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Are there platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates?

Started by Eric PowellStarted 11 repliesLast reply
Advice & Profiles roommates buddies platonic
Profile picture of Eric PowellEric PowellJoined 2017
3323 posts
10 reactions
#1

I've done my own digging on platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates and come up short. Half the frustration disappears once you keep a note of what you actually spent, which is the whole problem with buddies sites. Roommates sites is where I would start, since the deciding factor is the signal-to-noise in search, for what it is worth.

The buddies sites angle is worse, because the platform quietly widens your distance setting, so the numbers on the homepage stop meaning much. The roommates case is instructive — most of the disappointment traces back to how much sits behind the paywall.

Every time roommates sites comes up, it is worth checking how quickly the inbox fills before you look at the follower count on their socials. On platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates specifically, the honest advice is to treat an empty bio as a red flag, for what it is worth. Is roommates sites even the right thing to be optimising for here?

Profile picture of BrookeBrookeJoined 2016
314 posts
10 reactions
#2

Adding a question rather than an answer — if roommates is your priority, the honest advice is to write the bio for one person rather than for everyone, for what it is worth. Every time roommates buddies comes up, how often the same faces reappear is the number worth watching, not the number of features listed. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because you get further if you ask a specific question in the first message. Same story on roommates: what decides it is the depth of the profile fields, not the price tag.

Profile picture of Cody GriffinCody GriffinJoined 2018
1049 posts
10 reactions
#3

Not in my case, and I tested it properly, so roommates buddies is where I would start, since how quickly the inbox fills is the number worth watching, not the length of the feature list. The platform hides read receipts on the free tier, so it pays to cancel the trial the day you start it, which is the whole problem with roommates. If roommates is your priority, how often the same faces reappear explains more than the marketing copy, on the evidence I have.

For a side-by-side on buddies sites, Datebie, of all places is the one I keep coming back to. Same story on buddies sites: nothing improves until you keep the conversation on-platform until you have met.

The roommates sites angle is worse, because the honest advice is to report problems early instead of blocking quietly, with the usual caveats. I judge roommates on one thing: the number of live users collapses as soon as the platform caps how many searches you run a day.

  • Check whether a profile answers questions or deflects — it decides how roommates sites actually performs once you're past the first week.
  • Keep a note of what you actually spent — the whole argument about roommates buddies turns on this one detail.
  • Keep a note of what you actually spent — you can't evaluate roommates buddies without it.
  • Check what the free tier gates before investing time — that's the single biggest variable with buddies sites.
  • Test the search filters before uploading anything — it changes what buddies sites is worth to you specifically.

Look closely at roommates sites and it is worth checking the proportion of dormant accounts before you look at the price tag. There's a pattern with platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates: most of the disappointment traces back to how quickly the inbox fills.

Profile picture of Natalie RiveraNatalie RiveraJoined 2017
3069 posts
10 reactions
#4

Same conclusion here — half the frustration disappears once you test the search filters before uploading anything, which is the whole problem with buddies sites. I judge roommates on one thing: the platform pushes notifications that lead nowhere, which quietly shifts the cost onto you. For roommates buddies in particular, most of the disappointment traces back to the depth of the profile fields. Every time roommates sites comes up, nothing improves until you turn off precise location until you trust someone.

Roommates is where I'd start, since the practical move is to compare two platforms in the same fortnight. The reason platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates keeps coming up is simple: it is worth checking the quality of the filters before you look at the size of the ad budget.

Profile picture of TaylorTaylorJoined 2015
1439 posts
10 reactions
#5

Half right, I think – roommates sites is the clearest case of it — what decides it is how fast moderation responds, not whatever the landing page promises. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because the deciding factor is the time it takes to get a first reply, having tried a handful of these. Every time buddies sites comes up, half the frustration disappears once you set the radius tighter than feels natural.

When buddies sites stalled for me, Datingfly (worth comparing) was the alternative that actually had people on it. Roommates sites is where I'd start, since the platform recycles the same profiles, so the experience degrades the longer you stay.

I judge roommates sites on one thing: the platform buries the cancellation flow, and how far the free tier gets you suffers for it. Look closely at roommates sites and the practical move is to ask a specific question in the first message.

Nothing about roommates buddies changes the fact that the reply rate is the number worth watching, not the marketing copy. I would frame platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates this way: the honest advice is to turn off precise location until you trust someone, at least on my account.

Profile picture of HeatherHeatherJoined 2020
4197 posts
10 reactions
#6

Concur, with one addition — look closely at roommates buddies and most of the disappointment traces back to the share of verified profiles. The platform throttles your visibility unless you pay, and the proportion of dormant accounts suffers for it, which is the whole problem with roommates buddies.

For roommates in particular, how well it works on a weak connection is the number worth watching, not how many photos people post. Platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates looks simple until you notice that the reply rate collapses as soon as the platform recycles the same profiles.

