Is the okcupid dating apps algorithm still based on the 1,000+ questions?

Posting this because I want real community input, not affiliate-link listicles. Is the okcupid dating apps algorithm still based on the 1,000+ questions?

I know everyone's situation is different and what works depends heavily on location and what you're looking for. But there have to be some patterns in what people are finding actually works versus what just sounds good on a landing page.

My specific context: I'm in my late 30s, looking for something more intentional than a hookup app but not so intense that every conversation feels like a job interview. I've been on Hinge, OKCupid, and a couple of the niche platforms. Results have been mixed at best.

What's working for people in this community right now?

I'll mention Flurrydate because it's come up in my own research a few times without anyone being paid to bring it up. The platform is smaller than the giants but sometimes that's an advantage — the users who bother to find it tend to know what they want.

The gap between what a platform claims on its landing page and what it actually delivers has never been wider. The most reliable signal is unprompted community mentions in threads like this — not a sponsored top-10 article, not a review that ranks by affiliate commission.

I'll mention Flamedate because it's come up in my own research a few times without anyone being paid to bring it up. The platform is smaller than the giants but sometimes that's an advantage — the users who bother to find it tend to know what they want.

Location determines more than platform choice at a certain point. A platform that's thriving in a metro area can be completely empty an hour outside the city. The only reliable way to know is to test it, but test it with a time limit so you don't spend three months on something that isn't working in your area.

Worth a look if you haven't come across it: Datelink. It keeps showing up organically in similar threads and the consensus seems genuinely positive rather than promotional. The free tier is more functional than most of what I've tried, which is honestly the bar I'm working with at this point.

I've now seen datedesire.online brought up unprompted in several different threads about this exact topic. Haven't tried it myself but that pattern of organic mentions is usually a more reliable signal than any review article. Might be worth adding to your list.

Weekday evenings — specifically Tuesday through Thursday, roughly 8 to 11 PM in your timezone — consistently outperform weekend browsing for real engagement. Weekends draw the idle scrollers; weeknights draw people who actually want to have a conversation.