SCRUFF review: free features, SCRUFF Pro, privacy and safety

What SCRUFF is

SCRUFF is a dating and chat app run by Perry Street Software, Inc., the company named in Section 1 of its Terms of Service. The App Store listing opens with its own pitch: "SCRUFF is the top-rated and most reliable app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people to connect with each other. SCRUFF is an independent, LGBTQ+ owned and operated company, and we use the app that we build." Top-rated is the company's word for itself.

Official pages give two member counts. The homepage says "Join 40M+ members", and the App Store and Google Play descriptions say "30+ million users, no spambots." Both count registered accounts and neither is verified, so neither says how many people are active. No gender ratio or age split is published.

Who SCRUFF is for

The audience is named early and repeated. The homepage invites people to "connect with gay, bi, trans and queer guys," and the Dating Safety Policy speaks of "our global lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) community." Profiles carry pronoun and gender options, and the Explore feed lists LGBTQ events and prides.

For men in that group who want local chat, city browsing before a trip and community events, that is the pitch. A reader choosing between SCRUFF and a better-known rival can start with Grindr vs SCRUFF, and the Apps built for LGBTQ+ users sorts the wider field.

Dating or hookup

SCRUFF places itself by community first and intent second. The homepage shows four profile tags beside its "Make your move" button: Random play/NSA, Guy next door, Partner and Visiting now. No official page calls SCRUFF a hookup app, and none declines the label.

The casual side has some backing in the paperwork. The Terms of Service preamble says that using the service constitutes "express consent," as defined by law, for sexually explicit visual material sent between members. The relationship side is thinner: a Partner tag exists, yet nothing positions the app around relationships. For a search on hookup apps or sex apps, SCRUFF qualifies through the casual tag and the terms, since the company makes no claim of its own. The mechanics of the category are in how these apps work.

Matching and messaging

Browsing comes first. Members look through nearby profiles and chat, and SCRUFF Match adds a new 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. A Woof is a lightweight hello. The Explore feed carries Moments, events and cities; Moments are photos and videos posted to an audience or neighborhood, and the member chooses who sees them and "when it is gone."

SCRUFF Pro adds complete message history, an unlimited inbox, read receipts, and sending and receiving videos. Whether two free accounts can message without limits is the open question: the listing says "View, Woof, and chat with people", but no source says what the free inbox allows. Video chat is confirmed in both store listings ("A fun and flirty way to get to know each other before you meet"), and which plan includes it is not stated. Voice messages and group chat are not confirmed, and disappearing chat messages are not described, since only Moments are time-limited.

Search and filters

The store listings promise "Find exactly the people you like with search and filters." The homepage then puts "More search filters" under SCRUFF Pro, along with "Up to 1,000 nearby members." The free filter set is not described, so the gap between free and paid cannot be measured. Other apps with this feature are under advanced filters.

Location and travel

With consent, the privacy policy says, SCRUFF collects location "through GPS, Wi-Fi and/or cellular technology" and stores the last known location. Distance shows on profiles by default, and a feature hides it or changes its accuracy; whether the shown distance is exact is not stated. The policy adds a warning: "sophisticated users who use the Service in an unauthorized manner may nevertheless be able to determine your geographic location."

Travel browsing has a name, SCRUFF Venture, and the help center lists over 500 destinations. The homepage says "SCRUFF lets you explore other cities so you can chat with locals, plan meet-ups, and see what's happening before you arrive." Which plan allows it is not stated. The pages on apps that let you set another city and dating apps that match by location show how other apps handle both.

Privacy and stealth mode

Stealth mode and Browse anonymously both sit under SCRUFF Pro on the homepage, so the two tools that hide how you browse are paid. The Dating Safety Policy also names hiding your profile, an app passcode and, where supported, a discreet app icon among member controls; which of those need Pro is not stated. Private albums appear in the store listings, and unlimited access to them is a Pro feature, which implies a free limit the sources do not state.

