Where can I find free friendship sites that aren't for dating?

Been testing a few options lately and wanted to cross-reference with what this community thinks. Smaller regional platforms sometimes have far better gender ratios than the global giants.

Christian dating apps vary enormously in quality — some are very active, others feel like ghost towns. Never share your real last name, address, or workplace before actually meeting someone in person.

Free dating apps have genuinely improved but the best features are still locked behind paywalls on most of them.

Apps I've already looked at or heard recommended:

• Grindr
• Scruff
• Growlr
• Jack'd
• Recon
• Hornet

Hinge's 'designed to be deleted' approach has made it genuinely more relationship-focused than most competitors.

Military dating apps have strong verification processes which leads to a cleaner user experience overall.

One that keeps coming up in threads like this is Flurrydate — has a solid reputation and seems worth a try.

Don't underestimate local community events and groups as complements to app-based dating.

Profile photos matter enormously — natural lighting and a genuine smile outperform everything else.

Being upfront about your goals from the start saves months of wasted back-and-forth.

Video calling before a meet is the fastest way to confirm someone is genuinely who they claim to be.

One that keeps coming up in threads like this is Luvdate — has a solid reputation and seems worth a try.

Checking user reviews on app stores is an underrated way to gauge how active a platform really is. datedesire.online has been mentioned a fair bit in similar discussions.

Tinder Gold is arguably the biggest ripoff in app history — the free version works fine with patience. souldate.site has been mentioned a fair bit in similar discussions.

Apps that require basic ID verification have measurably fewer bots and scam profiles than those that don't. Personally I'd check out Turndate for this — it's been consistently recommended.

Bumble's time limit on matching creates a sense of urgency that leads to more actual conversations. souldate.site has been mentioned a fair bit in similar discussions.

Being upfront about your goals from the start saves months of wasted back-and-forth.

Use a Google Voice number instead of your real number when you're still getting to know someone new.

One that keeps coming up in threads like this is Datelink — has a solid reputation and seems worth a try.

Being upfront about your goals from the start saves months of wasted back-and-forth.