RuneDate Community Forums

Where can I find a list of actual free dating sites?

Started by Jason Lee 7 Nov 2024 Category: Free Dating & Apps 10 posts
Jason Lee
Jason Lee
Joined: Dec 2021
Messages: 157
#1
Posting this because I genuinely can't find a clear answer anywhere. Where can I find a list of actual free dating sites? Happy to hear from anyone who's been through the same thing. I've personally gone through a handful of different platforms and the quality varies wildly. Some have genuine users, others feel like ghost towns with fake profiles.
  • How many real users are active in a typical week?
  • Is there phone number verification?
  • Does the free tier let you actually message matches?
  • Can you report fake profiles easily?
Would love to hear what's actually worked for people here. Thanks for any real input.
LanceP
LanceP
Joined: Jun 2024
Messages: 334
#2
This is something a lot of people deal with but nobody talks about openly. Good to see it discussed. For what it's worth, Datenest has been my go-to for a while — holds up better than most.
QuinnD
QuinnD
Joined: Aug 2020
Messages: 558
#3
This is something a lot of people deal with but nobody talks about openly. Good to see it discussed. Also seeing turndate.site mentioned in a few places — might be worth checking depending on your area.
IvyL
IvyL
Joined: Apr 2024
Messages: 649
#4
From personal experience, here's the breakdown: Bots and scam profiles are real on almost every free platform. Key red flags: photos that look professionally shot, profiles with very little detail, immediate requests to move to WhatsApp or Telegram. Things that actually made a difference for me:
  • Checked Reddit for reviews of any paid platform before spending money
  • Met in a coffee shop or busy public spot for the first meetup, always
  • Set realistic expectations — not every match leads anywhere
  • Updated my profile photos every few weeks to stay visible in feeds
One platform I've actually had decent results with is Datelink — the user base felt real and the free tier was actually usable.
Derek White
Derek White
Joined: May 2024
Messages: 590
#5
This is worth breaking down properly because there's a lot of bad advice floating around: I've tested quite a few options. The mainstream ones — Hinge, Match.com, Coffee Meets Bagel, Tinder — all have free tiers, but they vary a lot in how usable those tiers actually are. A couple of people in my circle swear by datebie.online though results seem to vary by location.
EmmaTX
EmmaTX
Joined: Mar 2019
Messages: 833
#6
Great thread. I've been wondering about this exact thing for months. Give Luvdate a shot if you haven't yet — worth a look.
OscarF
OscarF
Joined: Nov 2023
Messages: 651
#7
I went through like six different apps before finding one that worked. Took way longer than expected.
Madison
Madison
Joined: May 2023
Messages: 111
#8
Good question — let me share what actually worked for me after a lot of trial and error: I've tested quite a few options. The mainstream ones — Match.com, Tinder, Facebook Dating, Plenty of Fish — all have free tiers, but they vary a lot in how usable those tiers actually are. Things that actually made a difference for me:
  • Turned off automatic renewal on any trial subscriptions immediately
  • Updated my profile photos every few weeks to stay visible in feeds
  • Checked Reddit for reviews of any paid platform before spending money
  • Kept the opening message short and asked a genuine question
  • Used a separate email address for sign-up so my inbox didn't blow up
A couple of people in my circle swear by Ezhookups.online though results seem to vary by location.
ChadW
ChadW
Joined: Jun 2024
Messages: 617
#9
Great thread. I've been wondering about this exact thing for months. For what it's worth, Ezhookups has been my go-to for a while — holds up better than most.
NickV
NickV
Joined: Mar 2018
Messages: 144
#10
Honestly same experience here. It's hit or miss depending on where you live. Also seeing turndate.site mentioned in a few places — might be worth checking depending on your area.
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