If you are in a hurry and looking for the best dating site for LGBT, we recommend eHarmony LGBT.
Finding a date is exhausting in the real world! If you have tried, you already know. Things become more difficult for LGBTQ people, be it online or offline. Thankfully, there has been an increase in dating sites and apps that provide the LGBTQ+ population with many more chances and options than before. There has been a substantial rise in dating sites—approximately 1500+. According to Market Watch, online dating platforms are the most popular choice for LGBTQ+ singles to look for dates.
Most LGBTQ+ dating sites are about casual hookups and have sexual undertones. It is difficult to narrow down and find an LGBTQ dating site that can help you form genuine connections. If you are looking for a long-term relationship or a like-minded companion, there are only a handful ones where you find a date.
Irrespective of your interest in dating sites for LGBTQ singles, we suggest you scroll ahead and go through our list of the 7 best LGBTQ dating sites. The list accommodates like-minded people from all walks of life and with varied interests. Below is the list of the best LGBT dating apps for men, women, queers and all other sexual orientations.
Top LGBTQ+ Dating Sites and Apps
Relationships: Long term, serious and deep relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 51% male and 49% female*
User Base: 4.2 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 9 million active users worldwide*
User Rating: 4.8/5.0*
eHarmony took a while to be more inclusive to LGBT singles. Initially, the site was designed for straight Christians. The site launched Compatible Partners in 2009 specifically for gay singles. In 2019 eHarmony finally, become an all-gender inclusive dating site. Many believe it is because of the criticism the company faced for not being inclusive.
However, according to the founder, Dr. Neil Warren, the company is not anti-gay. In an interview, Dr. Warren mentioned the main backbone of eHarmony's effective matchmaking system is its algorithm. Since LGBTQ is a different kind of match, they had to make their matchmaking tools more efficient. The tools can now effectively find you a match just like they did for thousands of straight singles.
Special features
- A compatibility test compares 32 profile characteristics to find the ideal match.
- Free dating guidance and assistance from professionals.
- In order to motivate new members, success stories are shared.
- All users receive daily matches in their inbox, and they can choose to move ahead or give it a pass.
- No search features to keep your quest to find the perfect date focused.
- Verified profiles have RelyIdbadge.
- WhatIf feature allows you to get 30 extra matches outside your compatibility match list.
The dating site is great for queer singles looking for serious relationships. Many LGBTQ+ singles claim they found their perfect match; thanks to this premium matchmaking dating site. The site is all about finding a long-term compatible partner. eHarmony is your best gay and lesbian dating site to find someone who is matched according to your life goals, values, beliefs, dreams, and ambitions.
Zoosk
Relationships: Flexible dating, fun & short term dates, serious relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 3.9 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 40 million active users worldwide*
User Rating: 4.7/5.0*
Zoosk is your middle ground between Tinder and eHarmony. The site is perfect for younger gay singles looking for relationships. Anyone who is in their early to mid-20s and tired of casual hookup sites can give this queer-friendly dating app a try. The site has a large growing community of over 30 million users and is spread across over 80 countries.
The site has been all-inclusive since the very start. Singles of any age, race, religion and sexual orientation can join this free LGBTQ dating app and site. However, the site has one drawback; it provides only heteronormative gender, such as males looking for either male or female or females looking for either male or female. Thus, it allows bisexual singles to create two profiles. There is no preference for queer, asexual, pansexual, transgender, transexual, or other sexual preferences.
Special features
- The site has an animated UI to keep you engaged and enjoy your app and site experience.
- The site provides verified profiles and offers free trials.
- Members can access premium services like virtual gifts with the help of Zoosk Coins, a virtual currency.
- A carousel shows potential matches through a roulette with an option to skip or send a flirt. It is similar to the swipe feature.
- You can boost your profile by using the BOOST.
A free trial membership on Zoosk comes with plenty of fantastic features and benefits. The free membership is designed to get you started on the right track to find your ideal match.
Adult Friend Finder
Relationships: Affairs, Hookups
Profiles: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 65% male and 35% female*
User Base: 25.5 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 100 million active users worldwide*
User Rating: 3.5/5.0*
AFF is the perfect dating app for kinky people looking for casual hookups. Many explore AFF to satisfy their sexual fantasies. The word casual can be an umbrella term as this LGBTQ+ dating app allows all kinds of arrangements among consenting adults. On this site, you can shed all your inhibitions and indulge in pure pleasure with the same or different sex.
All users want casual fun and include a diverse range of people from all walks of life. Whatever your kink is BDSM, swinging, threesome, Milf, etc., you can be sure you can find several people with similar interests.
Special features
- Only available in-app version. The site is no more available for desktop users.
- The community is non-judgmental and very open-minded.
- It caters to a large pool of LGBTQ+ people.
- You can narrow down your search with its amazing search filters.
