Same experience, right down to whether the ratio is workable in your area.
After a few weeks on free legit dating apps the only question left was how well it holds up once the novelty fades.
Ran the service alongside two other options for a month, tracking whether the free version is a demo or a product.
If your area is thin, the app will not fix that, whatever whether messaging costs anything once you start looks like.
I would judge the platform on what the real cost is after the trial rather than on the feature list.
Curious whether anyone else found the same thing with free legit dating apps.