Published in cooperation between Panther Sexy and the East Bay Express
As someone in the gay community, you’ve probably had an unpleasant experience using an online dating app. Right?
But with popular gay dating apps and sites, you can have a great dating adventure dating online.
And the good news is you don’t have to go through troves of gay dating apps because we already did that for you!
Doesn’t matter if you’re gay, trans, bi, you name it; these online dating apps for gays will give you a fun and fulfilling time.
Jump in!
Best Gay Dating Apps: Overview
Here’s a quick look at the 13 apps for gay dating we’ll review:
- AdultFriendFinder—Top overall dating app for gays
- Elite Singles—Best gay dating app for gay career men and women
- eHarmony—All about starting serious relationships
- OkCupid—22 genders and 13 orientations
- Grindr—Largest niche dating app for gays
- Dating.com—Meet young and older gay members
- Hinge—Most fun communication tools
- Zoosk—Match based on your site behavior
- PlentyOfFish—Leading free messaging dating app for gays
- SilverSingles—Easiest gay dating app to use
- BlackPeopleMeet—Best dating app for African-Americans
- OurTime.com—50+ best dating app
- Match.com—25 years in online dating industry
Leading gay dating apps and sites
1. AdultFriendFinder—Top Overall Of Best Gay Dating Websites
- Both singles, couples
- 80M+ users
- Watch and create live cams
- Award-winning
- Live video communication
- Supports over 10 languages
Cons
- Could improve on website
Pricing
- $39.95—1 month
- $26.95/m—3 months
- $19.95/m—12 months
AdultFriendFinder is an award-winning platform in the dating industry, scooping multiple awards as the best dating company and even more in the adult dating industry.
The platform touts itself as the largest adult dating site, with almost 100M users seeking adventurous sex-dating relationships.
Being an adult dating platform, AFF is good if you want to explore your sexuality with things like threesomes, kinks, fetishes, and more with fellow like-minded people.
When you sign up as a gay man or woman, the platform will only show you other gay people, so you won’t have to sift through looking for someone of the same orientation.
Again, you can sign up as bi or trans as well, so it’s widely inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community.
The most interesting thing is that AdultFriendFinder isn’t only a singles platform. There are also gay and trans couples who are looking for three-way or swinging arrangements. Thrilling, yeah?
The only thing is, AFF doesn’t have the most modern dating website. However, the site is easy to navigate, and it’s also optimized to look good on all devices.
If you’re feeling a little bit risqué, you can start a live sex cam or even watch other gay members’ live cams for some erotic entertainment or virtual sex.
Furthermore, there’s also a superb video dating feature to help you meet with others virtually and get to know them better before you meet them physically.
For accessibility, AFF can be translated into more than 10 languages including Italian, Spanish, Dutch, French, and more to give non-English speakers an easier time.
<<Join millions of gay and trans singles and couples from across the globe>>
2. Elite Singles—Best Gay Dating App for Love
- Incredibly smart singles
- 385,000 new members each month
- Good for professional dating
- High-quality profiles
- Mostly gives local matches
Cons
- Slightly pricier
Pricing
- 1 month—$59.95/m
- 3 months—$57.95/m
- 6 months—$44.95/m
Looking for love and a long-term relationship?
Elite Singles gives you the chance to meet well-educated gay men and queer women with good careers.
In fact, it’s said that more than 85 percent of the people on the dating app have university degrees, which means you’ll probably land an intelligent person.
Talking about ‘things intelligence’, Elite Singles uses a smart matchmaking system that suggests to you the most curated profile proposals based on your interests and preferences to give you the highest compatibility rates.
How it works is that you’ll set your interest and preferences and the matching algorithm will do the rest. Easy, eh?
In a day, the gay app will send over 3–7 profiles for you to look at. Along with this are about 20 wildcard profiles that you might also be interested in.
A downside is that Elite Singles is more of a premium gay dating platform, so it has higher subscriptions. Nevertheless, the high-quality matches and assisted matching make it super worth it.
In fact, the app has helped millions of gay men and women find love online, and attracts hundreds of thousands of new users, which means you’ll be enjoying a growing access to eligible singles.
