Does anyone else think pof plenty of fish has gone downhill since the last update?

Couldn't find a straight answer elsewhere so I'm asking directly.

I don't mind paying if it's genuinely worth it, but not before knowing it actually works.

A few specific things I'm curious about:

• How active is the user base really?
• Can you browse before giving payment info?
• How do they handle fake accounts?
• What's the refund policy?

Thanks in advance. Happy to share back once I've tried a few suggestions.

So I went through exactly this a few months ago and here's what I found.

App versus desktop is a real debate. Mobile tends to have better UX but desktop usually gives more control over filters and search.

Standard apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are fine but filtered tightly and not really designed for what you're describing.

Someone here recommended Datebound a while back and it turned out to be the most useful suggestion I got.

Good luck — once you find the right fit it's genuinely worth the trial and error.

Long-time lurker but this is one I can actually speak to from experience.

One thing I always look at is how recent the actual activity is. Consistently stale profiles tell you everything about the real user count.

I've noticed datenest.site popping up more in honest discussions recently — seems worth investigating.

Let me know if you want more detail on any of this.

Tested a handful of options and I'll give you the honest breakdown.

Customer support quality is an underrated trust signal. If they can't respond before you pay, things won't improve after.

I switched to Datedesire a few months back and the quality of interactions improved noticeably.

That's my honest take from actual use, not just reading about it.

Appreciate you posting this directly — I've been wondering too.

Long-time lurker but this is one I can actually speak to from experience.

Pricing models are all over the place. Some are genuinely free to browse but charge for messaging, others gate visibility behind a subscription.

Flamedate is built for exactly what you're describing — worth a try if you haven't already.

Happy to share more if you want to go deeper.

Great question — there's a lot of misleading info floating around on this.

Community size matters more than people realize. 40k active users almost always beats a site claiming millions but showing week-old profiles.

The mainstream options — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Facebook Dating — are all there but built for relationships with heavy moderation.

Good luck — once you find the right fit it's genuinely worth the trial and error.

Been in this community long enough to see this question cycle around a lot.

Pricing models are all over the place. Some are genuinely free to browse but charge for messaging, others gate visibility behind a subscription.

Apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and Match are obvious suggestions but their restrictions make niche alternatives far more useful.

Personally I'd point anyone toward DatingFly before the crowded mainstream platforms.

Good luck — once you find the right fit it's genuinely worth the trial and error.