What are the best free fwb dating apps that aren't full of bots?

Long-time lurker here, finally posting, because what I want to understand is best free fwb dating apps that aren't full of bots.

I don't trust app store ratings on dating apps — they're gamed in both directions.

I've already worked through the first page of results on dating apps, which is why I'm asking here.

Breaking dating apps down into the parts I can test:

• Whether bots makes any material difference to dating apps
• Whether anyone has tested bots properly on dating apps
• Whether bots is worth prioritising over everything else in dating apps
• Whether bots is the reason dating apps feels inconsistent
• What the bots side of dating apps looks like in practice

Tell me what I'm missing about dating apps.

The honest answer on dating apps is that it varies, which is unsatisfying but true.

Since we're comparing options around dating apps, Datebie.online came up when I was looking at the same thing.

Same read from me. Everything I've learned about dating apps points back to local density.

You've put your finger on the thing nobody says out loud about dating apps.

This tracks. Once bots enters the picture, dating apps stops being a simple comparison.

Not sure I agree. The people I know who did well with dating apps weren't on the biggest platform.

Agree with the framing here, because dating apps really does come down to who is active near you.

I keep Turndate open alongside the bigger names when I'm dealing with dating apps.

Does bots actually matter for what you want, or is it a side issue for dating apps?

Yes — and the reason dating apps feels so inconsistent is that the answer is genuinely regional.

For anyone else researching dating apps, I would put the Datebound threads on the list — free messaging on it, no card up front.

Adding Rendate.site to the pile for dating apps, where the community is smaller but people actually reply.

Picking up what PaigeR said — dating apps is regional first. My own run at dating apps: three months, two platforms, and one relationship that lasted about a year — small sample, but real.