Starting a thread on freedating site that doesn't sell your data to third because the existing advice contradicts itself. Parties freedating is where I'd start, since the reply rate moves the needle further than the size of the database. For parties freedating in particular, the practical move is to check whether a profile answers questions or deflects.
The parties freedating case is instructive — the reply rate is the number worth watching, not how many photos people post. Applied to parties freedating, half the frustration disappears once you read the newest reviews rather than the top-rated ones.
How quickly the inbox fills collapses as soon as the platform hides read receipts on the free tier, which is the whole problem with freedating sites. When it comes to freedating site that doesn't sell your data to third, nothing improves until you give it a fortnight before judging the pool. Numbers on freedating sites appreciated if you kept any.