Elite Singles improves your chances of success by suggesting members nearest to where you are to make it easy to meet up when the time comes.
Better still, you can always change your personal date preferences whenever you feel like to accommodate your changing tastes.
<<Meet millions of educated gay people seeking serious relationships>>
3. eHarmony—Safest Features for Gay Dating
- Assisted usage
- 51 percent men, 49 percent women
- Reveals compatibility points
- 24/7 excellent customer support
- Strict verification
Cons
- Long sign-up process
Pricing
- 6 months—$65.90/m
- 12 months—$45.90/m
- 24 months—$35.90/m
Rooted in 20 years of reputation, eHarmony is one of the most experienced platforms in the dating industry.
Moreover, the platform has been voted for before as the most trusted best dating app and the best find to find long-term romantic happiness.
eHarmony has helped millions find love and satisfying relationships and even has a niche section for gay dating.
And, you’ll not only find younger gay singles but there are also middle-aged and senior gay members, which means there’s someone for everyone.
More on balance, eHarmony has a balanced user pool (51 percent men, 49 percent women), meaning whether you’re a gay man or lady, you’ll have enough options.
When starting, the gay dating platform will take you through a detailed questionnaire to capture your habits, personality, and interests before suggesting you to compatible singles.
Because of the rigorous questionnaire, some people might find signing up on eHarmony a little cumbersome.
This said, you’ll probably experience great chemistry with the matches the dating app suggests. The icing on the cake is that eHarmony shows you compatibility points between you and another member to help you make informed decisions.
The site also cares enough to send people who haven’t used online apps before some prompts to help them know how to use the platform’s tools.
Lastly, there are guides on gay dating, first dates, and relationships, just to mention some that might increase your odds of having a successful gay relationship.
<<Meet harmonious matches based on compatibility scores>>
4. OkCupid—Most Inclusive for LGBTQ+ and Gay Community
- Makes 91M connections every year
- Open to 22 genders, 13 orientations
- Can be used for free
- Shows match score
Cons
- Shows ads with free version
Pricing
- 1 month—$39.99/m
- 3 months—$26.66/m
- 6 months—$19.99/m
OkCupid is an online vendor of love and happiness.
The app is so good at creating loving relationships that it’s said to lead to more than 90M connections every year.
Furthermore, the best dating app says that it brings more than 50,000 dates every week. Wild, right?
Inclusive of gay members, OkCupid is open to 22 genders and 13 orientations. To add, you can select more than 5 gender and orientation options when you sign up, which can help you find out more about yourself as you navigate your sexuality.
If you’re not good with texting, OkCupid has some interesting icebreakers on ideas of fun, hobbies, films, and more to help you start and sustain a nice conversation.
Also, you can use OkCupid comfortably without a premium account. Yes, sending messages is a free feature. However, the free version comes with ads, so you might need to put up with that.
OkCupid dating app was one of the first best dating apps online. To date, the app is still highly rated on both Android and iOS, which should give you some confidence.
While browsing potential dates, the gay dating service shows you match scores, saving you time gauging who you share the most things with.
<<Join the most exclusive queer dating platform>>
5. Grindr—Niche Gay Dating App
- Sends close member alerts
- Free usage
- Incognito browsing available
- Has auto-translation tool
Cons
- Mostly for casual dating
Pricing
- 1 month—$19.99
- 3 months—$39.99
- 12 months—$99.99
Grindr is haven of young gay men with over 27 million users from across the globe.
Other than gay members, there are bi, trans, and other queer identities as well.
Being that most users on this gay site are young, the app mostly leans towards casual dating, so you might need to put in more effort and be more direct if you want a serious relationship.
Apart from the usual matching, how good is it that Grindr sends you alerts when a member is nearby? Yes! And this can help you explore more spontaneous interactions.
Moreover, if you’re moving or visiting a new place, you can start browsing for Grindr members in that area and get ahead of time. Amazing, eh?
Best of all, you can use Grindr for absolutely free. Not to mention that the dating app is ad-free even if you’re on a free version.
Other interesting features include the fact that you can unsend a text, especially if you have second thoughts. You can further see when a user reads your message and kind of gauge if someone is ignoring you.
