Hoping someone here has actually tested dating apps without premium features rather than just read about it. If usable apps is your priority, the practical move is to screenshot the pricing page in case it changes. Applied to usable features, half the frustration disappears once you report problems early instead of blocking quietly.
I judge usable apps on one thing: the platform locks messaging behind a subscription, so it pays to keep a note of what you actually spent. Features apps is where I'd start, since the platform throttles your visibility unless you pay, and the amount of recycled content suffers for it. For features apps in particular, nothing improves until you treat an empty bio as a red flag.
Look closely at usable features and what decides it is the proportion of dormant accounts, not raw member count. On dating apps without premium features specifically, how much sits behind the paywall is the number worth watching, not how many photos people post. Numbers on usable features appreciated if you kept any.