Best Dating Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
When you’re scrolling through a dating app, it’s always a good idea to know what you’re looking for. Being clear about your intentions — both for yourself and the people you meet — can lead you down the right path.
While building your dating profile with these intentions in mind can help, choosing the best dating app for you can lead to the best results. Popular hookup apps such as Tinder may not be the best choice if you’re hoping to meet a long-term partner. Similarly, signing up for a relationship-focused site wouldn’t do you much good if you’d prefer a no-strings-attached connection.
If you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it can be tricky to figure out which dating apps are best for queer people. Bumble and Hinge will expose you to a much larger user base, but that also means you’ll have to sift through a lot of profiles that don’t align with what you’re looking for.
If you’re a gay man and your ideal connection is a quick hookup, a gay hookup site such as Sniffies or one of the four alternatives we will show you could offer a more effective route.
Cruising Made Mobile | Location-Based Hookups | Alternatives
A Gay Hookup App That Brings Cruising Back
Men in the LGBTQ+ community have historically had a difficult time feeling understood and accepted for their identity. It has taken many decades — and a lot of activism — for queer men to feel safe and free to express themselves and their sexuality. In the past, one way that gay men have found to work around this is “cruising.”
The origin of the term isn’t exactly known, but cruising has been around since the 1800s. Simply put, cruising is the act of searching your local area to find other gay men interested in a fast, easy hookup.
Historically, the word referred to men who would drive or walk around certain areas trying to discover potential sexual partners. They might try to make eye contact with another man to gauge a reaction or hang out near popular queer spaces to meet up for casual sex.
Sniffies is a platform where you can cruise to your heart’s content. Rather than cruising publicly as in the old days, Sniffies makes it easy to safely and privately meet gay men for hookups. The site is free to use, and you don’t even need to register for an account to begin cruising.
When you visit Sniffies for the first time, you have the choice to browse anonymously or sign up with an account. This also makes the site a great option if you’re not “out” yet, if you’re just starting to explore your queerness, or if you need to remain discreet for any other personal reason. From there, you can begin browsing and chatting for free.
Sniffies allows gay, bisexual, and curious men to cruise. This opens you up to a wide array of men in your area and offers everyone the chance to find the hot hookup they’ve been waiting for. No one on the platform expects to find true love, so you can rest assured your intentions are shared by others.
According to the website, Sniffies got its name from the concept of sex and kink positivity. The intention of the name is to encourage open-mindedness and exploration of your desires and fetishes. As you’re cruising and chatting on the website, you can meet other kinky gay men who share your sexual preferences and want to explore them with you.
One great Sniffies feature is LivePlay, a safer method of video chatting that doesn’t require you to leave the site or give out your phone number. LivePlay offers a way to verify the person you’re chatting with before you meet up or decide whether you’re into each other beforehand.
If you’re not ready to meet someone in person, you can also use this feature to have intimate encounters from the comfort of your own home.
Find Sex-Forward Users Near Your Location
Sniffies is a user-friendly platform for gay or bisexual men to make no-strings connections in their area. The site is map-based, meaning that all activity happens using a map of your immediate location. This unique approach to finding gay hookups allows you to skip the small talk and get right to it with other users.
Whether you browse anonymously or as yourself, you have access to a map filled with users nearby. These populate as profile icons placed at various spots on the map, so you can begin connecting with anyone — no matter if they’re down the street or waiting at your local queer bar.
Building your profile is as quick and easy as you want it to be, and every user has the option to set a profile photo and list what they’re into. Because the site doesn’t have a mobile app and therefore isn’t offered in any app store, this also means that nudity and sexually explicit chatting are both allowed on the site.
This anything-goes approach makes it an enticing platform for finding local gay men for hookups.
While the site is free and easy for any gay man to use, safety is also important on Sniffies. Even though your profile will be shown on a local map, Sniffies doesn’t ever share a user’s exact location. Instead, the site displays your profile at what they call a “pseudo-location” nearby to protect you.
This, along with the anonymous browsing option, can keep you from being outed and helps to shield you from potential harm.
Popular cruising locations are shown on the Sniffies map, as well. If you aren’t able or willing to host a hookup, or if you’d rather meet someone in a neutral location beforehand, the map shows areas like a local park or a bar. These spots will light up on the map, so users can see who is already there or planning to be there.
As you browse on Sniffies, you can find both individual users and even groups who are ready to hook up. If a user’s profile icon has an orange ring around it, that signals that they’re able to host. Hosting can take place in a hotel room, a car, at a user’s home, or in a group setting. There are icons for each option, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when you set a meeting.
If you’re interested in joining a group hookup nearby, you’ll see available groups on your map. The group’s icon will show the number of men meeting in the group, and you can check the list of attendees before you request to join and see the private details of the meetup.
Not only can you anonymously search the map for free, but signing up for the paid Sniffies Plus membership offers an extra layer of privacy. While free users have to be shown on the map to see other users, Sniffies Plus members can browse the map with their profile hidden altogether.
This offers maximum privacy while you’re browsing, and once you’ve decided that you’re interested in connecting with someone, you can LivePlay or message them to get started.
One downside to trying Sniffies is the idea that anyone can join, and there are basically no requirements when browsing or setting up a profile. The Sniffies terms of service note that the site doesn’t verify the information users provide, nor does the team run any background checks, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when you plan a meetup or share sensitive information while chatting with others.
