7 Best Grindr Alternatives for Straight People

Grindr is a popular dating app for the gay, bi, trans, and queer community. But what if you want to try something different? The good news is there are now many great alternatives.

Many dating apps today are becoming more welcoming to LGBTQ+ users, from big mainstream platforms to smaller niche ones made just for this community.

If you want to explore beyond Grindr, here are 7 other gay dating apps worth checking out.

1. BuddyGays

BuddyGays is a dating site for single gay men. You can use it to find all kinds of relationships -from casual flirting and hookups to serious, long-term partnerships.

The platform is still new and growing, with around 300,000 users, most of whom are middle-aged men. It’s exclusively for single gay men – women, straight men, and transgender people are not allowed.

You can join for free and later choose to upgrade to a premium membership. The site takes safety seriously and does not tolerate scammers, fake profiles, or anyone asking for money.

2. GaysGoDating

GaysGoDating is a gay dating site for people seeking casual dates and hookups. Members can find matches using filters for age, location, orientation, and physical traits.

You can swipe through profiles to find people you like. When you sign up, you receive five free credits to start chatting.

While unlimited messaging is a feature for premium members, free users can still connect by sending a “Flirtcast,” liking profiles, or adding them to their favorites.

Membership Prices

1 Week: $6.02
1 Month: $24.90
3 Months: $41.40

All paid subscriptions renew automatically. To prevent this, you must cancel the auto-renewal in your settings at least three days before your subscription period ends.

3. ManFinder

ManFinder is a free gay dating site where you can chat without paying anything. Once you sign up, you can message anyone and read their replies instantly – no subscription required.

Because chatting is free, ManFinder attracts many friendly gay and straight singles. According to the site, users send over 100 million messages every month.

Gay singles can use ManFinder to meet new people and find chemistry through private chats. Whether you’re looking for a casual date or something more serious, the MeetMe and Search features make it easy to connect.

Many users have found lasting relationships through ManFinder, but you don’t need to be looking for love to enjoy chatting and making new friends on the site.

4. Scruff

Scruff is a dating app for men seeking men. It was created in 2010 to be more inclusive than other apps that only featured one body type. It became known as a popular alternative to Grindr, especially for huskier, hairier men.

Why people like it

It’s generally considered safer and has fewer fake profiles.
It was one of the first apps to add profile options for transgender people and military members.
The app is easy to use. You can browse nearby guys, chat, and share photos.

People use Scruff for many things, including hookups, friendships, threesomes, or serious relationships.

The app is free to use with basic features. For extra features like hiding your profile and removing ads, you can upgrade to Scruff Pro:

$11.99 for one month
$32.99 for three months
$99.99 for one year

Scruff has millions of users around the world.

5. MenNation

MenNation is a popular dating site for gay and bisexual men. It’s a space where men can connect for casual hookups, flirting, or sexual relationships like threesomes. The site is designed to be judgment-free, allowing users to be open about what they want.

As part of the Adult Friend Finder network, MenNation has become one of the leading platforms in gay dating since its launch in 1996. It now has over 79 million members and about 780,000 monthly visitors. Most users are men, with over 90% identifying as gay.

A free MenNation account lets users browse profiles, receive match suggestions, add profiles to Hotlists, read erotic blogs, watch one free video daily, and send limited messages (you can only read the first one). To unlock all features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid account.

MenNation Gold Membership Prices:

$19.95/month for 12 months
$26.95/month for 3 months
$39.95/month for 1 month

Once you become a premium member, you can enjoy full access to everything MenNation offers.

6. Jack’d

Jack’d launched in 2011 and was created for gay, bisexual, and curious men. The app makes it easy to sign up – just download it and verify your account with an SMS code for security.

Jack’d lets users send unlimited messages, share private photos, and browse detailed profiles. The app is simple to use, has a clean design, and supports multiple languages for users around the world.

Today, Jack’d has over 1.2 million users in 2,000 cities across 180 countries. Most members are African American or Latino, but the community is diverse and open to everyone.

While Jack’d is often used for casual hookups, many people also look for long-term relationships or friendships. It welcomes members of the LGBTQ+ community – whether you’re gay, bi, trans, or queer – and lets you browse profiles privately if you prefer.

7. Hornet

Hornet is more than just a dating app for gay men – it’s a social network. Since 2011, it has grown to over 25 million users who connect by chatting about popular topics.

The app features a newsfeed that helps you feel part of an active community. You can use filters and hashtags to find people nearby or simply scroll through the feed to see what catches your interest. Hornet doesn’t pressure you to find a serious relationship right away – it’s designed to spark friendly conversations and let things develop naturally.

Hornet is also a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. It offers strong security features, and moderators are online 24/7 to ensure everyone interacts respectfully.