For privacy, Grindr lets you send pictures that expire, so immediately after a member opens the picture, they can’t view it again.
You can browse profiles anonymously if you don’t want everyone to know you’re on the dating app.
Closing off, you can talk with someone who speaks a different language comfortably with the auto-translation tool.
Read more on the best hookup apps or
<<Join the biggest exclusive gay dating platform now>>
6. Dating.com—For Younger and Older Gay Singles
- Fully verified users
- Wide communication methods
- In-built satisfaction tools
- Also has seniors
Cons
- No matching algorithm
Pricing
- 150 credits—$49.99
- 600 credits—$149.99
- 1500 credits—$299.99
Dating.com is an app for all. You can find younger and older gay members looking for different things.
Because of this diversity, gay singles can look for all kinds of relationships. Whether it’s serious, casual, friendship, or even companionship, you can find it.
While Dating.com doesn’t have the widest language accessibility, it’s also translatable in Spanish to help give Spanish speakers more user-friendliness.
It’s also good to know that all members on Dating.com are verified, therefore you shouldn’t experience trouble with fakes and scammers.
Along with this, there is an in-system anti-scam tool to protect you even further.
You can talk to another member using live chat, video messaging, sending photos, and e-letters. Suffice it to say, you have lots of options to choose from.
If you have eyes on many gay users, you can send them all the same message at a go using the ‘let’s mingle tool’.
<<Meet other verified singles near you>>
7. Hinge—Best Gay Dating Site Communication Features
- Video verifications
- Has chat games
- Video, voice chats
- Deep profiles
Cons
- Limited free likes
Pricing
- 1 month—$29.99
- 3 months—$21.66/m
- 6 months—$16.66/m
Hinge touts itself as the app that’s designed to be deleted. And, it’s not just them blowing their own horn, the best dating app has thousands of success stories to back them up.
At the start, you can specify that you’re looking for a gay date for a tailored dating experience.
In essence, Hinge is best geared toward helping millennials find good long-term relationships. Still, you can seek other shorter romantic arrangements as well.
While you can use Hinge for free, the free version is highly limited with only 8 free likes each day. Premium membership will give you unlimited communication and matching access.
To make your profile more approachable, the app has profile prompts that package who you are in more lighthearted situations. And you never know, it might crack someone up and make them message you.
Also, the chats have games like ‘two truths and one lie’ that you can play to learn more about your potential date in an easier way.
You might also want to know that Hinge has a team of people who monitor the platform and remove people who use discriminatory language, keeping the app safe for all.
<<Use prompts and games to find your ideal same-sex matching>>
8. Zoosk—Best for Dating Preferences and Interests
- Interest-matching
- Behavioral matchmaking
- Wide advanced search filters
- For all relationships
Cons
- Automatic subscription renewal
Pricing
- 1 month—$29.95
- 3 months—$19.98/m
- 6 months—$12.50/m
Zoosk is an online gay-friendly platform where you can connect, date, and build relationships, friendships, or social connections based on your preferences and interests.
You can specify your gender and orientation preferences when creating your profiles, which includes options for individuals seeking same-sex matches.
Zoosk’s behavioral matchmaking system recommends potential matches based on your behavior and preferences, increasing your chances of compatible matches.
You can also specify your dating goal and partner preferences through the platform’s advanced search filters.
To add, Zoosk’s SmartPick feature offers you personalized match suggestions based on your user activity and interests, so you don’t have to spend much time browsing for the right fit.
Capping off, Zoosk also has public chat rooms of LGBTQ+ communities that you can join and make friends with other users as well.
<<Meet gay members based on your on-site activity>>
9. PlentyOfFish—Dating site with the Best Communication Channels
- Inclusivity of users of all sexual orientations and backgrounds
- Message for free
- Has live-streaming option
- Flexible plans
Cons
- Less precise matching algorithm
Pricing
- 3 months—$25 total
- 6 months—$60 total
- 12 months—$110 total
Plenty of Fish (POF) is an online dating platform that allows you to connect and interact with people looking for romance.
Because it allows everyone to join, POF is hot among gay men and women and the larger LGBTQ+ community.
The platform’s primary focus is on creating meaningful connections between singles, so if you want to serious relationships, then this is an app to check out.
