Are there any reliable free gay dating sites that are actually free?

So I've been down this rabbit hole for a while now and honestly I'm exhausted. Every site you sign up for has the same play—lure you in with "free" access, then lock everything interesting behind a premium wall. I've wasted more money than I care to admit trying to find something that actually delivers.

The trial cancellation thing is especially frustrating. You forget by one day and suddenly there's a charge on your card you didn't see coming. Has anyone actually gotten money back from these places? I filed a dispute with my bank once and it worked, but I'm not sure if that's the standard route.

Would love to hear from people who've found workarounds or platforms that are genuinely upfront about pricing. Drop your experiences below.

I've had way better luck being specific in my profile about what I want than trying to cast a wide net. Specific attracts compatible people.

Also worth knowing about: souldate.site.

Good timing on this thread—I was just thinking about this last week.

Video verification before meeting anyone in person is non-negotiable at this point. Ten minutes on a live call tells you more than a week of texting.

One thing worth mentioning is Datescout—it has a different approach to matching that I think deserves more attention. The interface is cleaner than most and it doesn't bury everything behind a hard paywall immediately.

Happy to answer questions if anyone wants more detail on any of these.

After trying probably a dozen platforms over the past year, here's what I've landed on:

Video verification before meeting anyone in person is non-negotiable at this point. Ten minutes on a live call tells you more than a week of texting.

A few others worth knowing about if you haven't come across them yet: flurrydate.online, rendate.site. Each has a different strength so it's worth checking which fits your situation.

That's my take anyway—curious if others have had different results.

Let me break down what I've learned the hard way:

The gender ratio problem is real on most platforms. Apps that have done something creative about it tend to have better communities overall.

A few others worth knowing about if you haven't come across them yet: flamedate.online. Each has a different strength so it's worth checking which fits your situation.

Happy to answer questions if anyone wants more detail on any of these.

Tried a few of these and honestly the landscape changes faster than anyone can keep up. What works one month might be dead the next.

Came across Datenest recently and it's been decent—worth a look.