Joining an LGBTQ+ dating site for the first time is like jumping into the unknown. It’s like standing on a diving board high above the deep end and willing yourself to move forward. You could impress everyone by executing the perfect dive. Or you could belly-flop.
It can be scary to take that step and risk a painful or embarrassing outcome, but the right dating pool can help you feel comfortable plunging in and making waves.
We’ve picked our favorite LGBT-friendly dating sites to give singles the best possible start in a new dating environment. Whether you’re looking for a hookup or a relationship, you can use one of these popular dating sites to meet people who share common interests, goals, and backgrounds.
Top LGBT Dating Sites (#1-2)
We always start our best-of lists with the cream of the crop to save our readers a lot of scrolling and skimming. You want an overall excellent dating site with proven features and a reputable history? Then look no further. The following two dating platforms can introduce LGBTQ+ singles to the person of their dreams.
Match
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Match is our pick for the best dating site for LGBTQ+ singles. Its efficient matchmaking system specializes in identifying personal compatibility and directing singles toward dates with long-term potential. Match has tens of millions of users across 24 countries, so someone online is bound to strike your fancy.
Match began as a straight-laced online dating website in 1995, but times have changed and so has the platform’s vast singles network. This general dating site welcomes daters of all orientations, and it doesn’t require you to choose a label and out yourself when creating a profile.
2. Tinder
Tinder needs no introduction. No, it’s not technically a dating site, but it is one of the most popular dating apps in the world, so we figure it deserves a spot at the top of this list of LGBTQ+ dating platforms.
Since 2012, Tinder has facilitated over 100 billion matches in more than 190 countries. What’s more, the Tinder team estimates that it is responsible for more than 1.5 million dates per week. Plus, Tinder offers more than 50 gender identities and nine sexual orientation options, and it has created over 80 million matches for queer folks worldwide.
Now with the motto, “Single is a terrible thing to waste,” Tinder is embracing the single lifestyle and encouraging its members to explore every avenue for romance before settling down. You can join this Swipe Life by downloading Tinder for free on iTunes or Google Play.
Top LGBT Dating “Apps” (#3)
Apps are the way of the future. People love the convenience of ordering snacks, paying bills, playing games, listening to podcasts, and finding local dates from their phones. Mobile dating has opened up a world of possibilities for singles on the go. Now they can move freely throughout the online dating scene and stay connected wherever they go.
3. OkCupid
OkCupid began as a thought experiment among four Harvard students. They wanted to see if they could create a formula for love, and so they began collecting data through in-depth personality quizzes. By 2004, their efforts had snowballed into a dating site like no other. The dating site transformed into a dating app in 2012, and the rest is history.
Today, OkCupid facilitates over 91 million connections a year by using its questions section (as well as profile information) to calculate overall compatibility and identify specific areas where singles align with one another. This intelligent system makes it easy to find someone who fits seamlessly into your lifestyle.
Since 2014, OkCupid has given its members the freedom to choose from over 22 gender options and 13 orientation options when creating a profile. This has gratified online daters in the LGBTQ+ community, which can feel overlooked or neglected by large, general dating platforms.
Top “Free” LGBT Dating Sites (#4-5)
Let’s talk dollars and cents for a second. Not everyone has money to burn on subscription fees, virtual gifts, extra perks, and a premium online dating experience. Dating is expensive enough without paying for the privilege of sending a message to your crush. If you want to get the most bang for your buck online, we recommend trying the following cost-effective dating sites.
Match
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Since 1995, Match has positioned itself as the dating site for everyone, and it welcomes free members of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds. Anyone can create a Match profile for free and use the site’s advanced search filters and match suggestions to discover compatible dates.
If you see someone you like, you can like or favorite the profile for free, but you’ll have to upgrade your account to send or receive messages. Match’s premium features are well worth the money, and the site offers an I-Met-Someone Guarantee for all six-month subscription plans.
5. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish promises a completely free dating experience for all its members. You don’t have to pay to sign up, browse profiles, or send messages. POF members send over 1 billion messages a month, and they don’t have to pay a cent to do it.
Plenty of Fish is completely free, but it still offers a lot of value to LGBTQ+ daters. The site uses a five-dimension personality assessment to identify chemistry between singles. It measures self-confidence, family orientation, self-control, social dependency, and agreeableness in an introductory questionnaire, and your answers become the foundation for every match recommendation and compatibility rating.
Over 37 million people have taken the POF personality assessment, and their answers have informed and improved the matching system.
