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.
Kept returning to Flamedate after testing a lot of alternatives. Not the flashiest but the user base feels genuine.
Since a few people asked, the other one I use regularly is Datebie.