The 11 best dating apps of 2026: Avoid app fatigue
Read our recent Grindr reviews and Grindr XTRA.
Grindr is THE dating app for gay men. If you’re tired of mainstream apps, Grindr is the perfect place to be yourself. It’s also a great option for those who want to experiment, as Grindr allows users to filter by their sexual preferences, including bisexual men. Keep in mind that Grindr is a very NSFW environment where many guys will hook up. You might meet your soul mate, but that’s usually not what people use it for. And just a warning: Modern Grindr is full of ads and many beloved features are now behind a paywall, so you might consider upgrading to Grindr XTRA.
I chose Grindr because it’s the best gay dating app since 2009 for one simple reason: it’s almost instant. Instead of swiping, the app uses geolocation to show you a grid of nearby men, which is especially useful if you’re in a small town with a limited queer population. While the number of users can be overwhelming, it also means that there is a huge pool of men ready to chat. Most users just looking to hook up will tell you they’re not trying to chat – and that warning can come in the form of a dick pic.
That’s not to say it’s impossible to find a relationship (many men meet their forever person on Grindr), but on the surface, it’s a tool for quick, casual hookups. To make these encounters even faster, the app recently added a live “Map View” for its “Currently” feature, which (if you opt-in) shows who’s available on a real-time map of your area. Don’t worry, it only shows an approximate location, not your exact address. You can adjust your filter to search for “dates,” but don’t be surprised when your options narrow down significantly.
If you have a lot of money to spend, the app is also testing a new ultra-premium tier called “EDGE” in select cities. It uses an AI stack called “gAI” to provide you with daily “A-List” recaps of missed connections and meaningful chats, but the price is currently randomized in testing, ranging from $80 per week to $500 per month.
Grindr Safety and Security Features
Grindr’s security model is based on user privacy and discretion. You can hide your distance from the grid (although you’ll still be sorted by location) and even change your phone’s app icon to something unobtrusive. The app also offers a PIN feature to lock the app. Grindr’s moderation team, which includes members of the LGBTQ+ community, uses a mix of AI and human review to ban users for harassment, hate speech, or promoting illegal activity. However, unlike apps like Hinge, Grindr’s guidelines are more relaxed when it comes to content: pornographic content is only banned from public profiles, and you can send expired photos in chats. You must be 18 and over to use the app, and they will block profiles suspected of being underage until they can provide identity verification.