Top “Black” LGBT Dating Sites (#6-7)
Finding a minority group within a minority group is even harder than finding a metaphorical needle in a haystack. Because not every haystack is going to have the specific rainbow needle you’re looking for. Black singles in the LGBTQ community can often grow frustrated in straight-dominated or white-dominated dating scenes, and that’s where the search filters on niche dating sites can come in handy and save singles a lot of time.
- Relationships: Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates
- Match System: Search by location, age, more
- Our Experts Say: BlackPeopleMeet is one of our favorites for black and biracial lesbian singles because it's free to try. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
BlackPeopleMeet is a Black dating site where singles can identify as a man seeking a man or a woman seeking a woman. Bisexual singles can go into their profile settings to change these preferences at any time and get the best of both worlds. The profile doesn’t have a section where singles state their orientations, but you can always add it in the “In a Nutshell” or “I’d Just Like to Add” sections.
As you can undoubtedly tell from its name, BlackPeopleMeet is designed to help Black and biracial singles mingle, date, and build relationships. The dating site accepts singles of all racial backgrounds, but its main appeal is to African-American daters. Since 2002, BlackPeopleMeet has built the largest network of African-American singles in the U.S and Canada.
7. OneScene
OneScene is not a Black-only dating site, but its international LGBTQ+ community offers a whole lot of diversity and good times. The dating site (and its companion apps) offers easy access to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, fluid, questioning, and a rainbow of other singles.
The online support center assists newcomers to the online dating scene with tips on how to update your profile, add photos, block members, and manage the account. This helpful and free dating site can be a great wingman for black singles everywhere.
Top LGBT Sites for “Relationships” (#8)
Casual dating is all well and good, but it’s not for everyone. Some singles are playing for keeps and are interested in dating someone who’s going to stick around for the long haul. These results-oriented daters don’t want to keep swiping for eternity. They want to make a commitment. Their goal is to meet the right person and then delete their dating profiles, and they need a dating platform that understands and supports serious daters.
8. Bumble
Since December 2014, Bumble has positioned itself as the female-friendly alternative to Tinder. Bumble Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd actually left Tinder to found the dating app, and she did so because she believed dating is better when the power is in women’s hands. She empowered women on Bumble to initiate conversations between mutual matches, and the app has been a favorite among the ladies ever since.
Of course, Bumble’s setup presupposes a heterosexual couple, so, when lesbian or gay singles use it, the app works pretty much the same as a regular dating app. Just with more feminists. And fun. And freedom.
To use the words of the about page, “Bumble is more than an app. It’s a movement. We encourage integrity, kindness, equality, confidence, and respect during all stages of any relationship.”
Top LGBT Sites for “Hookups” (#9-10)
Some singles are legit happy being single, and they’re not looking for anything more than a one-night stand or a friend with benefits. The typical dating site may not satisfy those desires, so we’ve listed a couple more open-ended casual dating sites where LGBTQ+ singles can hit it and quit it.
NaughtyCharm
- Relationships: Hookups, Chats
- Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
- Our Experts Say: Lesbian women love NaughtyCharm for many reasons, including it's large user base, free membership, and extensive search filters.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
NaughtyCharm is a hookup site where flirty singles don’t have to play it coy. Many NaughtyCharm members come right out and say they’re looking for sex, and they post the revealing photos to prove it.
Over 40,000 new singles sign up for NaughtyCharm every week, and 89% find a mutual match on the site.
10. Grindr
In March 2009, Grindr launched the gay dating app to trump all gay dating apps. This male-only app provides easy access to local guys who want to hook up right away. Grindr users tend to move fast, so you could go from “hey, how are you?” to “when should we meet up” in a matter of seconds.
Whether you’re gay, bi, trans, queer, or questioning, you can join Grindr and meet single men who live in your area and want to hook up.
Top “UK” LGBT Dating Sites (#11-12)
The UK has never been so rainbow-colored as it is right now. According to a eruoClinix survey, 13% of British people identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This trend is even more pronounced among young people. The same survey found that 24% of British people between 18 to 24 identified themselves as part of the LGBT community.
If you count yourself among this group, you can find plenty of support and date prospects on the following UK dating sites.
Match
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Once again, Match is just unbeatable in the dating scene. It has been around longer than any other site, and it has a strong international presence. Over 1.6 million singles in the UK have met their partners on Match, and we expect that number to only grow as more tech-savvy, LGBTQ-friendly singles come of age.
12. WeLoveDates
The thing we love about WeLoveDates is how flexible it is to the needs and desires of different users. It recognizes that daters don’t all want the same things, and the dating platform creates a positive environment to cater to them all. WeLoveDates got started in the UK and has grown in English-speaking countries worldwide.
