Key Takeaways
I’ve tested and reviewed many dating apps, and these are my quick takeaways on Grindr:
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Grindr is a fast-paced swiping app commonly used for hookups.
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If you’re looking for a more serious relationship, I’d recommend trying Match instead.
Dating apps have a lot to offer the LGBTQ+ population, and Grindr is one of the best out there. Here’s our Grindr review with more juicy information. If you’re looking for a hot local date, Grindr has your back.
Grindr has been a big name in the online dating industry for years, and below are our thoughts on the app as well as some other gay-friendly dating apps for you to consider — because you can never have too many options when it comes to finding that perfect match!
Grindr Review | Best Grindr Alternatives
Grindr: Popular But Complaints About Fake Profiles (4.5/5.0 Rating)
Joel Simkhai founded Grindr in 2009, and he served as CEO until January 2018 when he sold the company. Grindr is most commonly known as a hookup app, but the official mission isn’t so raunchy. Here it is straight from the team: “Grindr connects gay men to the world around them, and represents a modern gay lifestyle that brings men together with people, places, and things they care about most.”
Available for iOS and Android devices, Grindr has one of the most active user bases we’ve seen — every day, the app attracts more than 3 million active users, more than 228 million messages and 20 million photos are sent, and the average member stays logged in for 54 minutes.
To get started, you’ll enter some basic details, including your email, username, password, age, and sexual interests. The app also lets you choose tribes such as Jock, Otter, Twink, or Bear.
The most popular aspect of Grindr is its location-based matching — it was among the first dating apps to offer this. You’ll be presented with the profiles of men who are in your area, and you can swipe right if you like them or swipe left if you don’t. If you want to see different match results, adjust your search filters. Grindr also allows you to chat, share photos, favorite compatible members, and block suspicious members.
All of these features are 100% free, but you have the option to upgrade your basic account to a GrindrX account. It allows you to do more things like see more profiles a day, swipe in different cities, and use advanced filters for things like religion and politics.
Grindr isn’t just about dating either — the team behind the app cares deeply about improving the LGBTQ+ community. Grindr for Equality is a branch of the app that promotes justice for LGBTQ individuals — as well as informs people around the world about issues they face. Some of Grindr for Equality’s initiatives include Get the Gay Vote Out and PrEP Education.
In 2020, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Grindr announced that it would remove race and ethnicity as a search filter option in the gay dating app. Men can no longer racially profile their dates on Grindr, but they can still search by age, height, weight, looking for, photos only, and online now.
What Users Say
We’ve read countless user reviews about Grindr, and we found the majority to be positive. David McMurtry and Aaron Ovedur are just a few of them, respectively writing on Google Play: “ONE word AWESOME” and “The app works great. Easy way to connect with other gays. Nice work!”
That said, we also came across plenty of negative reviews, and some were pretty rough. The most common complaints centered on profiles that seemed fake and constant ads interrupting the experience — whether you’re browsing, editing your profile, sending photos, or chatting.
Brad G. shared his experience on SiteJabber: “Plenty of bots, fake profiles, useless ads, stupid popups, people using fake pictures or stealing other guys pictures, guys with huge egos, sneaking around their partners, etc. Absolutely pointless and useless app as far as I’m concerned.”
Best Grindr Alternatives
Grindr is definitely worth a look, but if you were at a buffet, you wouldn’t stop at just one dish, right? So why treat dating apps any differently? If you’re looking for a more serious dating scene than Grindr, we recommend trying Match:
Match.com
- Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
- Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
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About the App:
Match is built for browsing rather than swiping. You can search by location, age, and interest, then take your time reading profiles before reaching out. The app is free to download, create a profile, search for date prospects, and receive compatible matches based on personalized preferences. Free members can also chat with select members and send unlimited likes.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
You can get all the necessary features for free on Match. But, if you upgrade, you’ll get unlimited communication with matches and daily match suggestions, and it’ll only cost you about $5.46 a month using this discount.
Other Hookup Sites Similar to Grindr
If you’re looking to expand your options and explore other hookup sites that are similar to Grindr, here are some good recommendations.
MenNation
- Relationships: Daters & Hookups
- Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
- Our Experts Say: “MenNation makes it easy to skip the mixed signals, start flirting, and meet men interested in fun, low-pressure connections.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
MenNation is a gay hookup site where men can send private messages, comment on photos, post nude pics, and watch live video streams. While not every feature is free, the basics are enough to get going and meet sexually active men about town.
- Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dating, Kinky Chats
- Match System: Search by age, location, gender, kinks, and appearance
- Our Experts Say: “KinkyPeopleMeet doesn’t judge anybody for wanting to hook up and try new sex acts. Curious adults come here to find partners with the same proclivities, whether it’s bondage, roleplaying, or polyamory.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
What’s great about KinkyPeopleMeet is that it welcomes all types of kinks and fetishes. Members don’t need to submit much personal information (photos are optional) to join the fray. And it’s free to view profiles, exchange messages, and explore X-rated content.
Grindr Is A Go-To, But It’s Not Alone!
Narrowing down who’s gay and who’s single on your own can be a daunting task, and Grindr has most certainly taken that burden off your shoulders by doing most of the work for you. There are a lot of gay dating apps out there, not just Grindr, so you can always find an alternative.
Since you’re not spending any money, it’s worth testing a lot of different apps out on your own to see which one is the right fit for your needs and lifestyle. We’re confident that the alternatives we’ve listed above will make the cut!
