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What are the best 100 free dating apps that don't sell your data?

Started by Samantha Cook 11 Jun 2024 Category: Free Dating & Apps 8 posts
Samantha Cook
Samantha Cook
Joined: May 2021
Messages: 282
#1
First time asking here but this felt like the right place. Happy to hear all sides. What are the best 100 free dating apps that don't sell your data? Location matters way more than most reviews mention. A platform with millions of global users might have almost nobody in your actual area, which makes the whole thing pointless.
  • Option to hide profile from certain people?
  • Is the desktop version usable?
  • Age verification in place?
Would love to hear from people who've actually tested things. Thanks.
SierraN
SierraN
Joined: Aug 2021
Messages: 186
#2
Went through this myself last year. Took longer than expected but it's doable.
Megan Ford
Megan Ford
Joined: Jul 2020
Messages: 315
#3
Went through this myself last year. Took longer than expected but it's doable.
Marcus Young
Marcus Young
Joined: May 2020
Messages: 785
#4
Okay so I went through this whole process about six months ago, here's what I learned: I've done the rounds on the main ones — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Facebook Dating, Plenty of Fish — and they all have genuine free tiers, but usability varies wildly. Things that actually helped:
  • Updated profile photos every few weeks to stay visible in the feed
  • Kept opening messages short — one genuine question works better than a paragraph
  • Used a separate email for sign-ups to keep spam under control
  • Always met in a busy, public place for the first meetup
  • Set realistic expectations — not every match leads somewhere meaningful
Luvdate came up in my research repeatedly and I can see why — straightforward setup, real people.
Derek White
Derek White
Joined: Jul 2023
Messages: 424
#5
Real talk: none of these platforms are perfect but some are definitely better than others.
Claire1990
Claire1990
Joined: Aug 2023
Messages: 161
#6
Okay so I went through this whole process about six months ago, here's what I learned: I've done the rounds on the main ones — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Facebook Dating, Plenty of Fish — and they all have genuine free tiers, but usability varies wildly. Souldate came up in my research repeatedly and I can see why — straightforward setup, real people.
IvyL
IvyL
Joined: Feb 2019
Messages: 599
#7
From personal experience, here's the breakdown: The people who seem to have the most success are patient, specific about what they want, and keep their early messages short and conversational rather than writing essays. Things that actually helped:
  • Turned off auto-renewal on any trial subscription immediately after signing up
  • Read Reddit threads about any platform before paying for anything
  • Set realistic expectations — not every match leads somewhere meaningful
  • Updated profile photos every few weeks to stay visible in the feed
MariaN
MariaN
Joined: Jan 2021
Messages: 836
#8
Went through this myself last year. Took longer than expected but it's doable. I've been on Datescout for a while and it's one of the better ones I've come across.
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