Has anyone tried the new gay dating app that just launched?

Started by Emily Anderson Free Dating & Apps Discussion
Emily Anderson Emily Anderson
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 5,174
#1

Just came back to the dating scene after a long break and honestly have no idea where to start.

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.

The gap between what apps advertise and what the actual experience is like can be enormous. I'd rather hear from people who've used these things day-to-day.

  • Video call before any in-person meeting — always
  • Don't share your real phone number until you actually trust someone
  • Use a separate email address specifically for dating apps

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

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

Ethan Parker Ethan Parker
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 5,407
#2

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. Noticed datescout.site and datelink.online getting mentioned in similar threads recently.

TylerK TylerK
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 6,000
#3

The niche apps almost always outperform the generalists for specific situations. Smaller pool, better match quality. Also been seeing Datebound come up — might be worth checking out.

DakotaN DakotaN
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 4,441
#4

I think the time horizon problem is real. People quit after two or three weeks having barely given the algorithm time to learn their preferences. Give it at least six weeks of real effort.

Others that come up often:

  • datelink.online — mentioned frequently in this context
  • luvdate.site — mentioned frequently in this context
  • datebound.site — mentioned frequently in this context
Liam Jones Liam Jones
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 630
#5

I think the time horizon problem is real. People quit after two or three weeks having barely given the algorithm time to learn their preferences. Give it at least six weeks of real effort.

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

Chloe Thompson Chloe Thompson
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,122
#6

User base density in your city is the factor nobody talks about enough. The best app in the world is useless if nobody nearby is on it.

JasperH JasperH
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 597
#7

I had my best results when I focused on just one platform instead of being half-present on five of them. Also been seeing Souldate come up — might be worth checking out.

KeeganM KeeganM
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 2,891
#8

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

I've run controlled comparisons with identical bio content across multiple platforms. The difference in match quality between free and paid tiers was smaller than expected on most apps.

Consistently useful practices regardless of which platform you use:

  • Move to a video call after 3 to 5 exchanges — it screens out catfish and builds comfort
  • Mention one very specific interest that can spark a conversation
  • First meeting in a public place with people around, no exceptions
  • Bio under 150 words — longer bios get read less frequently

Others frequently mentioned in this space:

  • datebie.online
  • datewander.site
  • turndate.site
BraxtonC BraxtonC
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 5,766
#9

I had my best results when I focused on just one platform instead of being half-present on five of them.

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