The privacy policy (last revised October 6, 2026) says Perry Street Software collects profile details, device and advertising identifiers, and location. Gender identity, health details and HIV status are collected only if a member provides them, under a separate Consumer Health Data notice. Data is hosted in the United States. On ads, the policy says they can be shown on the service and that Perry Street advertises on other sites through display partners. The store listings say "We never share your data with 3rd party ad networks or data aggregators like Google or Facebook," and Google Play shows "Contains ads." How those statements fit together is not confirmed. Context sits in dating app privacy, the private dating apps compared and the list of apps with incognito mode.

Verification and safety

Selfie verification is optional and earns a badge. The store listings say "Let others know you're real by verifying your profile photos," and the Dating Safety Policy says the check uses face matching. Members may be asked for a live-camera selfie when an account looks inauthentic or under 18. The policy sets the limits itself: the badge "is not a background check, an identity-document check, or a guarantee." Block, mute and report are reachable from any profile or chat, appeals are reviewed by a Trust & Safety person, and the store listings mention 24/7 support. Profile checks on other apps are under apps that check photos.

One safety item is specific to this audience. The Dating Safety Policy, last revised October 6, 2026, lists travel safety warnings for countries where LGBTQ+ people face heightened legal or physical risk. The sources read name no countries and no laws, so this page states none. General cautions are in are hookup apps safe and how to spot a fake profile.

Free version

Section 8 of the Terms of Service calls the free tier the "Standard Service" and says it is "free for use," with additional fees for the Pro Version. Its limits are not stated and show only by implication, in the homepage list of what SCRUFF Pro adds: unlimited private album access, complete message history, unlimited media collections, up to 1,000 nearby members, stealth mode, browse anonymously, more search filters, no fullscreen ads, an unlimited inbox, unlimited looks history, read receipts, and sending and receiving videos.

"No fullscreen ads" on that list implies free accounts see them, which fits the "Contains ads" flag on Google Play. Free apps for the same purpose are compared in free hookup apps and dating apps you can use without paying.

Pricing

Prices come from iPhone App Store listings checked on November 5, 2026. The lowest listed row on the US App Store is Browsing Pro at USD 3.99, then Messaging Pro at USD 4.99; the listing gives only those names. SCRUFF Pro is listed at seven prices on the US App Store: USD 9.99, 12.99, 14.99, 16.99, 19.99, 39.99 and 119.99.

The listing text says a subscription is valid for 30 days, 90 days or 1 year, depending on the type, and does not match prices to lengths. On the UK App Store the lowest listed row is Browsing Pro at GBP 2.99, and SCRUFF Pro runs from GBP 6.99 to GBP 59.99. Google Play and web prices are not covered. The full breakdown is on the SCRUFF pricing page.

Cancelling and deleting

On an iPhone, a subscription is cancelled in Settings under Apple ID and Subscriptions, by turning off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the period ends. Perry Street Software says it cannot cancel or refund an iOS subscription, and Section 8 of the terms says cancelling the current subscription is not allowed during the active period. On Android, the help center says subscriptions renew unless cancelled at least 48 hours before the period ends. The general steps are in cancel a dating app subscription.

Cancelling does not close the account, and neither does deleting the app. The terms warn that a profile "may continue to be accessible to others." Permanent deletion is requested through the help center article "Permanently delete my profile": the process begins 30 days after the request and "is not absolute." A deletion with no option for recovery needs a support ticket. More on this topic: deleting an account.

Platforms and age

SCRUFF has an iPhone and iPad app and an Android app on Google Play, which shows 10M+ downloads. The homepage also links a sideload APK, and a web version is not confirmed. Options that skip the install are in dating sites without an app download. The App Store listing was found in 43 of 45 storefronts checked and not in Turkey or Malaysia. No source gives a reason, and none lists a country where SCRUFF is confirmed unavailable.

The minimum age is 18. Section 3 of the terms says "You must be eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater, to use the Service." The App Store shows 18+ and Google Play shows Mature 17+.

Pros and cons

Alternatives

SCRUFF alternatives lists other apps worth weighing. Because the free limits are unpublished, installing the free app is the cheapest way to see them before paying.

SCRUFF review verdict