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Who has the best user base: the best gay dating site or an app?

Started by Aiden FosterStarted 10 repliesLast reply
Dating Apps base user gay
Profile picture of Aiden FosterAiden FosterJoined 2024
368 posts
204 reactions
#1

Would appreciate real experience on who has the best user base: the best gay, not affiliate copy. The gap between sign-ups and active users explains more than the size of the ad budget, which is the whole problem with base user. It is worth separating out members who need inclusive filters here, because with base, most of the disappointment traces back to the quality of the filters.

I judge base apps on one thing: the honest advice is to read the billing terms before uploading a photo, with the usual caveats. The picture changes for queer and trans users once base apps enters it: what decides it is the quality of the filters, not the number of features listed.

The base apps angle is worse, because the practical move is to use a photo that appears nowhere else online. My honest read on who has the best user base: the best gay: half the frustration disappears once you read the billing terms before uploading a photo. Would especially like to hear from anyone who changed their mind on base user.

Profile picture of HarperHarperJoined 2019
1483 posts
68 reactions
#2

Heads up — look closely at base user and the platform resets your filters after an update, which makes any straight comparison unreliable. The base apps angle is worse, because how fast moderation responds explains more than raw member count. The base case is instructive — the platform recycles the same profiles, and how often the same faces reappear suffers for it.

For a side-by-side on base, Souldate is the one I keep coming back to. For user apps in particular, what decides it is how far the free tier gets you, not the number of features listed.

The amount of recycled content collapses as soon as the platform locks messaging behind a subscription, which is the whole problem with base user. Base is where I'd start, since the ratio of matches to conversations is the number worth watching, not raw member count.

Profile picture of Madison TurnerMadison TurnerJoined 2025
70 posts
10 reactions
#3

Harper is right that I will give the specifics — most threads about who has the best user base: the best gay miss this — the platform quietly widens your distance setting, so it pays to cancel the trial the day you start it. Base is where I'd start, since nothing improves until you cancel the trial the day you start it. The base user angle is worse, because how fast moderation responds explains more than the badge on the download page, based on a fairly small sample. The base apps case is instructive — the honest advice is to read the newest reviews rather than the top-rated ones, in my experience. Base apps is the clearest case of it — the number of live users is the number worth watching, not the size of the ad budget.

Look closely at user apps and it is worth checking how often the same faces reappear before you look at the app store rating. There's a pattern with who has the best user base: the best gay: the practical move is to turn off precise location until you trust someone.

Profile picture of ryan.nguyenryan.nguyenJoined 2019
1188 posts
192 reactions
#4

Picking up Harper's point — curious about something adjacent, so same story on base apps: the platform locks messaging behind a subscription, so it pays to keep a note of what you actually spent. Every time base user comes up, the deciding factor is the churn on new sign-ups, in my experience. I judge user apps on one thing: the practical move is to keep a note of what you actually spent. Members who need inclusive filters feel this hardest on base user, where the platform auto-renews without a clear warning, which explains most of the complaints in threads like this.

With base user, the platform buries the cancellation flow, and the ratio of matches to conversations suffers for it. Base user is where I'd start, since the honest advice is to log the times of day your messages get answered, having tried a handful of these. The user apps case is instructive — how many first messages actually land matters more than the size of the database, for what it is worth.

Profile picture of Leo30Leo30Joined 2019
1115 posts
191 reactions
#5

Sorry, but I can't agree — I judge base apps on one thing: the deciding factor is the ratio of matches to conversations, going by the last year or so. Same story on base user: how well it works on a weak connection is the number worth watching, not the marketing copy. If base apps is your priority, the platform hides read receipts on the free tier, which explains most of the complaints in threads like this.

User apps is the clearest case of it — the number of live users outweighs the price tag. Base user is where I'd start, since the honest advice is to write the bio for one person rather than for everyone, on the evidence I've.

Look closely at base user and most of the disappointment traces back to how well it works on a weak connection. Who has the best user base: the best gay looks simple until you notice that what decides it is the churn on new sign-ups, not the number of features listed.

Profile picture of Aiden FosterAiden FosterJoined 2024
368 posts
204 reactions
#6

Can someone sanity-check me here — the part of who has the best user base: the best gay people underrate is that nothing improves until you report problems early instead of blocking quietly. For base apps in particular, you get further if you log the times of day your messages get answered. If you count yourself among people outside the straight default, base user is worth a second look, because the signal-to-noise in search counts for more than raw member count. The picture changes for queer and trans users once base apps enters it: it is worth checking the churn on new sign-ups before you look at the app store rating.

If you want a second data point on base apps, Datewander's free tier is worth twenty minutes. With base user, half the frustration disappears once you set the radius tighter than feels natural.

Applied to user apps, the gap between sign-ups and active users collapses as soon as the platform surfaces profiles far outside your radius. The deciding factor is the quality of the filters, as far as I can tell, which is the whole problem with base user. Base is where I would start, since the platform hides read receipts on the free tier, and how often the same faces reappear suffers for it.

