The best gay dating apps for everyone

You know its name: Grindr brands itself as the world's largest dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, but it's particularly the ideal gay paradise for men who are tired of Tinder and looking for experienced partners. It's also a place for bisexual men to experiment with a bigger user base.

With a dearth of functional trans-specific dating apps on the market, it's no wonder the app attracts a sizable segment of this population. Instead of swiping to match, you'll get a collage of people who are close location-wise. It'll be quite obvious that there are a lot of men out there waiting to talk. Grindr lacks the boundaries other apps provide — most users just looking to hook up will let you know that they're not in it for small talk. (That warning may come in the form of a dick pic, and not in as many words.) The app has a history of not being so welcoming to bisexual users, and it isn't exactly known for being free from racism, either.

That's not to say it's not for relationships — a lot of men meet their forever person on Grindr — but on the surface, it's a tool for quick, casual encounters. FWIW, men in small towns with a meager queer population are much more likely to find a connection here than on Tinder or OkCupid.

Grindr goes past being a hookup app in another way. The company has conducted some pretty illuminating research about its international users, leading to the formation of The Grindr for Equality campaign, which advocates for the sexual health and safety of LGBTQ+ people in unsafe countries.

Apps like Tinder and Bumble are technically for all orientations, but they'll be damned if they don't sneak some male profiles into your feed even if you've specified the opposite. Given the existence of Grindr and Scruff, the need for an online dating arena specifically for queer women was clear — thus, HER. Founders of the award-winning app are committed to cultivating a space that’s “so ragingly queer" that frustrated women can delete apps that don't feel like home.

As the user base of over 4 million grows, HER could widen your dating pool beyond the queer women you already know. In 2019, HER revamped its profiles to let users get more creative in categories like gender, sexuality, pronouns, diet preferences (like veganism), and star signs, as well as a "What does this mean?" field in the sex, gender, and pronoun categories to supply a more personal understanding of identity. The traditional text bio is where you can describe what kind of relationship you're seeking or flex your wit, though people are much more selective with words here than most on Tinder. Joining niche groups like "newly out" or "travellers" can also connect you with people using the app for similar reasons.

Aside from coupling up, a lot of HER regulars are looking to make friends or scope out the queer community in a new town. Switching over to the community feed opens the door to virtual hangouts with self-curated groups for queer women of colour or interests like the new lesbian films that mainstream Twitter will probably ignore. You can even get a head's up about a local LGBTQ event, or gauge interest in an event you're planning yourself.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Of the 50 million people who use Tinder monthly, not all are straight dudes holding up fish. Queer and trans folks head to Tinder because its dating pool is colossal. You have to admit, they have a point. 

Tinder pioneered the now-ubiquitous swiping function, revolutionising the world of online dating and boasting 1.6 billion swipes per day. You're probably going to see someone you work with on the app. However, if you've exhausted your chances with all of the queer people you know in real life, this is probably where you can find the highest number of gay locals — especially in smaller towns.

An app that targets the straights like Tinder does is bound to be followed by a cloud of heteronormativity. Marking that you only want to see men or only want to see women doesn't guarantee that a straight person won't slip through the cracks of your feed. It's also a breeding ground for unicorn hunters, as well as male trolls who submit false complaint reports about trans women on the app. Tinder also has a history of frivolously banning users who change their gender identity or support Black Lives Matter.

Despite all of this, Tinder has made notable efforts to be more inclusive by partnering with GLAAD to personalise swiping and ensure it met the diverse needs of the trans community. Over 40 gender options are available, beating Match (under the same parent company) which offers a grand total of ... two.

Young people looking to at least go on a few dates with the same person instead of beelining for a friends with benefits situation was a blind spot for swiping apps — until Hinge blew up. The premise and user base might be in the Tinder and Bumble realm, but these three aren't interchangeable. Hinge's unique profile criteria and algorithm based on that criteria set matches up for real-life potential. Some 90 percent say the first date was great and 72 percent are down for a second date.

Despite the fact that we're actively seeking out new dating apps and feel a rush every time a cute contender swipes right back, no one looking for something serious wants to be on these. That idea fueled Hinge's 2019 rebrand to "the dating app designed to be deleted."

Instead of cheesy questionnaires and spam emails about the 50 winks you've received, Hinge uses ice breakers and lets you like up to eight people per day. Instead of swiping, connections are made by liking or commenting on another person's answers or photos. Prompts range from "Two truths and a lie" to "Does hiking on a Sunday morning seem viable to you too?" Conversations are hidden after 14 days of inactivity to keep the focus on matches who are taking meeting seriously. Paying for Hinge Preferred also lets you filter by political views or recreational drug habits.

Hinge users experience more genuine queer people (and less unicorn hunting) on the app compared to the other big players.

Bumble is designed around the simple idea that women make the first move. A Bumble profile lets you write a bio, answer prompts, include up to six photos, fill out basic info like your job and education, and add flags indicating factors like what type of relationship you're looking for and whether you want kids. Plus, you can connect Spotify to let people see what you've been jamming out to.

In same-sex matching, either person has the power to make the first move, but there's a 24-hour time limit to start the chat after you match with someone. In Bumble chats, you're able to send GIFs and voice messages, which you can't do on Hinge.