Grindr Review, Updated 2024

Published: August 9, 2021
Updated: August 17, 2023
Grindr logo on a phone

There are so many different dating apps to choose from these days that it can be hard to know which ones to try. Some apps try to cater to everyone, whereas others focus on specific sexualities. 

The Grindr app was originally created to be a gay dating app for men, but now labels itself as “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.”.

If you’re thinking of giving Grindr a try, check out our review below to see if it might be a good fit for you. 

selfie of two men with a gay pride flag

Table of contents [ Show Hide ]

👍Pros & Cons of Grindr👎

Pros

Cons

Alternatives to Grindr

Here you will find apps like Grindr to find hookups or just chat and flirt with a stranger, we also considered straight people and lesbians.

🆓Membership structure

The exact user ratio on Grindr is largely unknown, and some of the statistics we were able to find are a few years old. 

Free services

Luckily, if you aren’t interested in paying for Grindr, there is a list of features available to you that many other apps don’t offer without a fee.

Paid services

Of course, if you’re paying for a dating app there are extra features that come along with it. There are two different paid tiers, the smaller version is called XTRA, and the highest tier is Unlimited. Some of the paid features include:

asian male couple in pajamas

💰Membership prices

Some people might be fine without the premium features, but there’s no doubt that it can make a huge difference to not only be able to avoid ads, but also being able to use some interesting features such as chatting with users worldwide. If you’re thinking of signing up for a subscription, we’ll break down some of the pricing for you. 

Grindr subscriptions can be charged at an interval of monthly, 3 months, 6 months, or yearly. 

 Monthly3 Months6 MonthsYearly
Grindr XTRA$19.99$39.99$66.99$99.99
Grindr Unlimited$50XX$300

(Prices in USD)

Our recommendation for a paid subscription if you are new to the app would be Grindr XTRA. Not only is it cheaper and offers more flexibility with payment frequency, but it has most features that you would need. The biggest upgrade that Unlimited offers is the option to go “Incognito”, which allows you to appear offline while you browse profiles.

Payment for Grindr XTRA and Unlimited is made through either your Apple ID or Google Play account which is attached to whatever payment method you attach to your app store, which is generally a credit card.  

How to reduce costs

Grindr offers a 7 day free trial of Grindr XTRA before it charges to your account for the full subscription amount. It allows enough time to try out the features, but the downside is that Grindr XTRA is the smaller paid tier and doesn’t offer a free trial for Grindr Unlimited.

✍️Registration

Setting up your account on Grindr is simple and user-friendly, but we will break down the main steps below. It should take no more than 5 minutes!

  1. Download the app to your iOS or Android device.
  2. When you open the app, tap “Sign Up” and accept both the terms and conditions and privacy policy if you agree to them.
  3. You can use either your Facebook, Google account, Apple ID, or email to make your Grindr account. For Facebook, choose that option and allow Facebook access to login through Grindr. There are similar steps with Google and Apple ID. With email, type in your email and create a password.
  4. After choosing your registration method, you’re all set and ready to log in!
Grindr landing page

User friendliness

The original version of Grindr is the mobile app, but they have also recently developed a website version that you can use from your desktop. The most interesting thing about the website is the discreet design. The layout is similar to Google Docs, with each profile hidden behind an icon of a folder that needs to be hovered over to see the user’s photo. 

A few of the benefits of using the desktop version is larger photo sizes due to the larger screen size of a computer, and the ability to have multiple chat windows on the same page. 

The app version is not as discreet and doesn’t hide profile pictures, but it’s also easy to use with a simple design. Besides the possibility of ads showing up in the free version, there are no overwhelming icons or buttons.

🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ+ inclusivity

In recent years, Grindr has started to advertise itself to be welcoming of everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. One thing to keep in mind is that most users identify as men, as that is part of the reputation of the app, but everyone is now welcome to join. 

There are also a variety of gender identity and pronoun options to choose from. Gender identity options include terms such as cis man, trans man, trans woman, woman, and non-binary. Pronoun options are he, she, or they. For both gender and pronouns, you can also put in your own custom terms.

💌Contacting users

Unlike other dating apps, Grindr allows users to message each other without needing to match with them first. Also, the basic messaging feature is available for free. Through the chat feature, you can send text, image, and video messages as well as Gaymojis. If you have a paid subscription, you can use “Saved Phrases” to send small, quick messages in the chat. 

If you’re not interested in messaging someone first, Grindr also has a “tap” feature that you can click on to notify that user that you’re interested in them, and they might reach out to you if they’re also interested. 

someone holding a smartphone with grindr in the app store

🙋FAQ

Do I need to be 18 to use Grindr?

Is Grindr only for gay people?

Is Grindr safe?

What is Grindr doing to combat racism?

How can I delete my account?

Our thoughts

Is Grindr worth trying out? Ultimately, it may slightly depend on how you identify and what you’re looking for. Although Grindr has opened its arms to the greater LGBTQ+ community, the majority of its users remain as cis men. Grindr is also generally an app with people that are more focused on finding hookups rather than long-term relationships. 

However, the app is easy to use and has a number of free features that make it possible to find matches without being forced into a subscription. Then, if you decide to upgrade into a paid subscription, there are several extra features that become available to you. 

Overall, we hope that this article has given you enough information to make the decision on whether or not you would like to give Grindr a try. 

ℹ️ Company info

The Grindr dating app was created in 2009 by Grindr LLC for gay men. Now, Grindr is considered the largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people. 

Grindr LLC

750 N San Vicente Blvd West Hollywood

CA 90069

(310) 776-6695