SCRUFF alternatives for gay, bi, trans and queer people
Grindr is the nearest of the SCRUFF alternatives: it shows the same kind of nearby grid, and its free list includes chat, which SCRUFF's pages do not confirm. Feeld and HER cover couples and queer women, non-binary and trans people.
At a glance
- Grindr has the same nearby-grid design, chat in its free list and a web version. Lowest listed price USD 14.99 (XTRA) on the US App Store, period not stated.
- SCRUFF Pro is listed at seven amounts on the US App Store, USD 9.99 to USD 119.99, and the listing states no period. Whether a free SCRUFF account can message is not confirmed.
- Free messaging is confirmed for Grindr, Feeld and HER. HER says its core features are free.
- Hornet, Taimi and Sniffies are covered without prices. Amounts quoted are iPhone App Store rows, and Google Play and web pricing is not covered.
Why people look for SCRUFF alternatives
Price comes first, and it is hard to read. SCRUFF Pro shows up on the US App Store as USD 9.99, 12.99, 14.99, 16.99, 19.99, 39.99 and 119.99, and the listing states a period for none of them, so no amount can be called monthly or yearly. On the same US App Store list, Browsing Pro is USD 3.99 and Messaging Pro is USD 4.99, although the homepage names only SCRUFF Pro. The UK App Store lists Browsing Pro at GBP 2.99, Messaging Pro at GBP 3.99 and eight SCRUFF Pro amounts from GBP 6.99 to GBP 59.99. The SCRUFF price page has the rows by country.
What a free account can do is the larger gap. The free tier is what the terms call the Standard Service. The homepage list for SCRUFF Pro is long: opening private albums without a limit, complete message history, unlimited media collections, up to 1,000 nearby members, more search filters, no fullscreen ads, an unlimited inbox, unlimited looks history and read receipts. The pages checked do not say whether free accounts can exchange messages, whether video chat or travel browsing need Pro, or whether a free trial exists.
Privacy tools are paid as well. Stealth mode and "Browse anonymously" are both listed as SCRUFF Pro features. The privacy policy says SCRUFF collects location, with consent, "through GPS, Wi-Fi and/or cellular technology", and whether the distance shown to other members is exact or rounded is not stated.
Platforms narrow the field too. SCRUFF has an iPhone and iPad app and an Android app with 10M+ downloads on Google Play, and the homepage offers "Get the app" and "Sideload the APK". No web sign-in was found. Dating apps for LGBTQ+ people sorts the wider field by audience.
Chat in the free list and a larger install base
Grindr: Free chat, private photos and a web version
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 14.99 (US, App Store)
Among apps like SCRUFF, Grindr is the one that answers the question SCRUFF's pages leave open. A free Grindr account includes chat, private photos and albums, and the nearby grid, plus tags, basic filters and favorites. XTRA and Unlimited are the accounts without third-party ads. Grid size is a paid lever: XTRA shows up to 600 profiles together, below SCRUFF Pro's "up to 1,000 nearby members", and Unlimited shows unlimited profiles. The Google Play package shows 50M+ downloads against SCRUFF's 10M+, and the iPhone listing shows 390K ratings.
Grindr's terms state "We do not verify users", where SCRUFF has an optional selfie badge. A web version exists. The lowest US App Store row is XTRA at USD 14.99, and the XTRA and Unlimited rows carry no period. For the feature-by-feature view, read SCRUFF vs Grindr.
Hornet, Taimi and Sniffies
Hornet is the closest match to SCRUFF's feed on paper: it pairs a nearby grid with a social feed, hashtags, filters and video chat. The seller is Queer Networks Inc., Google Play shows 10M+ downloads, and the About page says "Hornet is available on iOS, Android, and the Web." Its App Store listing is absent from four of the 45 storefronts checked: Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.
Taimi is aimed at LGBTQ+ adults of any identity who want dating, friendship or casual chat in one app. Its Google Play title is "Taimi: LGBTQ+ Dating & Meet Up", with 10M+ downloads, and its App Store listing is absent from three of the 45 storefronts checked: Turkey, the UAE and Malaysia. The minimum age is 18 in its terms.
Sniffies is the odd one out. The site's own word is cruising and it never says hookup. It is a browser map of nearby people and local spots, with an anonymous way in. The landing page states an over-18 requirement for entry. Whether any native app exists is not settled in the pages checked. Prices for the three are not covered.
