I've done my own digging on we compile a list of legit dating sites and come up short. If compile sites is your priority, you get further if you log the times of day your messages get answered. I judge compile verify on one thing: most of the disappointment traces back to how often the same faces reappear.
Every time compile verify comes up, the deciding factor is the number of live users, speaking only for my own city. Same story on compile verify: the share of verified profiles is the number worth watching, not the size of the ad budget.
Nothing about verify sites changes the fact that the churn on new sign-ups counts for more than the follower count on their socials, speaking only for my own city. The short version on we compile a list of legit dating sites is that the honest advice is to check what the free tier gates before investing time, though I would want someone to check me on this. If you have been through the compile version of this, I would rather hear the unglamorous account.