The Most Popular LGBT+ Dating Apps

TOP LGBT Dating Apps Summary

Check the comparison table below to get a quick overview of the available dating platforms for non-traditional sexual preferences. Some of these dating apps are tailored explicitly to gay singles.

In addition, some of them support multiple LGBTQ categories to cover all possible relationship types. We’ve chosen products with different features and target audiences to give a complete overview of dating apps for the LGBT community.

Yana Trihub, KeyUA Chief Executive Officer, explains the demand for LGBT+ dating platforms: “Creating separate dating apps for LGBTQ+ daters is not about discrimination or isolation. In modern society, gender or bedroom habits don’t limit the right to communication and self-expression. Creating virtual communities of people with the same likings, lifestyle, and choices helps them find a perfect couple much easier than in real life. In addition, a wide diversity of genders and sexual identities gives the unlimited potential for entrepreneurs to launch new niche dating products.

Launching a new startup in a niche dating category requires a new product to be developed. Here is a full guide on how to create a dating app.

1. Grindr

Grindr was launched in 2009, and from a technical point of view, it is very similar to Tinder. It is a location-based matchmaking platform that helps to discover gay singles in the user’s area.

Grindr is available in 200+ countries worldwide and is mainly used for casual sex and hookups. People looking for something more serious are recommended not to sit on the app late at night. As opposed to most popular LGBT dating apps, Grindr allows users to disclose their HIV+ status.

Pros:

• Big audience: 6+ million users
• Most users are clear about their intentions
• Supports sending text, graphic, and audio messages
• Allows adding profiles to favorites
• Completely anonymous
• Allows changing the app icon, if a user doesn’t want others to know he’s using Grindr

Cons:

• Messaging to people outside your location is available only for paid subscribers
• Very few women in the app (lesbian, transexual, or straight)
• Fee-based live chat.
• A user could cross paths with people from their inner circle (family, work, friends)

2. Scruff

Scruff is another dating app designed specifically for gay men singles (GTBQ community). It was launched in 2010 and now counts about 20 million members worldwide. 

Each user can clearly state their preferences by ticking off all communities they are open to in the settings. The available choices include bisexual, trans, military, bear, cub, discreet, jock, daddy, muscle, poz, and many others. Thanks to its 'Scruff Travel' feature, it is one of the top LGBT dating apps for travelers. A user can set their destination city to arrange dates with locals when they arrive.

Pros:

• 20+ million gay singles worldwide
• Inclusive for all existing GBTQ communities
• Allows chatting with people out of your location
• Unique ‘Scruff Travel’ option
• AI-based matchmaking

Cons:

• Lots of ads and pop-ups for free users
• The app is famous for occasional crashes
• Few filters to refine the profiles search
• No web version

3. HER

HER is one of the most popular LGBT apps for lesbian singles. It was initially released in 2013 as Dattch (Date Catch), and in 2015 was renamed to HER. It positions itself as a social media platform that connects queer women to the LGBTQ community.

The system confirms only female profiles, and there is no chance to fool the system. 4+ million active users are quite a lot for a lesbian-only dating app. However, most of the app members are from the USA. It is excellent for both romantic relationships and online friendships.

Pros:

• Free and unlimited messages
• Easy and quick sign up via Facebook or Instagram
• Only verified profiles for safe communication
• Regular off-site events hosted by the app (before pandemic)

Cons:

• No web version
• No search option
• Matches are based only on location and age preferences.

4. Planet Romeo

Planet Romeo is one of the oldest niche gay dating platforms founded in 2002. Originally it was available only in Germany and German-speaking countries. Here gay, lesbian, and transgender singles can look for hookups, serious relationships, and friendship. However, it is available globally for gay men looking for gay, bi, and trans partners for the time being.

The app categorizes users by their best traits and activity. Also, it features advanced search options to filter potential matches by location, activity, newest sign-ups, etc. Each user also needs to specify what type of partner he is looking for.

Pros:

• Messaging, instant chat, sending stickers, adding friends and favorites, viewing profile visitors are available for free
• Members can present a paid subscription as a gift to other users
• Fair pricing compared to other apps
• Advanced search features

Cons:

• Lots of ads for free accounts
• No profile verification that leads to security concerns
• Adult nudity and other NSFW content

5. Thurst

Thurst is a dating app for all genders and races. According to its founder, Morgen Bromell, it is “working to prevent racism and discrimination among users by creating not only a platform but a team that maintains anti-racist values.” His aim is developing an LGBT dating app where users don’t need to state their gender when signing up. Optionally, a registered user can point to any gender in the profile and change it whenever they want.

Thurst doesn’t connect user profiles to their social networks and doesn’t share any private user data. Instead, it gives users privacy and freedom for communication.

