Grindr alternatives: apps like Grindr, what is free and what each costs
SCRUFF is the closest of the Grindr alternatives on audience and layout, while HER, Feeld and Tinder each answer a different need. Grindr's own lowest listed price is USD 14.99 on the US App Store, with no period stated.
At a glance
- SCRUFF's listings name the same audience as Grindr's (gay, bi, trans and queer people) and it also shows nearby profiles. Lowest listed price USD 3.99 (Browsing Pro) on the US App Store, period not stated.
- Grindr's lowest listed price is USD 14.99 (XTRA) on the US App Store, period not stated. A free account has chat, private photos and third-party ads, and the size of the free grid is not published.
- HER is built for queer women, non-binary and trans people and says its core features are free. Feeld and Tinder draw a wider mix of people.
- Prices come from iPhone App Store listings; Google Play and web prices are not covered. Hornet, Taimi and Sniffies are further options with no price listed.
Why people look for Grindr alternatives
Grindr sells two paid tiers, XTRA and Unlimited, and the US App Store lists more than one amount for each: XTRA at USD 14.99 and USD 22.99, Unlimited at USD 27.99 and USD 44.99. On the same US App Store list, a third row, a Grindr subscription whose tier is not named, is USD 24.99 and USD 27.99 for 1 month. The XTRA and Unlimited rows carry no period. On the UK App Store the XTRA rows run from GBP 9.99 to GBP 15.99, and Unlimited is GBP 24.99 and GBP 39.99. A Boost and an Unlimited Day Pass are sold as add-ons. The Grindr price page has the country detail.
A free account is a working app. The App Store listing puts nearby users, chat, private photos and albums, tags and basic filters, favorites, and block and report in the free list, with third-party ads on every account except XTRA and Unlimited. The limit sits in the grid: XTRA shows up to 600 profiles at once and Unlimited shows unlimited profiles. How many profiles a free grid shows, and whether free accounts have a message limit, are not stated in the pages checked.
Privacy tools sit in the top tier. Incognito mode, which the listing describes as browsing profiles without being seen, belongs to Unlimited. Grindr's terms say the service uses device location to show nearby users and to show you to them, and section 3.2 states "We do not verify users." The terms and privacy policy describe age assurance, and the pages checked describe no optional photo-verification feature. Apps with profile verification have their own list.
The last variable is who else is on the grid. Grindr's listing calls it "the world's #1 free dating app serving the LGBTQ community" and speaks to gay, bi, trans and queer adults. The iPhone listing shows 390K ratings and the Android package 50M+ downloads. Apps like Grindr that are built for queer women, for couples or for everyone put other people on the grid, and the LGBTQ hookup and dating app list sorts the field by audience.
A second grid app for gay, bi, trans and queer people
SCRUFF: A daily match stack and optional selfie verification
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 3.99 (US, App Store)
SCRUFF's App Store and Google Play listings call it "the top-rated and most reliable app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people", which is the audience Grindr names. Members browse nearby profiles and chat. SCRUFF Match adds a daily stack: swipe right if interested, left to pass, or "Ask later" to see the profile again tomorrow. Tapping "I'm Interested" on a profile tells you whether the attraction is mutual, members can Woof, and an Explore feed shows Moments, events and cities. The store description also says SCRUFF is "an independent, LGBTQ+ owned and operated company".
SCRUFF is free to download. Its terms call the free version the Standard Service and the paid one the Pro Version, and the homepage lists what SCRUFF Pro adds: complete message history, up to 1,000 nearby members, stealth mode, more search filters, no fullscreen ads and a lifted limit on opening private albums, among other items. Whether free accounts can exchange messages is not confirmed, which leaves chat as the open question against Grindr's free list. Selfie verification with a badge is optional.
On the US App Store, Browsing Pro is listed at USD 3.99, Messaging Pro at USD 4.99 and SCRUFF Pro at seven amounts from USD 9.99 to USD 119.99, with no period stated in the listing. The UK App Store starts at GBP 2.99 for Browsing Pro. The homepage names only SCRUFF Pro, and no web version was found. Grindr vs SCRUFF sets the two apps side by side.
Queer women, non-binary and trans people
HER: Free core features, communities and events
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 14.99 (US, App Store)
HER's homepage says the app is designed for queer women, non-binary and trans people, and that "All of our core features are free and will remain free." Free covers adding friends, viewing profiles, starting chats, liking and matching, viewing events, joining communities and using the Feed. Ads and daily swipes come with the free app. The Premium page says members can Like, Match and Message "without any cost". Premium adds Incognito Mode ("Browse profiles without a trace") and a Looking For filter whose options include "Monogamous, Poly, New Friends & More".
On the US App Store, HER Gold and HER Premium are each listed at USD 14.99, and HER Platinum at four amounts from USD 19.99 to USD 31.99, with no period stated. On the UK App Store, HER Premium has eight amounts from GBP 7.99 to GBP 139.99. HER lists profile verification (the homepage describes users as "verified and authenticated"), and a web version is not confirmed.
More LGBTQ+ apps, and a map in a browser
Hornet is a gay dating and chat app with a nearby grid, a feed, hashtags, filters and video chat. Its App Store listing calls it "a free gay dating app" and says it is "trusted by over 100 million gay, bi, trans, and queer men worldwide"; the listing does not say what that figure counts. The About page says Hornet runs on iOS, Android and the Web, and the terms set the minimum age at 18.