POF stands out from the crowd by offering free messaging services to all users, allowing you a more cost-friendly option for dating online.
When creating a profile on POF, you can specify your sexual preference, which includes options such as “Straight,” “Gay,” “Lesbian,” “Bisexual,” and more.
POF also provides premium subscription plans, offering additional features like enhanced profile visibility, access to advanced search filters, the ability to see if messages have been read, and an ad-free experience.
<<Message other users for free on POF>>
10. BlackPeopleMeet—Best for African-American and Biracial Singles
- Cultural and Racial Connection
- Primarily black and biracial
- Send online gifts
- Save favorite profiles
Cons
- Limited free features
Pricing
- 1 month—$16.76
- 3 months—$13.96/m
- 6 months—$11.96/m
BlackPeopleMeet is one of the largest and most popular dating apps, tailored to connect African-American and biracial singles in the United States.
The site focuses on helping you find love, friendship, and LGBTQ+ romance within the African-American community.
Other than sending chats, you can send someone you like a virtual gift to express your interest less directly. Also, when checking out other members, you can save profiles and come back to them later to see who catches your eye most.
Every day, the app will send you some matches to talk to, so you don’t have to spend much time trying to find a suitable match.
However, you can’t communicate with a free profile.
Right up there is that the site emphasizes user safety and actively reviews its network to remove fraudulent profiles and ensure a secure dating environment. Furthermore, the app has safety tips and encourages you to follow proper precautions when engaging with potential matches online.
<<Meet other gay African-Americans near you>>
11. OurTime.com—Best Gay Dating for Seniors
- Niche for 60+ site
- Offers relationship resources
- Thousands of success stories
- Simple, intuitive platform
Cons
- A few younger people as well
Pricing
- 1 month—$34.96
- 6 months—$95.76
It’s never out of time to find love, at least not with OurTime.com.
Specifically designed for individuals aged 60 and older, OurTime can help you find romantic relationships, companionship, or marriage.
While OurTime is not explicitly marketed as an LGBTQ+-focused dating site, it has sign-up options for gay and LGBTQ+ members, so you should be able to get what you need.
You’d also like to know that the app allows you some usage for free, with limited messaging capability. You can also browse profiles without having to upgrade to a premium membership.
To find a date, you can use various search criteria like age, religion, interests, and more, to find a harmonious match.
OurTime prioritizes your safety and privacy and even does profile checks to ensure no one is being taken advantage of.
Moreover, the app is easy to use but in case of anything, you can access the app’s friendly customer support for assistance.
<<Meet gay and LGBTQ seniors near you>>
12. Silver Singles—Second Best for Older Gay Dating
- Niched audience—singles aged 50+
- Affordable premiums
- Prompts for easy use
Cons
- No video chat feature
- Fewer features
Pricing
- 3 months—$44.95/m
- 6 months—$34.95/m
- 12 months—$24.95/m
SilverSingles changes the narrative of most online dating sites and apps by providing a dating platform tailored for individuals aged 50 and older.
To begin, you can register as a gay man or woman so that the app opens you to an exclusive queer user pool.
We love that the profiles on SilverSingles are quite rich, allowing you to see someone’s job, hobbies, family, smoking habits, height, build, and more to tell you more without having to talk to a user first.
Initially, SilverSingles offers you a free version that you can use to gauge how the site works.
Despite its focus on older users, you can also find younger users occasionally, which helps if you want to date a younger person.
<<Interact with 50+ and younger singles near you and across the globe>>
13. Match.com—Longest Standing American Dating Site
- Large user base backed by 25 years of experience
- Advanced matching algorithms
- Free trial
Cons
- A general dating site with a limited LGBTQ+ community focus
- Regional Disparities in LGBTQ+ populations
Pricing
- 1 month – $45.99/m
- 3 months – $31.99/m
- 6 months – $22.99/m
Dating back to 1995, Match is the OG of online dating sites and apps, and it has the reputation to go with it.
The platform provides a safe and welcoming environment to explore dating opportunities and build relationships within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, etc. communities.
Match.com’s robust matching algorithms and profiles facilitate in-depth connections, and this presents the app as a good platform to chase a committed relationship.
