11 Best Gay Dating Apps for Hookups (2024)

One of my friends once compared his life as a closeted gay man to being a superhero with a secret identity. By day, he was an unassuming, plaid-shirt-wearing college student. But, by night, he would rip off that dull exterior to reveal the flamboyant tank top and short-shorts that reflected his true nature.

It’s a powerful thing to be yourself and pursue your desires without fear of judgment. My friend enjoyed letting his freak flag fly and mingling with super attractive guys at gay bars and on gay dating apps for hookups. These safe spaces encouraged him to become more comfortable in his sexuality, and many singles say they use gay hookup apps to build up their confidence.

Hookup culture is alive and well in the gay dating scene where millions of hot guys explore their sexuality and enjoy the fact that they’ll never knock someone up. Gay singles have largely embraced online dating and used popular gay dating apps to unite as a community and make the world a more rainbow-friendly place.

Apps | FAQs

1. BeNaughty

★★★★★

3.9/5.0

Available on: iOS, Android

• Relationships: Casual Encounters
• Match System: Sort profiles by zip code, appearance, more
• About the App: BeNaughty has over 17 million members and gets more than 13.3 million monthly visits, making it among the most active hookup apps. Gay singles with hookups on their mind love using BeNaughy because they can filter out the straight singles and also filter out anyone who doesn't meet their preferred requirements for location, age, and appearance.
• Browse Free: View Profiles Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	App Cost
All Singles*	48%* 52%*	13.3 Million*	Free Download

Whether you’re gay or straight, BeNaughty can help you find local cuties interested in one-night stands and casual dating. The dating site and app promise “fun dating with no waiting.” Gay singles can use this sex-positive space to make a fast connection and spice up their love lives.

BeNaughty allows singles to post their fantasies and desires on their profiles, and some individuals can get pretty explicit about what they want. The hookup site has a Like Gallery where singles can quickly swipe through date options, and it has advanced search features by age, location, appearance, and orientation.

If you’re in a hurry to get attention online, you can use BeNaughty’s mass messaging feature to send a prewritten pickup line to multiple people at once.

2. AFF.com

★★★★★

3.8/5.0

Available on: iOS, Android

• Relationships: Hookups Only
• Match System: Filter by distance, gender, encounter
• About the App: If you have hookups on your mind and your mind on hookups, Adult Friend Finder is one of the best options. It's popular especially among gay singles because of its location- and interest-based search features (in addition to sexual orientation). Whether you're looking for someone around the corner or someone across the world, AFF has your back.
• Browse Free: View Profiles Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	App Cost
All Singles*	65%* 35%*	25.5 Million*	Free Download

Since 1996, Adult Friend Finder (AFF) has built the world’s largest singles and swinger community, which currently includes over 95 million profiles. We’ve ranked this as one of the top gay hookup apps because of its diverse and fun-loving membership base.

Gay men can join AFF as individuals, couples, or a group. All it takes is a valid ZIP code and birthdate to register. Adult Friend Finder is an anonymous hookup platform, so full names are not required. Browsing under a nickname can protect your identity, so closeted gay men don’t have to worry about outing themselves.

The mobile-friendly AFF site is full of erotic content, including community dating forums and nude webcam broadcasts, and it doesn’t take much effort to browse this space and find sexually stimulating opportunities online.

3. Flirt

★★★★★

4.0/5.0

Available on: iOS, Android

• Relationships: Casual Dates & Hookups
• Match System: Search by age, distance, ethnicity, and appearance
• About the App: Flirt is a discreet hookup platform that has sparked millions of flirtatious connections in the casual dating scene. The Flirt network appeals to adult singles interested in enjoying a sexual encounter, including one-night stands, summer flings, and threesomes, and they're looking for a potential partner who wants the same sort of no-strings-attached relationship.
• Browse Free: View Profiles Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	App Cost
All Singles*	48%* 52%*	1 Million*	Free Download

All right, Flirt.com isn’t actually available in app form, but the hookup site is completely mobile-friendly and exceedingly flirty, so we maintain that it belongs on this list of hookup apps for gay men.

Over 70 million singles have created dating profiles on Flirt.com over the years, and its members exchange over 100 million messages each month. That’s a lot of chatting, so you’d better up your flirtatious game when mingling on Flirt.com.

If you’re interested in casual hookups, gay sex, threesomes, or sexting, then Flirt.com should definitely be on your radar — or should we say gaydar?

4. FriendFinder-X

★★★★★

3.3/5.0

Available on: iOS, Andriod

• Relationships: One-Night Stands, Threesomes, Affairs
• Match System: Search on your own, plus receive matches
• About the App: FriendFinder-X is a favorite among gay and bisexual men for many reasons. In addition to most of its users being male (64%, to be exact), it has numerous ways for them to get to know each other, including private emailing and photo sharing, real-time instant messaging, and two-way videos. For free, you can download FriendFinder-X, create a profile, and browse for and receive recommended profiles, among other things.
• Browse Free: View Profiles Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	App Cost
Singles & Couples*	64%* 36%*	1.2 Million*	Free Download

FriendFinder-X is an adult dating site geared toward sexually active singles. Gay singles and gay couples can create profiles on FriendFinder-X to attract and pursue hot dates in their area.

