Best gay dating apps 2026: Grindr vs Scruff vs Jack'd

What are the best gay dating apps? Most gay and bi men don't pick just one. They keep Grindr because everyone is on it, add a second app that suits them better, and open a mainstream app like Hinge when they want to date rather than hook up. That is a sensible way to do it, and this guide is about choosing that second and third app well, and about knowing what the paid "gay dating sites" and cam sites actually are before you give them a card number.

One number explains why this matters so much more for us than for straight men: according to Pew Research Center's 2023 survey, 51% of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in the US have used a dating site or app, against 28% of straight adults, and about a quarter of partnered LGB adults met their current partner on one. For a lot of us, apps aren't one way of meeting men among many. They are the main way.

The short answer

• You want the most men nearby, for anything: Grindr. Nothing else comes close on size.
• You want a calmer crowd, or you travel: Scruff, with Venture for trips and events.
• You're a man of color, or want an app where men of color are the main audience: Jack'd.
• You want to date, not just meet tonight: Hinge or Tinder set to men, alongside one of the above.
• You're into kink, open relationships or exploring: Feeld.
• You want to watch, not meet: a cam site, knowing it is paid entertainment.

How the three big gay apps compare

Prices are the in-app purchases listed on each app's US App Store page when we checked; the range covers different plan lengths, and Android prices can differ. Sizes come from Grindr's Q3 2026 shareholder letter and Perry Street Software's statement when it bought Growlr.

Grindr

Grindr is the default for a reason. It reported about 1.4 million paying users in the third quarter of 2026, up 11% on the year, and calls itself an app with nearly 16 million monthly active users. In practice that means a full grid almost anywhere, including small towns and suburbs where the other apps are empty. The free tier shows a limited number of profiles with ads; XTRA (listed at $14.99 to $22.99 depending on term) widens the grid and removes ads, and Unlimited ($27.99 to $44.99) adds things like seeing who viewed you and browsing invisibly. There is a $9.99 Unlimited day pass if you only need it for a trip.

The downside is a privacy record that no other app here matches. Researchers found in 2018 that Grindr sent users' HIV status to two app-testing companies, as TechCrunch reported; Norway fined it NOK 65 million over ad-partner data sharing, upheld by the appeal court in October 2025 according to the Norwegian Consumer Council; and in September 2026 it agreed to pay £26 million to settle a UK claim over pre-2020 data practices, without admitting liability, reported The Guardian. Grindr says it has rebuilt its privacy program since its change of ownership in 2020. Use it, but use it the way our privacy guide describes. Our full Grindr review has the details.

Scruff

Scruff started as the app for bearded, hairier, more masculine-presenting men and still leans that way, though it is broader now. Profiles tend to be fuller and the mood less transactional than Grindr's. There is a swipe-style Match mode for dating, and Venture, a travel feature where you post an upcoming trip, see who will be there and find local events. If you travel for Pride, circuit events or work, it is the app built for that.

Scruff Pro is listed at $9.99 to $39.99 depending on term, with cheaper add-ons for messaging or browsing only. Its owner, Perry Street Software, says Scruff, Jack'd and Growlr together have more than 3 million monthly members, so expect a thinner grid than Grindr, especially outside cities. We found no breach or regulator action. See our Scruff review.

Jack'd

Jack'd has long been where many Black, Latino and Asian gay and bi men prefer to be, because they are its core audience rather than a filter. It works like Grindr, with public and private photo albums, and Pro is cheap: $9.99 to $16.99 a month, or $7.99 for a week.

Its history is the private albums. The New York Attorney General found that under its old owner, private photos were readable by anyone who knew where to look, for about a year after management was warned, and the company paid $240,000. Perry Street Software bought Jack'd the same year and took over the security fixes. We found nothing since. See our Jack'd review.

The mainstream apps work for gay men too

If you want a boyfriend, don't overlook the apps straight people use. Profiles there are built around prompts, photos and stated intentions rather than a distance-sorted grid, which tends to slow things down in a good way.

• Hinge is the one we'd start with for dating. You reply to a specific photo or answer, so every conversation starts with something to say. Set it to men and the pool is smaller than Grindr's but much more relationship-minded.
• Tinder is the biggest general app and has enough gay and bi men in most cities to be worth a try, with face-check verification for new US users.
• Feeld is for kink, open relationships, threesomes and exploration, and is relaxed about labels, which suits bi men and men in open relationships who don't feel at home on Grindr.

We don't review those apps on this site; our sister guide to apps for meeting women covers their prices and verification in detail if you date across genders.