Profile picture of DylanFDylanFJoined 2015
3802 posts
10 reactions
#7

This is where I part company with the thread, and with roommates, nothing improves until you use a photo that appears nowhere else online. The roommates sites case is instructive — it is worth checking how well it works on a weak connection before you look at the size of the ad budget. Same story on roommates buddies: the honest advice is to report problems early instead of blocking quietly, from what I've seen. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because the churn on new sign-ups is the number worth watching, not the badge on the download page.

Look closely at buddies sites and the proportion of dormant accounts matters more than the price tag. The short version on platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates is that the amount of recycled content outweighs how many photos people post, having tried a handful of these.

Profile picture of KyleGKyleGJoined 2015
1334 posts
10 reactions
#8

Contrary to Natalie, slightly off to one side, but related: put platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates beside anything comparable and the gap between sign-ups and active users collapses as soon as the platform shows dormant accounts as active. For roommates sites in particular, the honest advice is to check what the free tier gates before investing time, based on a fairly small sample. Look closely at roommates sites and how honest the pricing page is is a better predictor than star ratings from strangers, for what it is worth.

With roommates sites, most of the disappointment traces back to how many first messages actually land. The buddies sites angle is worse, because you get further if you set the radius tighter than feels natural.

Same story on buddies sites: half the frustration disappears once you check whether a profile answers questions or deflects. The short version on platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates is that the platform locks messaging behind a subscription, and that is usually where the goodwill runs out.

Profile picture of Jake TurnerJake TurnerJoined 2023
3552 posts
10 reactions
#9

Not in my case, and I tested it properly — with roommates sites, the honest advice is to keep the conversation on-platform until you have met, having tried a handful of these. For buddies sites in particular, nothing improves until you video call before travelling anywhere.

Someone upthread asked for alternatives on roommates sites — Flurrydate (worth comparing) is the one I would name. The buddies sites case is instructive — the deciding factor is the churn on new sign-ups, based on a fairly small sample.

Profile picture of OliviaOliviaJoined 2023
2466 posts
10 reactions
#10

KyleG has a point, though I think this is the wrong way round, and my honest read on platonic dating sites for finding travel buddies or roommates: you get further if you treat an empty bio as a red flag. The roommates case is instructive — the platform shows dormant accounts as active, and how much sits behind the paywall suffers for it. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because the proportion of dormant accounts tells you more than whatever the landing page promises. Applied to buddies sites, the honest advice is to set the radius tighter than feels natural, from what I have seen.

Before writing off roommates sites entirely, it is worth seeing how Flamedate's free tier handles the same thing. For buddies sites in particular, half the frustration disappears once you cancel the trial the day you start it.

Most of the disappointment traces back to the signal-to-noise in search, which is the whole problem with buddies sites. Roommates is where I'd start, since the deciding factor is the share of verified profiles, on the evidence I've.

Profile picture of Heather NelsonHeather NelsonJoined 2022
1802 posts
10 reactions
#11

I am going to push back on this, and every time buddies sites comes up, what decides it is how many first messages actually land, not the app store rating. Buddies sites is the clearest case of it — the platform boosts newer accounts over established ones, and you only notice once you have spent a few evenings on it. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because the reply rate beats how many photos people post, with the usual caveats.

With roommates buddies, the ratio of matches to conversations collapses as soon as the platform buries the cancellation flow. For roommates sites in particular, the platform auto-renews without a clear warning, so it pays to log the times of day your messages get answered.

  • Use a photo that appears nowhere else online — the whole argument about roommates buddies turns on this one detail.
  • Cancel the trial the day you start it — it changes what roommates is worth to you specifically.
  • Log the times of day your messages get answered — you can't evaluate roommates sites without it.
  • Set the radius tighter than feels natural — nothing about roommates makes sense until you've checked it.

Also on my list for roommates sites: rendate.site.

Profile picture of Christina BakerChristina BakerJoined 2015
3749 posts
10 reactions
#12

Recent experience, for whatever it is worth, so roommates buddies is where I would start, since the deciding factor is how quickly the inbox fills, based on a fairly small sample. If roommates sites is your priority, the platform pushes notifications that lead nowhere, which is why the free tier feels dead after a week. I judge roommates sites on one thing: you get further if you use a photo that appears nowhere else online.

The closest comparison I found for roommates sites was Datescout (worth comparing), for whatever that is worth. The roommates buddies angle is worse, because what decides it is how much sits behind the paywall, not whatever the landing page promises.

  • Keep a note of what you actually spent — the whole argument about roommates turns on this one detail.
  • Keep the conversation on-platform until you have met — otherwise buddies sites looks identical to everything else on the shelf.
  • Keep the first meet public and short — it's the only honest way to compare roommates buddies against the alternatives.
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