The best LGBTQ+ dating apps take inspiration from years of development of dating sites and apps to create an inclusive online dating solution for everyone. They offer various methods to find your match and have inclusive features to help you express yourself and find meaningful connections.
These online dating apps will help you whether you’re looking for a long-term relationship or the perfect hookup app. These apps are available on Android tablets, Android phones, and iOS devices and are free to use. However, each offers a premium membership with more functionality. Before you consider a subscription, take a look at our helpful dating app tips.
1 HER
HER is the best app for queer women, trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people. It has one of the most thorough approaches to dating we’ve seen. If you’re not a fan of apps that only ask surface-level questions, HER is for you. It offers a space to elaborate on your sexual identity and gender, so you don’t have to limit yourself to a simple checkbox.
Beyond the dating features, HER offers an LGBT community section where you can hang out and chat with people with similar interests and hobbies. It’s perfect if you’ve moved to a new city and want to meet new people.
HER offers advanced features through its paid HER Premium subscription. This costs $15 a month and allows you to see who’s online, use additional features, and enable incognito mode so no one can see you unless you like them first.
2 SCRUFF
SCRUFF is a dating app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men. It boasts a community of over 15 million users but has a problem with fake profiles. Don’t let this deter you. It’s more than just a dating app. SCRUFF offers a guide to LGBTQ+ events in person and online, so you can quickly and safely meet up with people. Its travel features allow you to connect and chat with guys worldwide.
If the free experience isn’t enough for you, upgrade to Scruff Pro. At $19.99 a month, it’s an expensive subscription, but you’ll unlock additional filters, unlimited messaging, the option to disable ads, and more.
3 Tser
Tser was created by transgender developers and is dedicated to providing a non-judgmental environment for trans women and men. It has a relatively small user base compared to other apps, but you can feel comfortable knowing you’re in an inclusive community. It’s a reasonably simple dating app, making it perfect for your first dating app. A Premium subscription costs $12.99 a month and unlocks extra features.
4 Lex
Lex is an app for nonbinary, transgender, lesbian, bisexual, and queer people to find their match. Rather than prioritizing your best selfies, Lex asks you to write a Craigslist-style personal ad about yourself. You can then browse profiles and reach out to those that interest you. You can filter posts by keywords, so you could use Lex to find a new reading buddy or filter out everyone who doesn’t enjoy hiking. It’s perfect if you’d rather meet people who prioritize serious relationships over hookups.
5 Grindr
Grindr might be known as one of the best gay dating apps, but it’s also an ideal dating platform for bi, trans, and queer people. It offers a traditional dating app experience, so expect a lot of swiping. There are a few useful features, like saving a match for later if you’re unsure. While it advertises itself as a place for the entire LGBTQ+ community, Grindr’s core audience in many cities consists of queer, bisexual, and gay men.
Grindr offers a paid tier, Grindr XTRA. It costs $20 a month, enabling additional features like ad removal, the ability to send multiple photos simultaneously, and more.
6 Hornet
Hornet boasts a user base of over 35 million people, making it one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ dating apps available. Gay, lesbian, bi, trans, non-binary, and queer people are welcome here. Hornet is also part social network. Users can create posts, join groups, and discover events. Connect with people by liking or commenting on their posts or sending a direct message like you would on social media. It’s an app designed for community involvement, so if you’re looking for casual encounters, you might be better off elsewhere.
Hornet’s paid subscription is relatively cheap for a dating app. All ads are removed for $10 a month, and you’ll unlock additional features like read receipts and the ability to see more people at once.
7 Surge
Surge, like Grindr, is a place for gay, bi, trans, and queer men to find potential matches. You’ll connect with people by swiping, and only the people you match with can message you. You can also send a power message to ensure that people will see your message before swiping. While it’s relatively simple for a dating app, it offers several valuable features. For example, you can send temporary photos and edit past decisions. However, a limited number of swipes per day can be frustrating.
Surge’s premium features can be unlocked for $7 a month. This enables many useful features, like the ability to upload photos that only your match can see. You’ll also receive unlimited swipes and advanced filters.
8 Taimi
An all-inclusive dating app designed for LGBTQ+ people, Taimi is perfect whether you’re looking to find love or something serious. While some of its best features are locked behind its premium subscription, there are still plenty of tools to help find the perfect match. Once you’ve matched, you can make video calls, send voice messages, and join group chats if you want an extra sense of community. While it has the potential to be a social app, it doesn’t offer as much functionality as other apps on this list.
Taimi’s premium features are contained within three tiers, ranging from $4.99 per month to $9.99 per month. These tiers include features like Rainbow likes (Super Likes), Rollbacks (change your mind on someone you’ve dismissed), and more.
9 Tinder
While it’s changed a lot since its inception, Tinder still has one of the largest user bases of any dating app. Although it’s not a dedicated LGBTQ+ dating app, there are enough people around to help you find your match.
Tinder has unnecessarily complicated premium subscriptions. Features are locked behind multiple tiers, making it challenging to determine what premium subscription works best for you. We recommend using the free version for as long as possible before considering a subscription.
10 Hinge
Hinge might have a smaller user base than many dating apps, but its straightforward interface and useful premium subscription features make this one of the best dating apps. There are plenty of inclusive features for LGBTQ+ people so that you can customize your profile to your person.
Hinge’s most expensive premium subscription (HingeX) costs $49.99 a month, so we recommend using the free app for a couple of months at least. The cheaper subscription (Hinge+) doesn’t radically change how the app works, so we recommend skipping that.
11 OkCupid
OkCupid has a more intimate approach than most dating apps. It asks you a series of questions and finds matches based on your answers. However, beyond this is just Tinder with extra steps.
OkCupid was one of the earliest dating apps to allow users to highlight pronouns, and it now offers a massive amount of gender identity options for users to select from. This makes the app extremely friendly for LGBTQ+ people, as you’re guaranteed to be able to express yourself perfectly.
Find the dating app that works for you
We included a few above, but the best dating apps are also great places for LGBTQ+ people. While they aren’t specialized, they offer the ability to express yourself how you want and find the people you’re interested in.