Couples and open relationships
Feeld: Free messaging and stated desires
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 29.99 (US, App Store)
SCRUFF's pages do not mention open relationships, and the homepage has a "Partner" profile tag. Feeld is written around the topic: Google Play says "Meet as a single, a couple, or link profiles with a partner". The pages describe Feeld as inclusive of LGBTQ+ people and open to all genders, with an LGBTQ focus not confirmed. Our open relationship app ranking covers more apps for this need.
Free accounts can send messages, per the Majestic page FAQ, so the chat question has an answer here. Paying for Majestic brings who-likes-you, Unlimited Likes, a free Ping each day, Incognito (the profile stays out of the feed until you Like someone), private photos, and Desires and Last Seen filters. SCRUFF's store listings name private albums, and Pro lists no limit on opening them. Photo verification is optional.
The lowest US App Store row is USD 29.99 for 30 days. On the UK App Store the Feeld Subscription is GBP 17.99 for 30 days and GBP 30.99 for 90 days. A web version is not confirmed.
Queer women, non-binary and trans people
HER: Events, communities and a free feed
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 14.99 (US, App Store)
HER is aimed at a different group: queer women, non-binary and trans people. Its free list covers events, communities and the Feed, the nearest match to SCRUFF's Explore feed of Moments, events and cities, next to adding friends, liking, matching and chatting. Free accounts see ads and get daily swipes. The homepage promises that the core features stay free.
The iPhone listing comes from Bloomer Inc and shows about 66K ratings, and Google Play shows 5M+ downloads. Incognito Mode belongs to Premium. On the US App Store, HER Premium is USD 14.99, HER Gold is USD 14.99 and HER Platinum is USD 19.99, 24.99, 29.99 or 31.99, with no period stated; the lowest UK row is GBP 7.99. The App Store listing is absent from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia storefronts.
How the four compare
Across these SCRUFF alternatives, lowest listed prices on the US App Store span USD 3.99 for SCRUFF's Browsing Pro to USD 29.99 for Feeld's 30 days, and only Feeld's row carries a period. Private photos are confirmed for SCRUFF, Grindr and Feeld, while HER's pages checked do not mention them.
SCRUFF
- Main intentlgbtq
- Free planFree to download. The terms call it the 'Standard Service ... free for use' and the paid version the Pro...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 3.99, Browsing Pro
- Private photosYes
- Web versionNot confirmed
- Store age ratingApp Store 18+, Google Play Mature 17+
Grindr
- Main intentlgbtq
- Free planFree to download. A free account shows nearby users, chat, private photos and albums, tags and basic...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 14.99, XTRA
- Private photosYes
- Web versionYes
- Store age ratingApp Store 18+; Google Play Mature 17+
Feeld
- Main intentsex-positive
- Free planFree to download and use.
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 29.99, Majestic Membership
- Private photosYes
- Web versionNot confirmed
- Store age ratingApp Store 18+; Google Play Mature 17+
HER
- Main intentlgbtq
- Free planCore features are free: add friends, view profiles, start chats, like and match, view events, join...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 14.99, HER Premium
- Private photosNot confirmed
- Web versionNot confirmed
- Store age ratingApp Store 18+; Google Play Mature 17+
FAQ
Which SCRUFF alternatives have confirmed free messaging?
Grindr, Feeld and HER. Grindr lists chat in its base free features, the Feeld Majestic FAQ says free accounts can send messages, and HER's Premium page says liking, matching and messaging cost nothing. For SCRUFF, the listing says "View, Woof, and chat with people", and no source says whether chat is free.
How does SCRUFF Pro cost compare with the alternatives?
On the US App Store the lowest rows are USD 3.99 for SCRUFF Browsing Pro, USD 14.99 for Grindr XTRA, USD 14.99 for HER Gold and Premium, and USD 29.99 for 30 days of Feeld. Only Feeld's row states a period, so the amounts are not like for like. Google Play and web prices are not covered.
Which alternatives name casual intent?
Feeld does, with "Casual play and fun" among its Looking for options, although its FAQ declines the hookup label. SCRUFF's own homepage shows a "Random play/NSA" profile tag. Grindr's listing says people meet for "whatever else you're looking for" and never names casual dating, and HER's pages do not name it. See best hookup apps for apps that do.
Do the alternatives verify profiles?
Feeld and HER list profile verification, and Feeld's photo verification is optional. SCRUFF has optional selfie verification with a badge. Grindr's terms say it does not verify users. The profile verification list compares more apps.