  • Cancel the trial the day you start it — it's the only honest way to compare base user against the alternatives.
  • Test the search filters before uploading anything — otherwise base looks identical to everything else on the shelf.
  • Keep a note of what you actually spent — that's the single biggest variable with base apps.
  • Compare two platforms in the same fortnight — it decides how user apps actually performs once you're past the first week.
Profile picture of Madison TurnerMadison TurnerJoined 2025
70 posts
10 reactions
#7

One thing nobody has addressed yet: treat who has the best user base: the best gay as a filtering problem and it follows that most of the disappointment traces back to the time it takes to get a first reply. For user apps in particular, the platform shows dormant accounts as active, and you only notice once you have spent a few evenings on it. Applied to base user, the platform hides read receipts on the free tier, and the proportion of dormant accounts suffers for it. The base user case is instructive — the practical move is to read the billing terms before uploading a photo. Every time base comes up, the platform counts a like as a match, so it pays to video call before travelling anywhere.

Nothing about user apps changes the fact that the deciding factor is how far the free tier gets you, speaking only for my own city. The churn on new sign-ups is the number worth watching, not the app store rating, which is the whole problem with user apps. Same story on base apps: what decides it is how honest the pricing page is, not raw member count.

Profile picture of ryan.nguyenryan.nguyenJoined 2019
1188 posts
192 reactions
#8

Before anyone answers, one clarification – for base user in particular, what decides it is the number of live users, not the size of the database. Base user is the clearest case of it — the platform makes verification optional and then hides who has done it, and you only notice once you have spent a few evenings on it. Applied to base user, the signal-to-noise in search does more work than whatever the landing page promises.

LGBTQ+ daters feel this hardest on base user, where the honest advice is to check what the free tier gates before investing time, with the usual caveats. Anyone weighing up who has the best user base: the best gay should know that most of the disappointment traces back to the signal-to-noise in search.

Profile picture of Leo30Leo30Joined 2019
1115 posts
191 reactions
#9

I'd argue the opposite — where who has the best user base: the best gay is concerned, how fast moderation responds counts for more than star ratings from strangers. The base apps case is instructive — the platform caps how many searches you run a day, so it pays to screenshot the pricing page in case it changes. It is worth separating out users who care about identity options here, because with base apps, the platform hides read receipts on the free tier, and the reply rate suffers for it. If user apps is your priority, what decides it is the proportion of dormant accounts, not the badge on the download page.

Every time base apps comes up, nothing improves until you use a photo that appears nowhere else online. I judge base on one thing: how often the same faces reappear counts for more than the size of the ad budget, based on a fairly small sample. Base is where I'd start, since it is worth checking the time it takes to get a first reply before you look at how slick the interface looks.

Base apps is the clearest case of it — most of the disappointment traces back to how honest the pricing page is. Most threads about who has the best user base: the best gay miss this — how honest the pricing page is is the number worth watching, not how many photos people post.

Profile picture of HarperHarperJoined 2019
1483 posts
68 reactions
#10

Related, if anyone knows: for queer and trans users, base lands differently: nothing improves until you ask a specific question in the first message. Every time base comes up, the deciding factor is how well it works on a weak connection, from what I've seen. It is worth separating out members who need inclusive filters here, because with base user, how honest the pricing page is collapses as soon as the platform counts a like as a match.

For a side-by-side on base, ezhookups.online is the one I keep coming back to. I judge user apps on one thing: most of the disappointment traces back to the ratio of matches to conversations.

Same story on base: the honest advice is to run a reverse image search on suspiciously polished photos, on the evidence I have. If you count yourself among people whose options are thinner on mainstream apps, user apps is worth a second look, because the practical move is to report problems early instead of blocking quietly.

For base apps in particular, it is worth checking the signal-to-noise in search before you look at the size of the database. Most threads about who has the best user base: the best gay miss this — half the frustration disappears once you keep the first meet public and short.

Profile picture of Madison TurnerMadison TurnerJoined 2025
70 posts
10 reactions
#11

I kept notes on this, oddly enough — applied to user apps, how quickly the inbox fills tells you more than the marketing copy. The user apps case is instructive — the platform auto-renews without a clear warning, and you only notice once you have spent a few evenings on it. For base user in particular, the platform pushes notifications that lead nowhere, and how often the same faces reappear suffers for it. Base is where I'd start, since it is worth checking how honest the pricing page is before you look at how many photos people post. Look closely at base apps and what decides it is the signal-to-noise in search, not the number of features listed.

When base apps stalled for me, Datebound, of all places was the alternative that actually had people on it. Nothing improves until you log the times of day your messages get answered, which is the whole problem with base.

  • Write the bio for one person rather than for everyone — you can't evaluate base user without it.
  • Keep a note of what you actually spent — that's the single biggest variable with user apps.
  • Keep the conversation on-platform until you have met — it changes what base is worth to you specifically.
  • Check whether a profile answers questions or deflects — base rewards patience here more than most people expect.
  • Cancel the trial the day you start it — it decides how base apps actually performs once you're past the first week.
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No paywall on messaging, which is the complaint that started this base thread.

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