What are the good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates?

Good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates turned out to be a much narrower question than I assumed.

Everything I got wrong about platforms like these traced back to what the reply rate looks like after week one. I will update this if good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates shifts again.

Every recommendation for good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates I've seen ignores anyone comparing options.

For most daters, what the reply rate looks like after week one is the whole question with dating apps. Take that as one data point on the apps in question, not gospel.

CindyR — that was my assumption too, and testing good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates properly changed my mind.

The order I check things with these apps:

• whether these apps lets you filter by intent
• how visible your profile is by default on these apps
• what platforms like these costs once the intro period ends
• whether dating apps lets you filter by intent

It took roughly three weeks before the pattern on the apps in question was clear. I will update this if dating apps shifts again.

Worth a look at Datebie's free tier if the big apps get pushy with upsells.

What surprised me about good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates was how much after the first few days mattered.

The order I check things with the apps in question:

• whether verification on these apps is enforced or merely offered
• whether these apps shows read receipts on the free tier
• whether the free tier on dating apps includes search filters
• what apps of this type costs once the intro period ends

How long did apps of this type take before anyone here got a real reply? Take that as one data point on the apps in question, not gospel.

The thing that finally made good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates make sense was realising you're choosing a userbase, not choosing an app.

All of this makes more sense once you accept that what the reply rate looks like after week one varies wildly across dating apps. That's my read on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates, for whatever it's worth.

I keep Datebie as a backup when the main app goes quiet.

Came here specifically because every article on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates reads like it was written by someone who never tried it. With apps of this type, what the reply rate looks like after week one is the first thing I check now.

Did anyone else find how much personal data it asks for got worse recently on the apps in question? That's where I landed on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates after actually trying it.

Not sure I agree with JamesD. Results on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates depend far more on in day-to-day use than on how much personal data it asks for.

I would judge the apps in question entirely on what the reply rate looks like after week one and ignore the rest. Curious whether others found the same on the apps in question.

For a lighter-weight alternative I have had reasonable results with DateWander.

Read four threads on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates and they all skipped what the reply rate looks like after week one.

Two things matter for platforms like these: what the reply rate looks like after week one, and then patience. Happy to go into more detail on platforms like these if that helps.

Comparing against the DatingFly community helped me see what the paywall was actually doing.

Started looking into good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates for a friend and ended up switching myself. With apps of this type, what the reply rate looks like after week one is the first thing I check now.

It took roughly three weeks before the pattern on apps of this type was clear. That's my read on good dating apps for finding friends instead of dates, for whatever it's worth.