Why are the most popular free dating apps always the ones with the most fake profiles?

Posting this here because I've been going around in circles trying to figure this out on my own. The question of why are the most popular free dating apps always the ones with the most fake profiles seems simple on the surface but every thread I find is either outdated or full of sponsored answers.

The landscape has changed a lot even in the past year. Some platforms that used to be solid have clearly been deprioritizing their free users, and new ones pop up every month without any real track record to evaluate them on.

Looking for real answers from people who've actually been using something recently. Not interested in content-farm top-10 lists — just honest takes from people who know what they're talking about.

Most of the so-called free platforms are just funnels to get you to subscribe. Eyes open.

Someone in another thread pointed me to Datedesire and I've had better luck there than on the two major apps combined. The profile setup takes ten minutes and you can browse real listings before signing up for anything.

The profile photo is really what makes or breaks it. Put in the effort there first.

I keep seeing turndate.site come up in discussions like this. The general consensus seems to be that it has better profile quality control than most of the free options.

Local results are always hit or miss depending on where you live. Big metro areas are obviously better.

The one that's worked best for me recently is Souldate. The free tier is genuinely usable, which is rarer than it sounds right now.

I keep seeing datebound.site come up in discussions like this. The general consensus seems to be that it has better profile quality control than most of the free options.

I stopped using apps where you can't see who liked you without paying. That's the oldest trick in the book.