The platform facilitates casual encounters and secret affairs every day of the week. Whether you’re looking for a reliable booty call or a one-night stand, you can use FriendFinder-X’s search, match, and chat features to make something happen.

To use the words of the website, “FriendFinder-X isn’t just a site; it’s a community of people looking to add a little more passion into their lives.”

5. MenNation

★★★★★

3.2/5.0

Available on: iOS, Andriod

• Relationships: Strictly Hookups
• Match System: Search by location, interest, more
• About the App: MenNation is well-known in the gay community as the site was founded in 1996, with the app following several years after. "Find intimate encounters with hot guys near you" is what this iPhone and Android app promises it'll help you do. MenNation will show you who has logged in at the same time as well, so you can get to that hookup even faster.
• Browse Free: View Profiles Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	App Cost
Singles & Couples*	95%* 5%*	780,000*	Free Download

As you can probably tell from its name, MenNation is all about the dudes. It exclusively serves gay and bisexual guys seeking male companionship.

Men can join as singles or couples and use the platform’s advanced search features to find hot local men. All members must be at least 18 years old because MenNation showcases some explicit and raunchy content between its dating profiles, video blogs, and community forums.

Full members of MenNation will have access to over 250,000 sexy videos and nearly 3,000 live member webcasts. A team of moderators work hard to keep a positive tone on the platform, but the customer service team can also assist gay singles should an issue arise. Anyone can contact the MenNation team with questions or concerns.

Since it burst onto the dating scene in 2012, Tinder has enamored singles with its fast-paced, looks-oriented swiping features. This app establishes an initial attraction based on a photo and a byline, and then it empowers mutual matches to woo those online crushes in private chats.

Tinder is a great resource for gay singles seeking an easy date and a romp in the sack. The app sees over 2 billion views per day, and it is responsible for inspiring over 1.5 million dates per week. It has also created more than 80 million matches for its LGBTQ+ users.

Tinder supports singles who are exploring their options, playing the field, and living the Swipe Life.

Tinder has a reputation for facilitating casual hookups. A survey of 18- to 34-year-olds found that 51.5% of young adults believe Tinder is designed for hookups rather than dating or meeting new people. The app may take some flack for putting looks ahead of personality in its profiles, but many casual daters appreciate such a straightforward approach.

As dating expert Chris Haven wrote in Thought Catalog, “Tinder is possibly the most superficial dating app out there, and it works so well for precisely that reason.”

Grindr

is one of the most well-known gay dating apps out there. Since 2009, it has grown its database to include over 27 million gay, bisexual, queer, trans, bi-curious, and questioning men in 196 countries.

Grindr puts hot dates within reach by using location-based matching tools. On this app, location is the key driver of new love connections. Grindr users can match and chat with someone who could be at the same bar or right around the corner from them, and that can lead to some pretty steamy real-life encounters.

Grindr offers a safe space where gay, bisexual, and queer men can flirt with one another.

The newly unveiled Grindr Unlimited is a handy tool for gay singles on a time crunch. This upgraded Grindr experience allows users to browse incognito, see who’s viewing their profile, know when someone’s typing a message, unsend messages or photos, and swipe through unlimited profiles in the hunt for a hookup.

Although Grindr is a men-seeking-men app, its team supports everyone in the LGBTQ community through activist work around the world. This app is a solid ally for gay men interested in finding romance and embracing their sexuality.

Since 2004, OkCupid has been the dating platform of choice for young singles. Its free communication policy appeals to daters on a budget, and it offers an abundance of personality-driven match tools to help them connect in private chats. The app allows both swiping and searching in its global database. Singles of all ages, backgrounds, and orientations are welcome here.

Gay singles can use OkCupid to find compatible dates who share similar values and opinions. The app’s motto is “Dating deserves better,” and it works hard to make the dating process more enjoyable and exciting for everyone. OkCupid creates over 91 million connections each year.

OkCupid gives its members plenty of room to express themselves and discover desirable dates.

In 2014, OkCupid became the first dating app to incorporate 22 gender options and 13 orientation options into its signup process. Its broad identity spectrum continues to be one of the most inclusive features offered in the online dating space.

When you create your OkCupid profile, you can specify that you’re looking for hookups, and the match algorithm will prioritize members who also say they’re looking for something casual.

Hornet

is abuzz with activity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This gay dating app has over 25 million users, and it allows members to mix and match with people in their neighborhood or halfway around the world.

Hornet profiles are full of personality and offer a well-rounded picture of who a person is. Members connect by liking or commenting on photos, or they can send heartstrings to make a quick introduction. Only mutual matches can exchange messages on the app.

Hornet offers a social network and newsfeed to help gay singles keep up with the trends.

As an active Hornet member, you can express your individuality by posting statuses, stories, or photos, and you can browse Your Feed to see what others in the Hornet community are up to. You can use hashtags and other filters to discover love interests who meet your standards.

