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Scruff review
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Good for: Guys who want a slightly older, more relaxed crowd, and anyone who travels.
Skip it if: You live somewhere small: Scruff's grid empties out much faster than Grindr's.
Visit Scruff
Scruff began as the app for bearded, hairier and more masculine-presenting guys and has kept that reputation, though plenty of men on it fit no type at all. It feels less frantic than Grindr: profiles are fuller, and there is a swipe-style Match mode for people who want dates rather than hookups.
Its real strength is travel. Venture lets you list a trip, see who will be there and find local events and hosts before you land. If you go to Pride events, circuit parties or just like meeting locals in a new city, it is better built for that than anything else here.
Perry Street Software, which also owns Jack'd and, since 2026, Growlr, says the three apps reach more than 3 million monthly members combined, so expect fewer men nearby than on Grindr. We found no data breach and no regulator action. Scruff Pro starts at $9.99 on the App Store; the free version is enough to find out whether your area is active.
Is Scruff free?
Yes. You can browse, chat and use Venture for travel without paying. Scruff Pro adds more profiles, filters and privacy features, starting at $9.99 on the US App Store. Compare it with the others in our guide to the best gay dating apps.
The facts
- Cost
- Free with limits. The US App Store lists Scruff Pro from $9.99 to $39.99 depending on term (and $119.99 for the longest plan), plus Messaging Pro ($4.99) and Browsing Pro ($3.99) add-ons.[1]
- Who uses it
- Perry Street Software says Scruff, Jack'd and Growlr together reach more than 3 million monthly active members after it bought Growlr in 2026. It does not break out Scruff alone.[2]
- Verification & safety tools
- We found no published photo- or ID-verification feature. Video-chat before you meet, and use block and report freely. (Our own check: no published source found.)
- Privacy record
- We found no large Scruff data breach. Its privacy policy is the place to check what is shared with partners; you can hide distance and browse privately with Pro features.[3]
- Bots, fakes & regulators
- We found no regulator action or credible investigation about fake profiles here. That is not proof there are none: report anything that looks automated. (Our own check: no published source found.)