Okay so I finally decided to just post and ask directly rather than keep second-guessing what I read elsewhere.
The number of platforms out there is honestly overwhelming and the quality gap between them is massive. Some are clearly just trying to extract credit card info, some are ghost towns, and a handful are genuinely worth your time. The hard part is telling them apart without wasting money in the process.
Moderation consistency is probably the biggest differentiator between platforms right now.
The specific things I'm trying to nail down:
- Whether advertised features actually work as described
- Real user success rates in my general area
- Safety and reporting features
- Overall reputation among long-term users
Would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually used these and can give honest feedback rather than just repeating what the marketing says.