18+ · Gay & bi men · Every fact sourced
Grindr, Scruff, Jack'd and the paid sites, without the sales pitch.
What each app costs, how many men are really on it, which ones leaked photos or sold data, and which "dating sites" fill their inboxes with staff. Read this before you hand over your location, your photos or your card.
What we compare, and how
Real men nearby
User numbers from company filings where they exist. A site that publishes none, or whose terms admit to staff-run profiles, says so here.
Privacy record
Breaches, regulator fines and lawsuits over location and health data. On a gay app, a leak can out someone.
Cost and renewals
US App Store prices for the apps; for the paid sites, how trials convert, what renews and what's refundable.
Safety tools
Age and photo checks, distance hiding, blocking, and how the app has been misused for robbery setups.
Honest dealing
Who runs it, whether its terms name the company, and whether anyone is paid to talk to you.
Eight platforms, side by side
The first three are free apps where men actually meet; the next two are paid sites (read their reviews before paying); the last three are cam sites, which are paid entertainment, not dating. The order is not a ranking, but if you only try one thing, try the free apps first. Our guide to the best gay dating apps helps you pick, and is Grindr safe? covers the privacy settings to change on day one.
Affiliate disclosure: some links to the platforms on MeetGays.now may earn us a commission if you sign up or pay. It never costs you more, and no platform pays to be listed or to change what we write. How we rate
| Platform | Best for | Cost | Verification | Privacy record | Bots & regulators | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GrindrLocation-based app for gay, bi, trans and queer people | Volume. The most gay and bi men near you, for dates, hookups or just a chat. | Free; XTRA ~$15-23, Unlimited ~$28-45 | Age checks in UK; no photo check | Fined NOK 65M; UK suit settled £26M | Used to set up robberies | |
 ScruffGay dating and hookup app, strong on travel and events | Guys who want a slightly older, more relaxed crowd, and anyone who travels. | Free; Scruff Pro ~$10-40 | No published photo check | No major breach found | No regulator action found | |
 Jack'dGay and bi dating app, popular with men of color | Black, Latino and Asian gay and bi men who want an app where they're the majority, not a filter. | Free; Pro ~$10-22/mo | No published photo check | 2019: private photos exposed | No regulator action found | |
 GayBloomPaid gay dating and hookup site | Men who want a paid site with moderation and don't mind promotional profiles in the mix. | Paid subscription; auto-renews | Photo moderation; age checks | French company; no breach found | Partner profiles; AI images on site | |
 ManFinderSign-up page that passes you to a partner dating site | Almost nobody: it's a sign-up page that hands you to a site it doesn't name. | Set by the site you land on | Depends on the partner site | Your details go to a third party | Destination not disclosed upfront | |
 XLoveGayGay cam site (XLoveCam's men's section) | Watching and chatting with male cam performers, with a prepaid wallet you control. | Prepaid wallet; performer-set rates | Performer ID required | No major breach found | No regulator action found | |
 Royal Cams GayGay cam site with free public chat | Free public cam chat with male performers before you decide to spend anything. | Free chat; tokens for private | Performers say they're 18+ | Operator name left blank | No regulator action found | |
 Stripchat (gay cams)Cam site; men's category | The biggest choice of male performers, free to watch, tokens only if you tip or go private. | Free to watch; tokens for shows | Performer ID checks (EU-regulated) | No major breach found | EU DSA rulings (Oct 2026) |
Facts last checked November 2026. Each platform's review page lists the sources.
Three numbers worth knowing
51% of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in the US have used a dating site or app, against 28% of straight adults.
NOK 65M is what Norway fined Grindr for sharing user data with ad partners without valid consent, upheld on appeal in 2025.
$240K is what Jack'd's former owner paid New York for leaving users' private photos open to anyone.
Sources: Pew Research Center, 2023; Norwegian Consumer Council, 2025; New York Attorney General, 2019. What to do about it: our privacy guide.