Best Queer Dating Sites

Gay Dating

11 Best Queer Dating Sites for LGBTQ+ Singles (2024)

Amber Brooks

Written by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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As LGBTQ+ acceptance becomes more widespread, queer dating sites offer more and more options to non-straight people looking to chat, match, date, and hook up. It used to be difficult to find online dating options that cater to lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, asexual, and other marginalized orientations and identities. But gradually the space has diversified to the point that there are now so many platforms it can be hard to choose the best one.

We’ve reviewed the most popular brands in online dating, and the following list features the 13 top dating sites for LGBTQ+ singles. While some of the platforms began as heterosexual-only platforms and expanded from there, others entered the marketplace specifically to cater to queer, fluid, and nonbinary people. Read on to learn more about the best options out there for queer dating and relationships.

Queer Dating Sites For Relationships

The following are our top online dating sites for LGBTQ+ people seeking a serious long-term relationship, as opposed to just a hookup or talking. 

1. Match

★★★★★
4.9/5.0

Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say: “More than a million lesbian women in the U.S. are looking for dates and relationships on Match, making it the best site for this audience…” Full Review »

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It’s no secret that Match.com originally branded itself as a heterosexual dating platform, with ads featuring straight couples who had met through the site and went on to form serious relationships. But the mainstream dating app and site started becoming more inclusive, making it a strong option for queer singles seeking something more.

In addition to offering more options for identity and orientation, Match.com allows LGBTQ+ members to choose whether to disclose those details up front, or whether to wait to disclose after getting in contact with a potential match. Of course, the majority of the site’s nonstraight membership keeps that information open to make matching easier. But having the option helps to improve safety and security, especially for transgender members who may want to get to know someone a bit better before disclosing details.

Free members can look at profiles and send a limited number of messages on the dating site, and use most of the search tools and basic functions. Paid memberships allow you to see who’s been looking at your profile, send unlimited messages, and enjoy other paid-only perks. Other perks include higher visibility in search results and better access to Match Events — offline, real-world events that Match.com hosts to allow singles to meet in person in a low-pressure environment.

2. HER

One of the earliest dating app options specific to queer women, HER caters to any woman-loving-woman regardless of sexual orientation. Whether you are lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or transgender, the dating app welcomes you. 

The app also includes options for nonbinary singles. Queer women seeking relationships face some unique struggles compared to straight adults, particularly when it comes to safety. HER maintains its status as one of the most popular queer dating options because of its commitment to safety.

HER dating app
HER provides access to profiles, posts, and events that cater to the LGBTQ+ women.

Free members have access to most basic functions on the app, including swipes, community conversations, messaging, and search. Paid membership, which starts as low as $7.50/month, includes incognito mode, unlimited swiping, ad-free experience, and read receipts, among other benefits. For queer womxn who want a safe atmosphere to meet other women and femmes, HER is a great option.

HER is a popular site for queer women who are looking to get into a relationship with other women.

3. Bumble

As a mainstream app, Bumble is a better fit for a queer folks who want a broader pool of prospects in terms of gender identity. Bumble launched in 2014 as an app for heterosexual partnerships, and its major selling point is that women initiate every conversation. Today, it’s a growing platform for LGBTQ+ singles as well.

Bumble doesn’t fall fully under the category of lesbian dating apps, but the platform is essentially woman-focused, making it a very safe atmosphere. The app requires Facebook authentication, which helps to ensure that everyone is who they say they are, and also speeds up the signup process. 

Bumble screenshot
Bumble boasts being the world’s first feminist dating app.

The Bumble app is free to download, but premium membership comes with some substantial perks: no cap on backtrack usage, which allows you to revisit profiles you may have swiped left on or that you may have missed the window to contact. Premium also gives you the option to see who has already swiped right on your profile and extend your match time to contact people. While Bumble isn’t a solely lesbian dating app, the female-focused platform is another safe option for queer women seeking relationships.

Queer Dating Sites For Chatting

If you want to keep things light, the following apps and sites give you the space to chat and connect with LGBTQ+ people without any expectations. 

