Relationships Talk

Gone are the days of having to go out to a crowded bar or expensive club just to meet a cute boy. Now, you can look for love (or even a casual hookup) from the comfort of your couch, no pants required. Gay dating sites and gay dating apps for men have become the norm over the years—but that also means there are too many to keep track of.

When it comes to dating apps, nobody wants to feel overwhelmed by choice or pigeonholed into swiping through Tinder for the thousandth time. Here’s a list of the best gay dating sites to help you on your search for Mr. Right—or at least Mr. Right Now.

The best gay dating sites and gay dating apps for men

1) Grindr

Let’s kick things off with the one app that everyone knows—even straight people! Grindr dubs itself as the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men, but that networking leads to pretty much one thing—sex. Just post a photo, fill out your stats, and wait for those thirsty pick-up lines to start pouring in.

Beyond just scrolling through photos of cute boys and headless torsos, Grindr started its own queer digital magazine called Into. So now you can find a man and brush up on the latest in gay news and pop culture. Grindr is free to join, but you can see more guys and include more filters in your searches when you upgrade to an XTRA account for $19.99 a month.

Cost: Free

XTRA Account Membership Options:

• Monthly access: $19.99/month (with a free 7-day trial)

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2) Adam4Adam

Long before Grindr was a speck in a gay entrepreneur’s eye, Adam4Adam provided a platform for men to meet other men “for friendship, romance, or a hot hookup.” Launched back in 2003, the site stands apart from its competition by providing full access to its entire range of services at no cost at all.

Instead of charging users to upgrade, Adam4Adam makes its money from advertising things like porn sites and drugs for erectile dysfunction. As a one-stop shop, the site also features a section to view live cam shows from handsome models, as well as a sex store to purchase items for when you meet up with the new man of your dreams.

Cost: Free

3) Scruff

When Scruff first launched in 2010, it was meant to be a place for a certain type of bearded gay man to look for hookups (think: more bear, less twink). But since then, it has become a leading dating platform featuring over 12 million users of all types. In addition to the Grindr-style layout that allows you to scroll through pages of potential suitors, the app also features a travel section that helps users get tips about the cities they may be visiting, as well as an events section that highlights upcoming queer activities in your area.

One downside is that the photos that guys send will disappear after a few minutes of chatting unless you pay for a pro account, which is inconvenient seeing as you obviously need to scroll back up and reevaluate what the gents are working with before making any important decisions about meeting them in person. Scruff Pro is available starting at $14.99 per month, though the price goes down if you sign up for a longer subscription.

Cost: Free

Pro Membership Options:

• 1-month access: $14.99
• 3-month access: $13.33/month
• 1-year access: $9.99/month

4) GayFriendFinder

The website GayFriendFinder has actually been around since 1996, and it looks as though the site hasn’t received much of a facelift since then. While the design feels a bit dated and simplistic, it provides a pretty straightforward opportunity to meet men without having to fuss with the many bells and whistles that other sites tout. That lack of keeping up with the times, however, seems to be keeping the site from attracting new users. Most tend to be older gay couples looking for new friends or groups for sex.

It’s also worth noting that at the time we accessed it, the site showed that only eight users total were online. That’s slim pickings compared to the other sites on this list. There’s also very little you can do with a free account, but you can upgrade to a Silver Membership or a Gold Membership.

Cost: Free

Membership Options:

• Silver Membership: $22.99/month
• Gold Membership: $34.99/month

5) OutPersonals

With currently over 1.3 million members, OutPersonals touts itself as the “world’s largest gay dating and hookup site” on the web. Members get features including standard chat, video profiles, webcams, and blogs. And while a free membership allows you to create a profile and start searching, you can’t actually communicate with other members unless you pay.

Upgrading to a Gold Membership also provides you with advanced search capabilities and puts you at the top of search listings. It even comes with a guarantee that you’ll hookup, or you’ll get three months free.

Cost: Free

Membership Options:

• Gold Membership: $29.96/month 

6) ManPlay

ManPlay is another site offering a “hookup guarantee,” as it is certain that users will have success finding the kind of guy they’re looking for while browsing profiles. The site prides itself on diversity, declaring that “whether you’re a gay couple in your 40s looking for a third or a single Asian twink in his 20s,” you’ll be able to find what you need.

Users can browse profiles and photos for free, but you’ll have to upgrade if you want to communicate. A Silver Membership allows you to reply to emails and directly message other members. Take things a step further with a Gold Membership to have your profile highlighted at the top of search results.

Cost: Free

Membership Options:

• Silver Membership: $29.95/month
• Gold Membership: $34.95/month

7) Gaydar

Based in the U.K., Gaydar was first founded in 1999 as a desktop-only website. Ten years later, it upgraded to the world of mobile apps, allowing users even more freedom in finding sexy singles. The site allows the usual one-on-one messaging opportunities, but also provides chat rooms for people looking for a sense of community. There are blogs that feature a variety of topics including dating advice, gay lifestyle articles, and a health and fitness section.

Upgrading to Premium allows members to view who has been peeping their profiles, in addition to unlimited profile views and more powerful filtering tools.

Cost: Free

Premium Membership Options:

• Monthly access: £3 ($3.94)

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8) SilverDaddies

SilverDaddies is a site marketed for mature men and younger guys who are “interested in keeping their daddy happy and/or sexually satisfied.” The site allows users to create their own personal ads and features a rotating gallery of silver foxes and the boys who love them. The site’s design is extremely basic, but that could be a plus for older gentleman who would prefer to skip all the complicated tabs and features that more modern platforms provide.

But be careful not to head to SilverDaddies while you’re at work. Pornographic photos from other members are not only allowed on profiles, but they’re featured prominently on the homepage the moment you arrive. The site is free to use, but contributions to help keep things running are welcomed.

Cost: Free (donations encouraged)

9) Gays

Gays.com provides a platform for guys to search the profiles of like-minded gay men in order to find a date. But in addition to the usual search and chat functions, the site lets you search for Pride events around the world and will match you up with other guys traveling to the same parties.

Gays.com also lets you share your own sexy stories or write about your sexual fantasies in its online open forum, as well as learn more about the queer community through its digital magazine. It also appears to be great for traveling, as it lets you find gay bars, clubs, saunas, and sex parties wherever you are. Best of all, it is completely free to join and you can use most of the site’s features at no additional cost.

Cost: Free

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.