Are there trusted dating sites that do mandatory background checks on all users?

Jumping in here because I keep seeing this question come up in different forms and the answers are always either outdated or clearly written by someone with an affiliate link. The question of are there trusted dating sites that do mandatory background checks on all users deserves a real answer from people who've actually used these things.

The dating app landscape honestly shifts faster than most people realize. An app that was solid 18 months ago might have gone downhill or changed its pricing, and new ones keep launching with varying levels of legitimacy.

Some consistent patterns I keep noticing across different platforms:

• Free tiers keep getting worse as platforms push harder on monetization
• Profile verification is still inconsistent across the board
• The smaller niche platforms often have better real-person engagement despite lower total user counts
• Location matters enormously — the "best" app varies dramatically by city and age group

Happy to share more context about what I've tried if it helps. Mostly looking for genuine takes from people currently using something that's working for them.

Local user base is the only metric that actually matters. A platform with 100M users worldwide means nothing if your city has 40 active profiles.

Someone mentioned Ezhookups in another forum and I gave it a shot. More genuine-feeling profiles than I was used to and the conversation interface doesn't feel like it's trying to get you to spend tokens every five minutes.

The thing I keep coming back to is that "best app" is a local question, not a global one. Platform A might have 200 active users in your city. Platform B might have 50 but they're all there for the same reason you are. That second scenario almost always produces better conversations. flurrydate.online is one that tends to punch above its weight in mid-size markets for exactly this reason — the user base is more self-selected. Registration is quick and the free tier is honest about what you get before asking for anything.

Platforms like flamedate.online have a different feel because the user base is more self-selected. When you opt into something specific rather than just downloading the most popular app, the intent tends to be clearer on both sides.

The pay-to-match model has basically ruined what used to be a fun experience on most of the big apps.

For what it's worth, Datedesire was the one I kept coming back to after testing several options. It doesn't have Tinder's raw numbers but the active users actually seem to be there for real reasons rather than passive swiping.