4. Zoosk

★★★★★
4.7/5.0

Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships

Match System: Search and get match recommendations

Our Experts Say: “Gay, bisexual, and curious single men love Zoosk because it’s quick, easy, and really successful…” Full Review »

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The Zoosk platform started as a space for straight dating and friendships, but it has grown its LGBT resources over the years. While the signup only allows binary gender identity options, you can include details in the free-form areas of your profile if you want to. 

The basic membership comes with a strong set of features, including messaging, search, suggested matches, and the carousel feature that allows for swiping. Premium members get Zoosk coins and other goodies to enhance their experience and ability to find matches, such as boosted profile visibility. The online dating site is compatible across platforms, making it easy to jump from computer to phone and back. 

All in all, Zoosk is gay friendly and queer inclusive. It is a great option for bisexual and bicurious singles, and it is certainly useful for lesbian and gay singles, but it could do better for transgender and nonbinary people.

5. OkCupid

Of all the chat options on this list, OkCupid is the most inclusive: The site and the dating app that goes with it both include multiple gender identity and sexual orientation options. Another major benefit to OkCupid for gay dating is the fact that you can do anything you really want to on the site for free.

OkCupid screenshot
OkCupid has taken a data-driven and inclusive approach to online dating.

Premium membership with OkCupid includes the option to see who’s been looking at your profile, and to boost your visibility in search results. Even without premium membership, however, you can still search, view profiles, swipe, and message without limits. OkCupid has been a pioneer in queer dating sites more or less since its inception, and the site and app both create a safe atmosphere where your gender identity and sexual orientation are taken seriously.

6. Only Women

Another women-only platform, Only Women represents a fast-growing community of cis and trans women, along with anyone who identifies as lesbian. The dating site and app can function as a matchmaker, social network, and discussion forum, with profiles checked and approved for authenticity. 

Screenshot of Only Women
Only Women provides icebreakers and chat opportunities for lesbian singles.

One major draw for Only Women is that the lesbian dating app takes an inclusive attitude when it comes to its membership. People of all stripes are welcome — just as long as they do not identify as a male. Only Women is a great social network for a nonbinary person who needs a safe and inclusive space.

The niche dating platform takes the privacy of its members very seriously. It is an independently owned and operated company that makes every effort to improve the queer dating experience by leveraging technology.

Queer Dating Sites For Hookups

If you’re looking for something less serious than a steady relationship but a little more involved than just chatting, then a hookup site geared toward LGBTQ+ communities is the best fit. 

★★★★
4.0/5.0

Relationships: Hookups Only

Match System: Search by location, interest, more

Our Experts Say: “LesbianPersonals.com is a favorite among frisky lesbian singles because it’s free and easy to use. The site and app has more than 30 million members from all over the world looking for casual encounters today…”

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LesbianPersonals provides a casual atmosphere where sexually liberated lesbian, bisexual, and queer women can hook up. The dating site even allows free, anonymous browsing with no email address required. The site is effectively an updated version of personal ads, with a few interesting perks thrown in to sweeten the pot.

Straight women and single men are barred from joining the site: Only women seeking other women, and couples, can participate in the community. The signup process is quick and easy, and the free-wheeling atmosphere keeps things interesting. While you can register for free, premium membership grants access to full photos and videos, along with unlimited messaging, on-site contests, and other perks. 

★★★★
4.0/5.0

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…”

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MenNation provides a stress-free venue for gay singles looking for a classic hookup, or polyamorous gay couples looking for queer men to join their fun. The site is open only to men. Gay men, bisexual men, and queer men can join for free. With over 100,000 daily visitors, it’s a treasure trove of men-loving-men, and not just a space for finding a one-night stand.

MenNation provides a high level of access to free members, including nude live chat, access to profiles, blogs, and public-access contact features. Premium members get some very nice benefits, including unlimited messaging, tipping, and add-a-friend, among others. The gay dating site makes it easy to be as public or as private as you want, while seeking whatever kind of interaction you imagine. For a gay man who wants to explore, MenNation provides a lot of resources and space.

