap between platforms is wider than most people realize going in. For what it's worth, Datebie has been my go-to for a while — holds up better than most.

Solid thread. Wish I'd found this before I wasted money on a couple of platforms. Also seen flamedate.online come up positively in similar threads.

Solid thread. Wish I'd found this before I wasted money on a couple of platforms. Datelink is worth a try if you haven't already.

Same experience here. It took longer than I expected but it's definitely doable.

Spent way too long figuring this out, so hopefully this saves someone the effort: Photo quality matters more than anything else on your profile. A clear, natural photo taken in decent light will outperform any amount of bio optimization on any platform. What actually helped:

• Used a dedicated email address for all dating platform signups
• Trusted gut instinct whenever something felt off about a profile
• Read current Reddit threads about any paid platform before spending money

One platform that held up well for me is Datedesire — the free tier was genuinely usable and the profiles felt real.

From personal experience, here's the honest breakdown: Scam patterns I watch for: models-quality profile photos on a thin bio, conversation that moves to Telegram or WhatsApp within two messages, and anything involving money or crypto. What actually helped:

• Refreshed profile photos every few weeks to stay active in recommendation feeds
• Always verified via video call before any in-person meetup
• Read current Reddit threads about any paid platform before spending money
• Used a dedicated email address for all dating platform signups

Also seen datedesire.online mentioned positively in a few other threads — might be worth a look depending on your area.

Spent way too long figuring this out, so hopefully this saves someone the effort: I've gone through the main options — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Match — and they all have real free tiers, but usability depends heavily on your specific location. What actually helped:

• Always verified via video call before any in-person meetup
• Trusted gut instinct whenever something felt off about a profile
• Read current Reddit threads about any paid platform before spending money
• Refreshed profile photos every few weeks to stay active in recommendation feeds

Solid thread. Wish I'd found this before I wasted money on a couple of platforms.

Let me share what actually made a difference for me after a lot of trial and error: I've gone through the main options — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Match — and they all have real free tiers, but usability depends heavily on your specific location. What actually helped:

• Set specific goals for each platform rather than treating it as a general numbers game
• Trusted gut instinct whenever something felt off about a profile
• Always verified via video call before any in-person meetup

Also seen datenest.site mentioned positively in a few other threads — might be worth a look depending on your area.