4 Sniffies Alternatives
Sniffies is a good option for gay men interested in meeting casual sex partners. The site is free, user-friendly, and has options for people trying to be more discreet. That said, gay men have plenty of other options if they prefer a hookup site or app with more features and filters.
Relationships: Hookups Only
Match System: Search by location, interest, more
Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn’t about making friends, it’s about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
65%*
35%*
|
25.5 Million* | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Several dating platforms offer free features for all users, but many of them are frustrating to use if you’re looking for a steamy one-night stand. You may need to weed through thousands of profiles in your area before you find a handful of casual contenders on many popular dating apps.
Using a site like AdultFriendFinder, however, can make this task much easier. The site may have more than 100 million users, but you can trust that everyone is there for the same reason — they all want to hook up.
Swingers, non-monogamous couples, singles, and kinksters alike can use AdultFriendFinder to get their rocks off, and have fun while doing so. The platform is unique in offering chat forums for interacting with other users in a group setting, and AFF also provides the option to create a personal ad to say exactly what you want.
If you’re looking to satisfy your desires from the comfort of your own home, you can also check out the gallery of nude photos and live streams. Paid members receive access to even more perks, like unlimited browsing of these galleries and unlimited individual messaging.
2. BeNaughty
Relationships: Hookups, Chats
Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
Our Experts Say: “BeNaughty is a popular casual hookup site for millions, which includes a large and active gay user base…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
13.3 Million* | Browse Profiles Free |
BeNaughty gives you the chance to do just what its name suggests: be naughty. More than 13 million people use the site each month for casual hookups and hot dates. Unlike some other dating websites, BeNaughty encourages members to express their sexuality and connect with users for anything from threesomes to illicit affairs.
It is an anything-goes platform, so you can expect to find adult content and a wide array of interests, backgrounds, and orientations.
It is free to browse and favorite profiles on BeNaughty, but only paid subscribers can see and respond to private messages. The three paid membership tiers offer various benefits — from extra security and unlimited messaging to incognito browsing and read receipts. Signing up is fast, as all you need is your email address and a profile photo.
Filling out your profile is a quick and easy task as well, with basic information, including your age, body type, and marital status. The platform also offers also search filters that help you find specific types of profiles based on your preferences, so you can get down and dirty as quickly as possible.
3. MenNation
Relationships: Daters & Hookups
Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
Our Experts Say: “With more than 79 million users, MenNation is among the largest gay and bisexual dating and hookup sites in the world. A basic membership is 100% free, and it allows you to upload info and photos, browse, and chat…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| Singles & Couples* |
95%*
5%*
|
780,000* | Start for Free |
MenNation is the largest gay hookup site used worldwide. Founded in 1996, the platform has amassed a user base of more than 123 million people. Both individual men and gay couples can sign up for MenNation, and all it takes to register is your birth date, zip code, email address, and a username and password.
While some users try the site to find a long-term partner or FWB, it is most known for facilitating no-strings connections and one-time hookups. MenNation is part of the popular AdultFriendFinder network of dating sites and apps, so you can rest assured that it’s a trusted platform for finding the kind of relationship you want.
While it’s free to join and use MenNation, signing up for its Gold membership allows you access to premium features. These perks include unlimited messaging, viewing the complete profiles of other users, and the ability to send “flirts” to let others know that you’re interested without sending a first message.
Nudity is allowed on the site, so Gold members can also filter between profiles with nudity, some nudity, or none at all. In addition, the premium membership allows you to view unlimited nude content and even send tips to people whose videos you really enjoy.
4. SCRUFF
SCRUFF is a unique gay dating site for men around the world. What started out as a dating app idea specifically for men with the scruffy, masculine look, became a comprehensive resource for both gay dating and travel.
SCRUFF has a feature called Venture, where you can search for gay singles worldwide, rather than just those in your area. This is especially helpful for gay men who travel often, because you can also upload your travel itinerary to show potential matches when you’re traveling to their location.
Safety is paramount to the SCRUFF team, and it has the features to prove it. When you use SCRUFF Venture, you will receive an alert if you’re traveling to a country in which homosexuality is unwelcome or criminalized. This gives you a heads-up so you can browse and connect with caution.
The app also encourages users in certain destinations to serve as travel ambassadors on a volunteer basis and share the best spots and tips for other gay men using the app and visiting their area. This makes finding gay hookups both easier and safer for everyone, regardless of where they live.
Verdict: Sniffies Aims to Provide Instant Gratification
Whether you’re looking for an exciting threesome or a discreet encounter with one of your neighbors, Sniffies is one of the best gay hookup sites to try. Its unique map-based approach really narrows down your options and makes finding a casual partner quick and easy.
While the site could do more to vet its members and take a few more safety precautions, you can still enjoy the openness and straightforward approach the app takes — as long as you’re careful.
Cruising may be a long-standing practice for gay and bisexual men, but technology has helped it come a long way from strolls or slow rides down the street.
Finding a sexy gay hookup is easier than ever with platforms like Sniffies, so you can get right down to business without all the fuss of a traditional dating app. If you’re ready to explore your kinks and heat things up, Sniffies is worth a try.
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