★★★★
4.2/5.0

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 »

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If there’s one thing to know about BeNaughty, it’s that the dating site is all about sexual liberation. The user interface and tools are simple, and the platform focuses on making it simple and safe to find a hookup. 

The SSL encryption and security against fake profiles help keep things safe for queer singles, while the up-front, bare-bones profile formats keep things honest. The BeNaughty app is a judgment-free zone for gay dating: Singles, swingers, and polyamorous couples, among others, are all there on the platform. While premium membership gives you higher levels of access and unrestricted messaging, free members still have access to everything they need to get some action.

10. Fem

It takes a lot to distinguish yourself if you’re a lesbian dating app these days. Fem focuses more on features like video and group chats that give queer women a safe and low-pressure community to explore and get to know each other. The lesbian dating app also gives users the option to upload still images and enjoy solo conversations, but the big draw is the community focus.

Screenshot of Fem
Fem is a queer dating app for women seeking women.

To interact one-on-one with other members, all a queer woman on Fem has to do is purchase coins. The cost per 100 coins is very reasonable, but if you want to spare yourself having to refill often, the Power membership gives members access to messages, an ad-free experience, boosted visibility and other perks. Fem has a high rating among users, and the dating app has been around for five years.

11. Grindr

Gay singles looking for a simple hookup have an ally in Grindr. The gay dating app offers location-based matching for men seeking other men, including trans men, nonbinary masc individuals, and cis men who are gay, bisexual, bicurious, or any other sexual orientation that includes men. 

Screenshot of Grindr
The Grindr app can help queer men find local dates.

While Grindr has come under fire for issues like obnoxious ads and fake profiles, the dating app maintains a high level of engagement and a very high user base. With 3.6 million daily users and over 27 million users overall, Grinder boasts a very big pool of potential hookups for a gay man. While the app is free to use, Grindr Xtra comes with perks like the ability to unsend, which lets premium members delete a message before the recipient reads it. 

The platform has been around for 12 years and counting, and continues to be a popular gay dating app in spite of hiccups. Grindr is a queer app where gay men, bisexual men, queer men, and questioning men can slide into a single guy’s DMs and arrange a quick hookup with no strings.

12. Feeld

For members of the queer community who want a more expansive experience in a dating application, Feeld is a breath of fresh air. The app launched in 2014 to offer a broad, nonmonogamous playground for straight adults and the LGBTQ+ community alike. 

Screenshot of Feeld
If you’re looking for a nonjudgmental space, Feeld is the dating app for you.

Unlike many mainstream dating apps, Feeld is explicitly for experimentation and exploration of feelings, sexual orientation, and relationship dynamics. Singles and couples alike are welcome to the platform. In addition to security features, Feeld incorporates Facebook authentication to help avoid fake profile issues, but also allows online daters to browse incognito.

Whether you’re an out and proud gay man, a nonbinary person who’s still figuring out what you like, a straight couple looking for a third, or a lesbian looking for partners to play with — and everywhere in between — Feeld provides a safe space to explore and have fun.

13. SCRUFF

If you’re a gay man who travels a lot, or a queer man looking outside your home base, SCRUFF is an ideal digital wingman to find your next potential partner. SCRUFF was launched in 2010 by Johnny Skandros and Eric Silverberg to replace the then-disappointing offerings in the queer dating app world, and its features really shine for users who aren’t looking in their own backyards.

SCRUFF provides instant access to nearby dates and travel buddies.

SCRUFF has a huge member base of over 15 million, and a tight moderation policy to keep fake profiles and bots down. Travel-focused features like Venture allow users to seek potential partners in new places and upload their travel itineraries to show up for men in the right areas at the right time. SCRUFF provides an excellent resource for globe-trotting gay and queer men to connect for fun and flings

Frequently Asked Questions

For your benefit, we’re going to tackle some common questions we see about online dating, queerness, and other related topics.

What Does Queer Mean?

