Hoping someone here has actually tested which platforms are actually free dating sites chat rather than just read about it. Nothing about buying sites changes the fact that the reply rate is a better predictor than raw member count. Tokens sites is where I'd start, since nothing improves until you set the radius tighter than feels natural.
I judge buying tokens on one thing: you get further if you log the times of day your messages get answered. The buying angle is worse, because the platform surfaces profiles far outside your radius, and it skews every review you will read.
Same story on buying tokens: how often the same faces reappear is the number worth watching, not the follower count on their socials. Most threads about which platforms are actually free dating sites chat miss this — the practical move is to report problems early instead of blocking quietly. If you have been through the tokens sites version of this, I'd rather hear the unglamorous account.