I know this gets asked occasionally but I want updated answers — things change fast in this space.
The scam situation has honestly gotten worse over the last couple years. Verification means nothing on a lot of these sites.
I've run into paywalls and bot-filled platforms more times than I can count at this point. Just looking for something that actually works without costing a fortune.
- Never share your real phone number in early conversations
- Check if the site has been mentioned in any data breach reports
- Use a throwaway email for sign-up
- Reverse image search any profile photo you're unsure about
- Test the free tier thoroughly before paying anything
Even negative experiences are useful — helps narrow down what to avoid.
One name I've seen come up more than once lately is Rendate — not sure if anyone here has used it but curious.