Taimi describes itself with the headline "The Leading LGBTQ+ Dating App" and as open to the whole LGBTQ+ spectrum, with matching, filters and chat for people of any gender and sexuality. It is published by Social Impact Inc. for iPhone and Android. The taimi.com site is a marketing and blog page with a Get the App button, so a web version is not confirmed.
Sniffies has a different shape: a web app with a real-time map of nearby people and local cruising spots, opened in a browser on any device. The site never uses the word hookup and calls itself a "map-based cruising" app. Its landing page says "You must be over 18 years old to enter". No official Android app was found, and the only source for an iPhone app is a Wikipedia line saying one was released in March 2025. Prices for Hornet, Taimi and Sniffies are not covered.
Open relationships and couples
Feeld: Linked couple profiles and desire tags
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 29.99 (US, App Store)
Feeld is for singles, couples and polyamorous groups, and couples can link their profiles. Its Looking for options include "Casual play and fun" and "Short-term connections", while the FAQ declines the hookup label. It is described as LGBTQ-inclusive and open to all genders, so the audience is mixed. The couples app list and the open relationship app picks cover the same ground with more apps.
Free accounts can connect with others, explore profiles and send messages. The paid Majestic Membership adds who-likes-you, Unlimited Likes, one free Ping a day, Incognito, private photos and filters by Desires and Last Seen. Grindr puts private photos in its free list and Feeld puts them in Majestic. Photo verification is optional, and a web version is not confirmed.
The lowest listed price on the US App Store is USD 29.99 for 30 days, with USD 49.99 for 90 days and USD 149.99 for a Majestic year. The UK App Store lists the Majestic year at GBP 99.99.
Tinder, for the largest pool
Tinder: Mixed intent and a free tier that chats
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 9.99 (US, App Store)
Google Play says Tinder helps you "find a date, a serious relationship, or meet new friends", and the pages checked do not address LGBTQ+ users in particular. Two people can chat once both have liked each other. Free accounts can send Likes, match and chat, and subscriptions add unlimited Likes, weekly Super Likes, compliments before a match, unlimited Rewinds and monthly Boosts. The Google Play listing shows 500M+ downloads, the App Store listing appeared in all 45 storefronts checked, and the terms treat Tinder.com as part of the service.
On the US App Store, Tinder Plus is listed at USD 9.99 and Tinder Gold at four amounts from USD 13.99 to USD 24.99, with no period stated. The full side-by-side is in Grindr vs Tinder.
How the five compare
Among the Grindr alternatives, free messaging is confirmed for HER, Feeld and Tinder, and SCRUFF is the exception; Grindr's own free list confirms it too. Grindr's free list holds private photos, while the pages checked for HER and Tinder do not mention them. Prices are the lowest US App Store rows, and most carry no period, so an amount here says little about a month.
Grindr
- Main intentlgbtq
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 14.99, XTRA
- Free messagingYes
- Private photosYes
- Incognito modeYes
- Profile verificationNot confirmed
SCRUFF
- Main intentlgbtq
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 3.99, Browsing Pro
- Free messagingNot confirmed
- Private photosYes
- Incognito modeYes
- Profile verificationYes
HER
- Main intentlgbtq
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 14.99, HER Premium
- Free messagingYes
- Private photosNot confirmed
- Incognito modeYes
- Profile verificationYes
Feeld
- Main intentsex-positive
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 29.99, Majestic Membership
- Free messagingYes
- Private photosYes
- Incognito modeYes
- Profile verificationYes
Tinder
- Main intentmixed
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 9.99, Tinder Plus
- Free messagingYes
- Private photosNot confirmed
- Incognito modeYes
- Profile verificationYes
FAQ
What is the closest app to Grindr?
SCRUFF, on audience and layout: its listings name gay, bi, trans and queer people, it shows nearby members, and it adds a daily match stack and an events feed. The open point is free messaging, which its pages do not confirm. Hornet's pages also describe a nearby grid with chat, a feed and video chat.
Is there a free app like Grindr?
Grindr, SCRUFF, HER, Feeld and Tinder all have a free tier. Free messaging is confirmed for Grindr, HER, Feeld and Tinder, and not for SCRUFF. HER says its core features will stay free, while Feeld and Tinder put unlimited Likes behind a subscription. The wider list is in free dating apps.
Is Grindr listed in every country's App Store?
No. The listing was found in 41 of the 45 storefronts checked and was not listed in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia or Indonesia. Grindr publishes no official country list in the pages checked. Tinder was listed in all 45, SCRUFF in 43 (not Turkey or Malaysia), HER in 42 (not the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Malaysia) and Feeld in 42 (not the Philippines, Malaysia or Hong Kong). These are App Store results only.
Which Grindr alternatives work in a browser?
Sniffies is a web app, Hornet's About page lists the Web, and Tinder's terms treat Tinder.com as part of the service. Grindr has a web version too, and its homepage footnote names XTRA and Unlimited accounts. A web version is not confirmed for SCRUFF, HER, Feeld or Taimi. More are listed under dating sites without an app download.
Which alternatives have an incognito mode?
SCRUFF lists stealth mode and "Browse anonymously" under SCRUFF Pro, HER lists Incognito Mode under Premium, and Feeld lists Incognito mode under Majestic, where it hides your profile in the feed until you Like someone. Tinder's Google Play listing names an Incognito Mode without a tier. Grindr's sits in Unlimited. The incognito mode list compares more apps, and dating app privacy covers data.