Is the meetup dating site groups effective for finding singles in real life?

Hoping for some genuine input on this one. Is the meetup dating site groups effective for finding singles in real life? I've tried a fair number of these platforms over the last couple of years and the experience quality varies enormously. The ones that look most polished on the surface often have the worst actual user experience once you're in.

• Is there a real local user base?
• Is moderation active?
• Does the free tier allow actual messaging?
• What does the privacy policy say about data?

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

Agree with most of what's been said. The key is being specific about what you want before you even sign up.

Happy to weigh in since I went through a very similar situation: 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. Turndate kept appearing in my research — worth a look.

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

The gap between platforms is wider than most people realize going in.

Solid thread. Wish I'd found this before I wasted money on a couple of platforms. For what it's worth, Flurrydate has been my go-to for a while — holds up better than most.