Queer is an umbrella term for some members of the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, the Q in LGBTQ+ can refer either to questioning or to queer. The term doesn’t refer to any specific sexual orientation or gender identity, but instead to a spectrum of different identities and orientations that don’t fit neatly under existing labels.

Members of the queer community know that they aren’t straight and cisgender, but they also don’t necessarily fall neatly under the category of bisexual, gay, lesbian, or binary transgender (male or female) gender. A queer person might be sexually attracted to anyone, but only romantically attracted to one gender, or vice versa. Queer also applies to gender: while it’s possible to be a queer woman or a queer man, it’s also possible for someone in the community to have a nonbinary gender identity, or no gender identity at all.

Queer is a term that helps those in the LGBTQ+ community who know they experience gender or sexual orientation in a different way from the mainstream, but who don’t necessarily fit into a neat category or label.

How Do Queer Dating Sites Work?

A queer dating website or queer app works in the same way that a dating site or app for straight people does. A lot of queer dating options take their inspiration from existing sites and apps: Grindr has a lot of the same functionality as Tinder, and mainstream sites like OkCupid have blazed a trail in opening things up for the LGBTQ+ community.

The major differences between queer dating sites and mainstream dating sites and apps is the safety aspect. They can be dangerous for queer folk. For gay people, mainstream apps and sites can come with harassment and the risk of danger when meeting a potential partner. That’s even more true for someone whose gender identity or sexual orientation is more of a minority. 

Queer dating sites and apps typically moderate their user base fairly heavily and use a variety of measures to help their members stay incognito if they need to. They also keep space open for members to explore sexual orientation and gender identity with other like-minded people. 

Is eharmony a Good Dating Site for Queer Folks?

Whether eharmony works for LGBTQ+ people depends largely on where they fall in that community. For gay men and lesbian women, it’s a strong option — but the site doesn’t allow nonbinary identification, and it doesn’t have options to change the gender preferences on your profile. Once you’ve signed up and filled out that part of the form, it’s set in stone.

★★★★★
4.8/5.0

Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships

Match System: Personality test suggests matches

Our Experts Say: “eharmony has a large, commitment-minded user base in your area, and its unique matching system is ideal for those seeking a serious relationship…” Full Review »

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Some bisexual and pansexual members get around this by having more than one profile, but eharmony moderation can and sometimes does delete “extra” profiles. It’s a better idea to find a dating platform that allows you to be yourself up front, like several of the options on this list.

Can I Use Tinder for Queer Dating?

Absolutely! While Tinder has a reputation largely as that of a straight dating and hookup app, the platform offers nine sexual orientation options, and has facilitated over 145 million queer dating matches to date. 

Tinder is an example of a mainstream dating and hookup app that appeals to the LGBTQ+ community for very good reasons. The app allows a lot of flexibility and options for queer folk, just as it does for any straight person. 

What’s the Best Transgender Dating App?

Our top picks for transgender dating apps are Transdr and Butterfly. Transdr offers a broad and inclusive environment for transgender and gender nonconforming people including FTM, MTF, and nonbinary people. The app also has manual account verification to flag any fake profile problems and to make the process of signing up simple and secure for members. 

Screenshot of Butterfly
Butterfly is an independently owned dating site that connects transgender singles.

Butterfly connects both transgender people and those seeking specifically transgender partners. The biggest selling point for the app is that it puts a premium on safety and security, which is a real concern for trans folks of all gender identities. Users have the option to share as much or as little as they like, and content moderation protects against attempts to bully, harass, or blackmail members. 

While several of the apps and dating website options in this list are open to transgender members, Butterfly and Transdr put trans members first.

Queer Dating Sites Offer Inclusive & Nonjudgmental Matches

For LGBTQ+ people, finding a dating website or a dating app that is safe and secure makes a big difference. LGBTQ+ youth can find social networks that work for them, but for adult singles it can be tricky to navigate dating platforms while feeling safe both from physical danger and microaggressions. 

Queer dating sites provide the space, safety, and community to be yourself and find people who want exactly what you have to offer.

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