Does the coffee bagel dating app still focus on "quality over quantity"?

Been thinking about this for a while and wanted to get input from people with actual experience.

Privacy is something I care about a lot. Too many of these platforms have murky data policies and I don't want my information floating around.

Free tiers have gotten increasingly restrictive. A lot of platforms make you pay just to see who liked you, which feels like a pretty fundamental feature to gate.

Honest feedback only — I can find the paid promotion stuff on my own.

One I've been seeing mentioned more lately is Souldate — anyone have direct experience with it?

Happy to give a real breakdown — I've been through enough of these platforms to have actual opinions.

The main insight I'd share: treat app selection as a secondary variable. Profile quality, consistency, and genuine personalization in messages are what actually drive results.

Consistently useful practices regardless of which platform you use:

• Mention one very specific interest that can spark a conversation
• Respond to matches within a few hours — response rates drop significantly after 12 hours
• First photo should show your face clearly and look approachable, not professional
• Bio under 150 words — longer bios get read less frequently

Others frequently mentioned in this space:

• datebound.site
• souldate.site

If free messaging is a dealbreaker for you, the list gets short fast. Most of the big platforms have fully gated messaging now, even on paid tiers below the premium level.

Mainstream options worth running simultaneously: eHarmony, Badoo, Zoosk, Bumble, Plenty of Fish. All have some free functionality to test before paying.

I've been through most of the popular ones. The free tiers are pretty much useless for messaging at this point — they're mostly browse-only.

The algorithm boost for new accounts is something most guides don't mention. Your first week on any platform is your best window — have your profile fully built before you start swiping.

Mainstream options worth running simultaneously: Plenty of Fish, Badoo, Grindr, Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge. All have some free functionality to test before paying.

Been keeping an eye on Datewander recently — the user base looks more genuine than some of the oversaturated main apps.

Spending money doesn't solve the fundamental problem of a thin user base in your area. Check activity before paying.