Pros:

• A safe dating platform for all genders and sexual preferences
• High ethical standards and strict community guidelines
• Gender settings are optional
• Free to use

Cons:

• Buggy layout
• Can be very few matches based on the user’s goals
• No web version

6. Adam4Adam

Launched in 2003, Adam4Adam is one of the best gay hookup apps completely free of charge and one of the oldest dating apps for the LGBT community. There are about 12 million users on the platform. The service generates profit from advertisements, donations, and pay-per-view adult videos. It is created specifically for men regardless of their community (gay, bi, twink, metrosexual, closet, etc.).

The app features detailed search settings to output the potential matches that perfectly fit a user’s preferences. Besides location, age, and sexual preferences, you can select various appearance parameters, HIV status, bad habits, and many others. Most users are looking for casual flirting and dating with no serious, long-term intentions.

Pros:

• Completely free of charge
• Moderation of photos, age verification
• Built-in live stream service
• Sex shop
• Ability to create a secondary “Visitor” profile when traveling

Cons:

• Loads of ads
• Inactive chats are deleted in 10 days
• No profile verification

7. BiCupid

BiCupid is a specialized dating platform for bisexual singles. It has a 2.4 million user base worldwide, which is not much compared to other dating platforms. Yet, it is the most significant dating service dedicated to bisexuals. It allows meeting singles or open-minded couples open for experiments with a bisexual person.

It offers a quick sign-up via Facebook. If users don’t want to connect to a Facebook profile, they can sign-up manually. BiCupid allows users to search for a specific type of bi-curious user (men, women, or couples) and filter matches by age and location. A paid subscription unlocks many additional filter options that help to find a perfect match with ease.

Pros:

• Detailed and comprehensive profiles
• Users disclose their relationship status and their interests
• Available for both web and mobile

Cons:

• Requires premium subscription after the free trial is over
• Outdated website layout
• Fake profiles

8. ZOE

Zoe is an online dating service for women seeking women. It is one of the best LGBT dating apps for queer women worldwide. It is focused on open, real-time communication to engage romantic connections in LGBT female community. ZOE’s matchmaking algorithm is based on mutual preferences. A profile can appear in match suggestions if users both fit each other.

It features a Tinder-like swiping mechanic that allows one to like a profile or pass it and move to the next. Then, after the match is done, two ladies can exchange photos, videos, and real-time messages.

Pros:

• Suitable for queer women looking for more serious relationships
• Advanced compatibility analysis for match suggestions
• Messaging anyone in the app is free
• Customizable UI: a user can switch off any unneeded feature

Cons:

• Not big user base
• No web version
• Linking to a Facebook account is a must

9. Taimi

Taimi is an inclusive social media platform for LGBTQ+ members looking for communication and dating. It is inclusive of all LGBT categories, suitable for both casual dating and serious romantic relationships.

Aside from the traditional swiping interface and messaging features, Taimi has exciting options like posting Stories, undoing swipes in case of a wrong gesture, and live video streaming. It features custom invisibility settings. Users can browse profiles in incognito mode or select the list of people who can see their activity.

Pros:

• Great social media aspects for ultimate communication
• Inclusive for all LGBTQ people
• Decent functionality for a free app version
• Great privacy settings

Cons:

• App crashes and glitches
• Complex payment tiers
• Poorly working customer support website section

10. MenNation

Just imagine, online dating platforms for gays existed in the last century too! MenNation was founded in 1996, and it is still one of the best LGBT dating apps for gay singles. It boasts more than one hundred million members globally — enough for any purpose, from casual dating to serious romantic relationships.

Gender, date of birth, and location are enough data to create a profile. MenNation allows users to register accounts for both male singles and couples looking for a polygamic experience. By default, the platform shows all profiles located close to a user. Additionally, users can apply different filters to sort out potential matches more compatible with specific preferences.

Pros:

• The most extensive gay user base in the world
• Easy and quick sign up
• Multiple communication options for free
• Available in 10 languages
• Ability to disable displaying nude photos in settings

Cons:

• No Android and iOS apps
• A lot of explicit content
• Only premium users can see the complete profiles
• Rather pricey tiers

To go with the time, MenNation needs mobile apps, as more than 8 of 10 users prefer mobile apps over a browser. Find out how much does it cost to build a dating app to weigh the required investments.

Conclusion

The online dating industry is still wide open for experiments. From a business point of view, a narrower target audience can be compensated by higher subscription tiers and a wider choice of alternative monetization approaches.

Review our guide on how to monetize a dating app with maximum results. LGBT+ customers are more flexible and open to communication. That is why LGBT+ dating platforms boast higher user activity compared to traditional mainstream products.

KeyUA software app developers and marketing specialists can help you enter this market segment successfully with a new dating application. Let’s create more room for an inclusive dating experience together!