I've done my own digging on for the models here: what are the best paying and come up short. For paying in particular, the practical move is to test the search filters before uploading anything. Nothing about paying models changes the fact that how much sits behind the paywall counts for more than the app store rating.
The models sites case is instructive — the deciding factor is the gap between sign-ups and active users, at least on my account. Same story on paying: nothing improves until you read the newest reviews rather than the top-rated ones.
With paying sites, it is worth checking the reply rate before you look at the follower count on their socials. The part of for the models here: what are the best paying people underrate is that most of the disappointment traces back to how fast moderation responds. Would especially like to hear from anyone who changed their mind on paying sites.