Paid gay dating sites: when they are and aren't the answer

Search for "gay dating site" and the ads are for paid sites with names like GayBloom and ManFinder. These are a different product from the apps, and it's worth knowing how before you pay.

GayBloom is run by Media Synergy SAS in Paris. Its terms say short trials convert automatically to a full monthly subscription, payments are generally non-refundable, "Partner" profiles of live cam models from other services appear on the site with a badge, and automated activity notifications and template greetings are part of the product. Its sign-up page says it contains AI-generated images. It is a moderated paid space; it is not where most gay men in your area are.

ManFinder is a sign-up page run by Ultimate Enterprises Ltd in Hong Kong. Its imprint says registrations are forwarded to "another provider" whose terms then apply, so you don't know which site you're joining until you've joined.

The pattern to watch for across paid sites is staff-written or "virtual" profiles. Some sites admit to them in their terms; others don't. The FTC has acted against the practice before: in its Ashley Madison case it found fake "engager" profiles used to get men to pay. If a site's inbox fills up the moment you join and nobody will video-chat, that is why. Our scams guide covers how to read a site's terms for this.

Cam sites are entertainment, not dating

Stripchat, XLoveGay and Royal Cams Gay show live male performers. Watching public rooms is free; tips and private shows cost tokens or wallet credit. That is an honest product as long as you treat it as one: the performers are working, and they aren't going to meet you. Set a budget before you go private, start with the smallest token package, and use a card you can freeze.

Free or paid: what the upgrades actually buy

Every app here works without paying, and most men never upgrade. The paid tiers don't change who is on the app; they change how much of it you can see and how visible you are. That is worth paying for in some situations and not in others.

• More profiles. Free Grindr shows a limited grid. In a busy city that limit hides men who are a few blocks further away; in a small town the free grid may already show everyone, and paying adds little.
• No ads. Ads on gay apps are also how data reaches ad networks, which is the root of Grindr's regulatory trouble. Paying removes the ads you see, though it doesn't by itself change what the company shares.
• Privacy features. Browsing invisibly, hiding that you've viewed someone, unsending photos and expiring albums are usually paid. If those matter to you, they are the best reason to upgrade.
• Travel features. Browsing another city before you arrive is paid on most apps. A day pass or a one-month plan for a trip is cheaper than an annual plan you forget about.

Whatever you buy, buy it through the App Store or Google Play rather than on the web when you can: cancelling is then a setting on your phone, not an email to support. Longer plans are cheaper per month but renew at the same length, so set a calendar reminder.

If you're bi, closeted or rural

Bi men often feel caught between apps: Grindr can be hostile to men who also date women, and mainstream apps make you choose who you're shown to. Feeld handles this best, because it expects people to want more than one thing; Hinge and Tinder let you date men and women from one profile if you set your preferences to both.

If you're not out, the app matters less than the setup: a faceless first photo, no linked accounts, a separate email, distance hidden, and a habit of opening the app away from home. Our privacy guide covers each step.

In rural areas, the honest answer is that Grindr is usually the only app with enough men on it, and you may need to widen your distance and accept longer drives. Video-call before travelling any distance, and tell someone where you're going.

What is the best gay hookup app?

For hookups, Grindr: it has by far the most men nearby, so it works almost anywhere, including small towns. Scruff is the better hookup app if you travel or prefer a slightly older crowd, and Jack'd if you're a man of color or want to meet more of them. Feeld suits bi men, couples and anyone into kink. Paid sites like GayBloom are rarely better for hookups than the free apps.

What is the best gay dating app for relationships?

Hinge, set to men, is the one we'd try first if you want a boyfriend: its prompts make conversations start properly and its users tend to want relationships. Scruff's Match mode is the best option inside the gay apps. Grindr can work too, but you'll need to say clearly in your profile that you're looking for dates.

Is Grindr free?

Yes. The free version shows a limited grid of men nearby with ads, and you can chat with anyone. XTRA and Unlimited remove ads, show more profiles and add privacy features. Our Grindr review lists the current US prices and what each tier adds.

How to pick, in practice

1. Install Grindr plus one more free app that fits you (Scruff, Jack'd, or Hinge for dating). Use them free for two weeks before paying for anything.
2. Look at the grid, not the marketing. If an app shows nobody within 20 miles, no feature will fix that.
3. Set privacy before you start chatting: distance hidden, no face in your first photo if being seen on the app is a risk for you, HIV status blank unless you are comfortable with it being stored. Our privacy guide walks through it.
4. Pay for a month, not a year, until you know the app works where you live.
5. Video-chat before you meet and read our guide to meeting safely. If you're having sex with new partners, our PrEP and testing guide is the other half of staying well.