The platform offers privacy controls, allowing you to even browse in private mode if you don’t want everyone to see you online.
With a paid account, you can boost your profile and put yourself before other gay members for better success odds.
While basic features are free, you’ll need a paid subscription to access communication tools,
<<Join the most reputable online dating site now>>
Best Gay Dating Apps—How to Stay Safe while Online Dating
Choose well-established and reputable gay dating sites or apps
Research and read reviews to ensure they strongly commit to user safety. You can test different free dating apps and sites before settling and paying the premium subscription.
Avoid sharing sensitive personal information
Don’t share your home address, phone number, or financial details in your dating profile or early conversations. You can create a separate email address for online dating to keep your personal and dating communications separate.
Trust Your Instincts
If something doesn’t feel right about a person or their behavior, trust your gut and proceed cautiously.
For first dates, choose a public place where other people are around. Let a close friend or family member know about your date plans, including the location and the person’s profile information.
Before meeting in person, consider having video calls to verify the person’s identity and ensure you’re comfortable with them.
Familiarize yourself with the privacy settings on the dating site
Adjust them to control who can view your profile and contact you. If someone makes you uncomfortable or exhibits suspicious behavior, block and report them to the dating site’s administrators.
Leading Gay Dating Apps—FAQs
What are the top popular gay dating apps today?
The popular gay dating apps today are:
These gay dating services have millions of users across the world looking for diverse types of relationships.
With their large user pools, these dating apps give you a good footing toward finding someone who meets your needs.
Are there any free gay dating apps?
Yes, there are free gay dating apps.
Some totally free gay dating services include Grindr and OkCupid. With these dating apps, you can use them comfortably and even land dates without having to upgrade to a premium account.
Hinge also gives some level of free usage, but while limiting the number of likes you can make in a day.
On the whole, most gay dating platforms are free in the sense that you can register and create an account for free. However, you’ll need to get a paid account in order to access complete communication and matching features for the most success.
Are gay dating websites safe?
Yes, gay dating websites are generally safe.
Gay dating apps have strong verifications and robust profile monitoring to see that you have access to a safe dating pool.
Additionally, most are strict towards discriminatory language, and anyone who breaks their community rules is usually banned from using the site again.
Other than the site’s security measures, you can also incorporate some things to see that you’re safe when dating online.
For instance, it helps to keep your personal information private., This way, scammers and identity thieves have nothing they can use to take advantage of you.
You can also do your verification to be certain that someone you’re talking to is who they claim they are. One way is to ask them to join you on a video call, so you can see that they’re actually the person in their profile.
You can also reverse-search their profile photos on Google to see that they aren’t using any downloaded pictures from the web.
Are there straight people on gay dating platforms?
Yes, there are some straight people on gay dating platforms.
Many gay dating services cater to both straight and gay men and women. The only difference is that when signing up, the app will ask you to state your orientation so that it can give you access to an exclusive gay dating user base.
That said, other platforms like Grindr cater wholesomely to gay people only.
Can I find friendship on gay dating platforms?
Yes, you can find friendships on gay dating platforms.
Gay dating websites let everyone find what they’re looking for and friendships are one of them.
Most gay apps will have a ‘what you’re looking for’ section, and you can pick from the available options that you want: friendship or companionship.
In the case that the gay dating site of your choice doesn’t have such an option, you can clearly state on your profile bio that you want friendship to match with other members with similar goals.
What people will I find on gay dating apps?
Although gay dating apps are mostly filled with gay men and queer women, you can also find people that are bi, trans, queer, and more.
Most gay dating services today have expanded their user base to make them more inclusive for the whole LGBTQ+ community.
Wrapping Up—Best Gay Dating Apps
There you go!
You no longer have to worry about people using hateful language towards you or joining a dating platform, only to find a handful of gay men and women.
With the best gay dating apps we’ve looked at above, there’s something for everyone and for every taste and desire.
To give you an idea, you can opt for AdultFriendFinder if you wish for adult dating arrangements; Elite Singles if you want access to the highest quality singles; and eHarmony if you want to settle down in a loving relationship.
But it’s you who knows what you want, eh? So pick an app that works for you, bud.
Have fun, and see ya soon!
