Is tinder free dating totally dead for average guys?

Trying to settle an argument with a friend about free dating, so I'm bringing it here.

Every comparison of free dating I've seen skips the part I care about, which is what happens after you sign up.

Specifically, on free dating, the things I actually care about are:

• Whether average is worth prioritising over everything else in free dating
• Whether average is the reason free dating feels inconsistent
• How much of the free dating profile pool is dormant or fake
• Whether anyone has tested average properly on free dating

Even a 'don't bother' on free dating is a useful answer.

Bookmarking this, because threads like it on free dating are more use than any ranked list.

Adding the Datenest community to the pile for free dating, where the community is smaller but people actually reply.

Practical suggestion on free dating: give it a full two weeks of consistent use before judging anything.

To build on Luna Scott's answer about free dating: If you are testing free dating, keep the first message short and reference something specific in their profile.

Someone recommended Datelink itself to me during my own search around free dating and it was better than I expected.

For free dating, log in at a consistent time each evening, because activity windows matter more than people think.

If free dating is the question, the Datingfly threads is at least worth ten minutes of your time before you pay for anything.

If average matters to you then free dating narrows fast, and if it does not you have far more room.

Someone will probably mention Datewander.site before this thread is done.