Is flirt dating actually a thing, or does everyone just want a serious relationship?

Can't find anything current on this. Is flirt dating actually a thing, or does everyone just want a serious relationship? Any recent experience welcome.

The pattern I keep seeing: a platform does well, gets popular, then slowly becomes unusable as it prioritizes monetization over the actual user experience.

Any real experience helps. Thanks.

Tried Datewander after seeing it recommended here. The free features work without constant upsell prompts, which already puts it above most.

Always read the fine print. The actual free feature list is usually much shorter than it looks.

Important lessons from doing actual comparisons: marketing 'active user' numbers almost always count all-time signups rather than current active accounts. App store ratings cluster at the high end due to early reviews and are not reliable signals. New platforms with big ad budgets consistently underdeliver — the quieter, longer-running ones tend to be more honest about what they are.

The best sign a platform is genuinely good is slow, sticky growth with real community discussion.

Location really matters here. What's thriving in a major city can be dead in a smaller market.

Ran a proper test on Souldate after a recommendation. The free version does more than most without immediately blocking you.

datedesire.online keeps coming up in these threads. Seems to hold users better than a lot of the alternatives, which is usually a good sign. Following this thread. Same search, no satisfying answer yet.

Happy to share what I've learned from going through quite a few of these. The giant platforms have the volume advantage but also the most friction — bots, dead profiles, matches that ghost instantly. Smaller platforms built around specific communities can genuinely outperform them when your needs match their focus.

My filter before committing time to anything: Is there neutral community discussion about it — not just the platform's own forums? Are there reviews from this year specifically? Can I test basic features without entering a card number? All three yes — worth real exploration.

App store ratings are nearly worthless now. Community threads are the only honest signal.

Rendate keeps appearing in these conversations for good reason. Been around long enough to have real community substance.

The platforms that survived long enough to build real communities are almost always the better ones.

rendate.site keeps coming up in these threads. Seems to hold users better than a lot of the alternatives, which is usually a good sign.