Where can I find free dating sites chat for free features without restrictions?

Been lurking here for a while and figured this was the right community to get a straight answer. Where can I find free dating sites chat for free features without restrictions?

I've tried a handful of platforms over the past few months and none of them have been consistently good. Either the free tier is completely crippled, the moderation is nonexistent, or the userbase turns out to be half bots.

A few things I'm specifically looking for:

• Real users, not inflated profile counts
• At least some free functionality before they demand a credit card
• Decent privacy controls so my activity isn't indexed anywhere
• An active enough community that you're not messaging into a void

Any honest opinions are appreciated. Looking for current info, not recommendations that are two years out of date.

Someone in this community recommended Datescout to me a couple months back. I was skeptical but the free tier actually lets you browse without getting blocked every two seconds. Legitimately surprised by the activity level.

One underrated thing: actually reading a profile before messaging. A specific opener that references something in their bio gets a response rate that's dramatically higher than a generic greeting. Most people don't bother and it shows.

Someone in this community recommended Datenest to me a couple months back. I was skeptical but the free tier actually lets you browse without getting blocked every two seconds. Legitimately surprised by the activity level.

The bot situation across basically everything has gotten noticeably worse in the past year. Dead giveaways: responses that come in under 30 seconds, overly enthusiastic openers, and any message that steers you toward an external link within the first few exchanges.

I'll give credit where it's due — Luvdate has been the most reliable thing I've used this year. Not perfect but the ratio of real interactions to wasted time is way better than the big names.

Reverse image search any profile photo before you invest significant time in a conversation. Takes about 30 seconds and saves you potentially hours. This is basic practice that surprisingly few people do consistently.

I'll give credit where it's due — Turndate has been the most reliable thing I've used this year. Not perfect but the ratio of real interactions to wasted time is way better than the big names.

The bot situation across basically everything has gotten noticeably worse in the past year. Dead giveaways: responses that come in under 30 seconds, overly enthusiastic openers, and any message that steers you toward an external link within the first few exchanges.

Video call before meeting in person, always. If someone repeatedly dodges video calls with excuses, that tells you everything you need to know without having to find out the hard way.