WeLoveDates currently has over 1 million members, and it is still rapidly growing through word of mouth. Gay singles can join the WeLoveDates gay dating network, while lesbian singles can join the WeLoveDates lesbian dating network, to find the right match in the UK.
Top “Youth” LGBT Dating Sites (#13-14)
Young people don’t date the same way older people date. The vibe is just different. When you’re young (think 20s or 30s), you’re more likely to play the field, explore your desires, and experiment a little. Young daters are also generally more tech-savvy, so they’re more willing to embrace online dating. Which brings us to this list of youthful dating sites where 20-somethings feel at home.
13. MyLOL
MyLOL is a teens-only dating site and app with an active dating network in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and other English-speaking countries. The dating platform only allows singles between 13 and 18 years old to join, and it promises a safe space for its underage members.
So far, over 300,000 singles have joined MyLOL. Teenagers relish the chance to explore online dating without running into any adults, and they use this trendy social networking site to make friends and practice flirting online.
14. Heaven
The Heaven dating app is a new name in the online dating scene, but it’s already caught the eye of many young LGBTQ+ singles seeking friendship and romance. The membership base is inclusive of every sexual orientation and gender identity, and compatibility checks ensure that queer users can find compatible matches in a hurry.
The online dating app is available for free via Google Play as well as the App Store for iPhone users. After hundreds of reviews, the Heaven app boasts an impressive 4.8-star rating on the App Store. One user comments, “As a gay man, it can be difficult to find a dating app that caters to my needs. But this one hits the nail on the head! The compatibility assessments are a game changer and have helped me connect with some fantastic guys. The interface is user-friendly and the community is active and welcoming. Give it a go and see for yourself!”
What Does LGBTQ Stand For?
We hear this question a lot, and it’s an easy one to answer. “LGBTQ” stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning). It’s the Q, really, that gets people flummoxed. I guess some people were so used to saying “LGBT” that an extra letter really throws them for a loop. Then they hear some people are adding a plus sign to LGBTQ, and it’s all just too much, too fast.
The LGBTQ community has grown to include lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, transexuals, queers, asexuals, allies, and whole bunch of other non-binary and questioning folks. So, yeah, we need more letters. The terminology has to change to reflect the evolution of sexual and gender identity around the world. These labels aren’t static because identity isn’t static. It’s a fluid thing, and it’s probably going to keep growing more complex and nuanced as time goes by.
Are Dating Sites Safe for LGBTQ Singles?
Yes, LGBTQ dating sites are safe — as long as you take reasonable precautions to keep yourself safe. That means don’t plaster your full name, address, and bank account numbers all over the place. Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person. And don’t agree to go on a first date at someone else’s house or apartment.
Match has a basic rundown on how to online date safely, and it recommends reporting any suspicious behavior you encounter online. Pretty much all dating sites and apps allow daters to block and report members who are harassing, bullying, or just creeping them out, so use those tools to protect yourself from the unsavory characters out there.
Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ singles can become targets for abuse on a dating site. In a Travel Gay Asia survey, 35% of gay men reported that they had been harassed by someone online. However, the haters don’t have to get you down. That same survey of 2,000 men found that 65% of online daters felt satisfied or very satisfied by the overall experience on the app.
How Can I Avoid Being Scammed?
You can avoid being scammed online by learning as much as you can about dating sites and using good judgment. Listen to your instincts, and be wary of anyone who seems too good to be true. Scammers prey on people who want to believe they’re falling in love — when they’re really falling for a lie.
You can spot an online dating scam by identifying red flags such as a dating profile without any pictures. Some dating sites have verification tools that build trust between users by authenticating personal information and profile pictures. For instance, Zoosk has an opt-in photo verification system that allows users to take a selfie to prove they actually look like their photos. Zoosk puts a Photo Verified badge on the profiles that choose this option.
LGBTQ singles need not fear the online dating scene. It’s just like meeting someone at the club or at a sporting event. A small minority of people may say nasty things or try to cheat you, but so many more people are sincere, kind, and worth getting to know. Use your best judgment when searching for a date online, and you shouldn’t have anything to fear from the few scammers and spammers out there.
Make a Big Splash on LGBT Dating Sites
Online dating may seem intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but all it takes is a little practice to perfect your technique and become a pro. Even if you hesitate or stumble at first, you can learn from those experiences and try again later. That’s how you grow.
Hopefully, our list of the best LGBT dating sites can help singles get off to a promising start and meet people who share their interests and meet their standards. Whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual, or none of the above, you can up your odds of finding romance by joining a popular dating site with a history of success. Any of the sites (and apps) on this list meet those requirements — now all you have to do is choose the one that best fits your personal needs, relationship goals, and budget. Good luck!
