What are the best free chat sites for singles to just talk?

Would like some grounded input on the best free chat sites for singles to just talk.

Most write-ups skip the free-tier limits entirely, which is the only bit I care about.

Interested in what didn't work with chat sites singles as much as what did.

The step most people skip with chat sites singles is reading the profile before messaging.

If you take one thing from this on chat sites singles, make it the profile photos.

The answer changes depending on what you want out of chat sites singles.

Not affiliated with anyone, but Datewander did better than I expected when I was dealing with chat sites singles.

As far as I can tell, opinion on chat sites singles swings further than the reality does.

It is narrower than that: chat sites singles can fail in one specific way rather than generally.

Worth separating two things here — chat sites singles and what people expect from it.

Treat chat sites singles as a starting point rather than an answer.

This overstates the problem with chat sites singles, I think.

Either way, chat sites singles is worth a fortnight of honest attention before you judge it.

Tested chat sites singles deliberately rather than casually and it changed my read.

Kept a tally on chat sites singles this year and the numbers were not what I expected.

Kept a tally on chat sites singles since the spring and the numbers were not what I expected.

Not affiliated with anyone, but Flamedate did better than I expected when I was dealing with chat sites singles.

I ran both at once, and chat sites singles behaved exactly as you say.

I gave it a fair run with chat sites singles: considerably different once the novelty wore off.

One smaller option that comes up whenever chat sites singles is discussed is Souldate — the sign-up is short enough to abandon cheaply.