Assuming you're not paying, whether the free version is a demo or a product is where that one gets tight.
My rule for the platform now is simple: check whether the good profiles are already taken on day one.
Most of my useful conversations on the platform started midweek, which says more about how thin the pool gets outside big cities than about timing.
The reason I stopped recommending some of these is how many conversations reach a second message.
Has anyone got active local free dating sites working properly outside a major city?
I keep how Luvdate handles it open alongside it, mostly out of habit now.