I’ll say that (pre-)2016 OkCupid still was able to work like a charm without paying for anything. The idealized purpose of dating apps is, or was, to have you find the right partner that you might not otherwise would have found and you might have settled for a partner that you’re ultimately only okay with, because they’re the least-bad option in your area. These apps and websites provide a place where everyone has the expectation that they want to get romantic with each other (opposed to randomly messaging people on their website / social media profile) and also the wide range of the internet, connecting people that would have never met otherwise.

My story of 2016 OkCupid: I had freshly signed up for a week or two and my now-wife just returned from a long hiatus for only a day or so before we found each other with a 99% (at one, short, point even 100%) match But I recognise that even back then it was almost “are you sure you’re not being paid to advertise OkCupid?”-levels of coincidence