Best LGBT Dating Apps: 10 Popular Dating Apps For The LGBTQ

If we had one criticism during signup, it’s that the photo uploading process is very slow, and sometimes causes the app to crash. The app isn’t just for dating — members have used it to make friends, start a band, and even plan a protest, according to its founder. Ever find yourself longing for the uncomplicated days of Craigslist personals?

The specific demographic positions Lex to offer a more peaceful experience than “everyone” apps like Tinder and Bumble, but the way it goes about introducing users (as lovers or friends) is another level of niche. A nod to ’80s and ’90s erotica magazines, Lex users meet by posting personal ads about what (or who) they’re looking for, relationship-wise. The ads, called personals, are a chance for folks to showcase their wit and be straightforward as hell.

With many thousands of users identifying as gay, this may be just the site for you. To fully understand the user experience of those apps that I haven’t tried personally, I spoke to members of the LGBT IndonesianCupid code community whose personal feedback helped shape my final selection. Jdate works on a matchmaking model, using information from your profile and personality test to find compatible matches in your area.

Match – A popular, discreet dating app open to LGBTQ+ members

Although some people do enjoy using several dating apps at the same time, it’s our experience that most people who try multiple queer dating apps end up gravitating towards one they like the most. Depending on your financial situation — or simply how much you’re willing to pay to use some of these popular gay dating sites — you may want to only opt for a dating website with a free version. SilverSingles’ premium membership is one of the cheaper and most cost-effective subscriptions you’ll find from gay dating sites. So, you’ll not need to break the bank to take advantage of everything they have to offer. Given the more casual feel of this dating app, it’s possible that you’ll run into some gay singles who are only looking for casual relationships. In heterosexual dating, when a woman and man match the woman has 24 hours to send the message.

Scissr: A great free dating app for gay women

You can also amend your profile so that your personal details are included, such as your gender identity (there are lots to choose from) and your height and sexuality. Her is a “swipe” dating app that doesn’t come with a search option. As such, the only members you can send messages to are those you’ve matched with or your existing friends. Gaystryst is a dating website for men looking for fun and casual hookups with other men.

As it caters to the general market and LGBTQ+ singles, the main appeal of Zoosk is its number of members. With 40 million singles in nearly 80 countries, it’s easy to find a prospective match – whether you’re looking for a fun date or a serious relationship. View prospective matches on the carousel, or use the SmartPick feature, which gives you personalized matches using Zoosk’s unique technology.

You can personalize your personality profile, indicate gender identity (if you prefer), and even video chat to see if there’s a connection before you meet in person. Her is one of the most popular queer dating apps among the queer community and LGBTQ community with 7 million-plus members, and it’s completely free to send and receive messages. It’s a safe and inclusive space where you can connect with queer women, find LGBTQ+ events near you, catch up on all the latest news and content, and maybe even find your person. And according to MarketWatch, online dating has become the most popular way for LGBTQ+ people to date. Still, many gay dating websites and apps are all about sex, sex, and more sex.

But many underage boys are using it to hook up with adults, and that can put them at risk of exploitation and trafficking. Moreover, if you are planning for dating app development, no need to worry since we have covered you. Rest assured, there are plenty of men seeking men just like you out there, who long for a lasting relationship too – we can help you find them, and strike up a chat. SilverSingles is an dating site that focuses on connecting more mature individuals.

Is Grindr the only option for gay dating apps?

Feeld is branded as a sex-positive dating app and is a place where people are super open about what they’re looking for, including their kinks and fetishes. Whatever your identity is, OkCupid is based on answering tons of fun and thought-provoking questions that are then used to generate a compatibility score with other users. This helps to foster long-lasting bonds, as you can tell from the jump if someone’s values align with yours. “eharmony also claims to be responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S.”

We also tried to find sites that offer easy personalization options while still providing accurate matches. Many of our selected LGBTQ dating apps had personality tests that would refine your matchmaking results, but these are often optional, and you can return to them anytime. That way, you get the benefit of better matches without having to spend hours filling in a questionnaire (unless you want to). Joining a gay dating website should be easy and fast, letting you get to the business of finding your perfect gay man or woman without too much effort. We looked at dating apps and sites with a streamlined sign-up process, and most will allow you to sign up with your Gmail or Instagram account, which will even fill in some of your details automatically. Like all the best dating apps, Elite Singles works on a matchmaking system.

You’ve likely been hearing about eHarmony since before you came out, thinking to yourself “I’d never use eHarmony.” But, trust us, eHarmony has been helping LGBTQ+ folk find love for years. It’s considered the world’s number one trusted dating app and claims that people find love on the app every 14 minutes. Unlike a lot of the best gay dating apps, it prioritizes long-term love and commitment, so you’ll weed out all of the “looking? This theory states that your personality can largely be described by where you fall on the spectrum for each of these traits, and that this typically won’t change significantly throughout most of your adult life. For these reasons, they are often used as the basis of personality tests and profiles used by the best gay dating sites and apps. The type of relationship you’re looking for is another major factor in determining the best gay dating app for you.

#2 DateMyAge: Great Dating Service for LGBTQ Singles Over 40

While we’re incredibly happy to see these originally gay-only apps have reinvented their identity, some gay men only want to chat with other gay men. Adam4Adam, otherwise known as A4A, has been around for 15 years and is currently said to be the industry-leading gay social network. Browse unlimited profiles in five different grids from your location, check guys out in other cities you’re traveling to, see who has favorited you, select specific filters and more. We did a roundup of the best dating apps and sites for queer people to save you time and prevent wasted effort when you’re looking to hook up or find love and a long-term relationship.

OkCupid gets kudos for making that change years ago, as well as making social justice a core part of compatibility scoring — which kind of self-curates the type of people on the app. Some straight people may join gay dating apps if they are experimenting, but there are other apps on the market that are more broad when it comes to matches. Of course, the LGBTQ+ community can use apps made for the general market and filter what gender they are seeking.

Grindr is probably the app with the highest hookup rate, and eHarmony is the best long-term success for men, claiming to be responsible for 4% of U.S. marriages. You can sign up for Grindr Xtra or Grindr Unlimited to unlock a host of features, but honestly, you don’t really need to. Grindr boasts a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store, and one reviewer notes simply that “it gets the job done.” We combed through reviews from real men to figure out which apps were truly worth it. I remember once, in my early 20s, doing the unmentionable – yes, I went through my ex-boyfriend’s phone … I know tsk tsk – but it revealed some very flirty messages with another guy. He went further and said that most of them had wives or girlfriends, but they were just super curious, and it was fairly common for him and his friends to hook up with guys who called themselves straight.