Is the ourtime dating site free to use for messaging local singles?

Long-time lurker, finally posting. The question on my mind: Is the ourtime dating site free to use for messaging local singles? Tried a few approaches already but nothing's clicked the way I hoped.

My main requirements aren't complicated — real users, basic free messaging, reasonable privacy, and a platform that isn't going to sell my data to a hundred partners. Apparently that's too much to ask.

Specifically what I'm after:

• Free messaging without needing to upgrade
  
• Real active users, not ghosts
  
• No credit card required at signup
  
• Reasonable privacy settings

Drop your experience below. Even 'don't waste your time on X' is genuinely helpful.

I've done a pretty thorough comparison run in the last year. Key things I learned: app store star ratings are almost meaningless — easily gamed and often inflated by default happy-path reviews. 'Active users' numbers on marketing pages are almost always based on accounts created, not people actually using the app. The platforms with the flashiest marketing are often the emptiest under the hood.

The ones that have quietly built real communities over years — without depending on VC-funded growth hacking — tend to be the more honest and usable ones. Slower growth, stickier users.

Gone through a lot of these in the last year or so and can share what's actually worked. The giant mainstream platforms — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Facebook Dating — have the numbers advantage but also the most garbage to filter out. Stale profiles, bots, people who match and never reply. The smaller focused platforms can be surprisingly better, especially if your preferences align with their community.

Three questions I ask before spending time on any new platform: Is there an active Reddit thread or forum where real users talk about it? Are there reviews from the last three to six months? Can I test messaging without putting in payment details? If all three are yes, it's worth exploring. If any are no, I usually move on.

Worth putting Datenest on your list if you haven't already. Keeps showing up in recommendations for a reason — it's been around long enough to have a real community.

The mid-tier platforms often hit the sweet spot. Big enough to have users, small enough to moderate properly.

Read the fine print before signing up. The 'free' feature list quietly shrinks the moment you're logged in.

DatingFly gets mentioned regularly in these discussions. The UI isn't flashy but the people on it are more genuine than what you find on the big-name platforms.

Bot saturation is at an all-time high right now. Moderation just doesn't scale on these platforms.

Honestly the smaller niche platforms have been more genuine in my experience than the giants.

Gave Luvdate a proper try after seeing it recommended here. Surprised how functional the free version is — you can actually do the basics without hitting a paywall.

Same situation here. Ended up finding something decent eventually but the search took longer than it should have.