The Hornet privacy policy keeps everyone safe as they flirt. “Privacy is at the center of Hornet,” the team says. “It’s designed by the gay community, for the gay community, built with privacy front and center.”

With over 15 million members, SCRUFF is among the largest gay social networks in the world. The app supports an active and flirtatious rainbow community. Every week, SCRUFF members exchange over 80 million messages on the app.

In many ways, SCRUFF has challenged what it means to be a dating app. The company was founded by two gay men who were looking out for the interests of singles in the LGBTQ community. It was the first dating app to add “trans” as a gender option on its profiles. It also supports niche communities for transgender singles, HIV-positive singles, and members of the military.

SCRUFF Match offers a stack of viable dates ready and waiting for you.

SCRUFF uses an intelligent match algorithm that learns what you like (and don’t like) based on your previous swipes. The more you swipe, the more accurate and attractive your match recommendations will become.

Plus, SCRUFF runs a live trivia game called Hosting throughout the week to get people talking. This one-of-a-kind queer quiz show encourages members to compete in three fast-paced rounds to win a cash prize. Players can Woof or Fav each other to take their relationship to the next level after the game is over.

“SCRUFF is always open to identifying opportunities where it can expand and reach the LGBTQ people that we connect,” said Co-Founder Eric Silverberg.

GROWLr

is a social networking app for gay bears in the dating scene. The app has over 10 million members and is free to download.

GROWLr has all the usual dating app features (private messaging, swiping, match suggestions), but it also has a few surprises in store for its users. Men can send sexy voice memos to one another as a way of standing out from the crowd. The app also has a frequently updated list of gay-friendly bars where gay men can arrange to meet IRL.

GROWLr caters to gay men who are attracted to big, burly men (aka bears).

If you want to crank up the romance at your favorite bar or club, you can set up a GROWLr HOT! Spot and allow all GROWLr members to use the app’s premium features for free. This promotion extends for a 20-mile radius from your chosen HOT! Spot location. It costs $50 per day to set up a GROWLr HOT! Spot.

Many people mistakenly think that Grindr was created to be the gay version of Tinder. However, Grindr was launched over three years before Tinder blew up the mobile dating scene. Grindr launched on March 25, 2009, and Tinder launched on Sept. 12, 2012. Tinder’s swiping features may have earned it global acclaim, but Grindr was technically there first.

If you haven’t heard of Taimi, you’re missing out on a gay-friendly utopia. This app’s number one priority is online safety, and it has gone to great lengths to ensure bullies, frauds, scam artists, and other undesirables cannot infiltrate the dating community.

First of all, Taimi has a two-factor authentication system that requires either a PIN or fingerprint to open the app every time. That means someone can’t just grab your phone, open the app, and impersonate you online.

In 2017, Taimi launched a safe community where gay singles can be themselves without fear of judgment.

Taimi promises in its Terms of Service to remove users who display offensive, harmful, dishonest, or unlawful behavior. The zero-tolerance policy on harassment makes room for more genuine, heartfelt, and romantic conversations to flourish. Such a respectful environment is great for gay singles seeking a consenting companion for the night.

You can get the Taimi dating app for free and start swiping, matching, video chatting, and hooking up.

As of 2018, Tinder reached 196 countries and boasted having over 3.6 million daily active users. That’s just the number of people continually swiping and chatting on the app. If you look at how many people have downloaded the app in total, the numbers skyrocket even further. The BBC reported that more than 27 million men have used Grindr since its launch in 2009.

Grindr is an award-winning app with tens of millions of followers worldwide.

According to an internal survey, a majority of active Grindr users (over 2.6 million guys) live in the U.S., but 82% of members said they have travel plans and use the app’s geolocation services while on vacations around the world. Big cities, including New York City, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Sydney, and San Francisco, see the most Grindr activity.

SCRUFF was the passion project of Eric Silverberg and Johnny Skandros in 2010, and Johnny remains its founder, owner, and CEO to this day. SCRUFF is independently owned and does not accept venture funding or third-party advertising. Johnny runs this gay dating app with integrity and compassion.

Johnny is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights in the dating world. He came out as gay at the age of 15 and can empathize with the struggles faced by today’s LGBTQ+ singles.

“Dating can be real work, and it’s easy to get burnt out on hooking up,” he wrote in a HuffPost article. “Don’t be so quick to give in. I’ve wrestled with the same frustrations, so I understand.”

Sometimes you can’t be as out and proud as you’d like to be during your daily life, so you don a cloak of invisibility for your more colorful characteristics. You may want to mute that part of yourself in your public life, but you can shout it from the rooftops in your private life. Gay singles can exchange their Clark Kent glasses for Superman capes by browsing the 11 hookup apps on this list.

These gay dating apps for hookups can offer a judgment-free zone where people can express themselves and discover their flirtatious superpowers.

It’s important to have such communities to show gay singles and couples just how strong they are. While gay culture is gaining acceptance in the U.S., we still have a long way to go to combat the discrimination and negative stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Fortunately, like a rainbow Justice League, many gay singles have allied with gay-friendly sites and apps to build safe spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can feel welcome and accepted.