You can create an account on its fully-functional app and connect with queer singles nearby.
OkCupid
Relationships: Friendship, casual date, serious relationships
Profiles: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 65% male and 35% female*
User Base: 55 million visitors/month*
Popularity: Over 50 million users worldwide*
User Rating: 4.3/5.0*
OkCupid claims to match you with what matters to you. It is one of the best free LGBTQ dating sites. Yes, you read it right. OkCupid is absolutely free to sign up and lets you explore all kinds of relationships.
The majority of the members on the site are genuine. The whole vibe of the site is open-minded and sex-positive. It lets you have a smooth experience on the site. That could be why even though there are plenty of LGBTQ+ dating sites, OkCupid still bags a sizeable section of this population.
Special features
- The dating app has 22 genders and 13 orientations choices.
- It allows you to choose your pronouns.
- Both app and site have a trendy UI that makes navigating fun.
- The matches are suggested based on the questionnaire you enter at the time of registration.
- Send unlimited likes.
- Go ad-free with premium plans.
- The site offers four plans free, basic, premium, and incognito.
Clearly, the app is designed by a bunch of millennials as it gives young and vibrant energy. From relationship interests to political views, all are counted by the algorithm before it suggests matches. The compatibility score on each profile lets you decide whether you want to go ahead or look the other way.
Grindr
Relationships: Casual dating, hookups, relationships
Profiles: All gay, bisexual men*
Popularity: Over 3.2 million daily active users*
User Rating: 3.2/5.0*
Grindr is one of the first location-based social networking dating sites for gay, bi, trans and queer people. It was launched in 2009, and since then, it has managed to become one of the largest and the most popular gay dating apps in the world.
The site has the reputation of being a hookup site, but it can be a place of love. It all depends on your objective or what you are looking for. The app allows you to take the conversation from online to a real date very soon, but you can decide your pace. The popularity of the app makes it a huge and diverse pool of potential matches.
Special features
- The app is available in both free and premium versions. The premium version is called Grindr XTRA, and the free is termed Grindr Unlimited.
- The Premium version has zero ads.
- Special search features such as preferred sexual positions, profiles you have not chatted about today, profiles with the album,
Taking a different twist to swipe-based apps like Tinder, Grindr gives a collage of compatible matches based on location.
Hornet
Relationships: Casual date, friendship, hookup
User Base: Over 25 million users worldwide*
Profile: All gay and bisexual men*
Hornet is more of social networking platform for Queer singles than your typical dating site. The site has a huge pool of users worldwide-nearly 35 million. Hornet initially introduced itself as a “better version of Grindr.”
The app aims to create a digital home where queer men feel supported and also find their Mr. Right. Apart from gay men, the app also supports the acronyms B, G, T and Q.
Special features
- Plenty of features are inspired by the best queer dating apps.
- A collage of all the matching profiles in your neighborhood appears right on the home page.
- The free version has ads but is very intrusive. You can still choose to go ad-free with the premium plan.
The site has a stories section where they have queer-focused blogs and other content. The app aims to cultivate meaningful connections through their social media kind of community network. The company went one step ahead and launched Spaces, where you can choose to chat with other Queer users. The app connects you to nearby events; you can plan a date IRL with the match you met on Hornet.
Her
Relationships: Friendship, date, long-term relationships
Profiles: All lesbian, bisexual, and queer women*
Popularity: Over 4 million users worldwide*
User Rating: 3.9/5.0*
Contrary to popular beliefs, “Her” is not exactly a lesbian dating site but queer dating site and has 17 sexualities and 18 gender identities. Plus, you can assign more than one pronoun to your profile.
This popular LGBTQ dating app helps queer women find compatible dates without engaging with creeps.
Special features
- The app is easy to use and navigate.
- Most of the desired features are right there on the dashboard. The app has a good blend of swipe style selection features and a community feel.
- You can easily log in through your Facebook or Instagram account. The whole process takes just a few minutes.
- The site does not offer a desktop version, so you need to have a smartphone to download the app.
While many women can feel intimidated by dating sites, queer women especially have a hard time with online dating. “Her” has created a safe haven for queer women to date and mingle with like-minded people.
Conclusion
There are over 1,500 queer dating sites. However, most of them score poorly on inclusion and usability. The good news is that new dating apps are constantly emerging, and older are becoming more inclusive. The above-mentioned dating sites and app are queer-friendly and has shown consistently positive results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are LGBTQ relationships?
Regardless of your sexual orientation, a healthy relationship is a healthy relationship. People who identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and queer) experience as healthy relationships as any heterosexual couple. Let's find out what the letters in this abbreviation mean:
- Lesbian: A woman who is attracted to other women sexually, romantically, or emotionally is referred to as a lesbian.
- Gay: A man attracted to other males for his sexual, romantic and emotional needs.
- Bisexual: An individual who is attracted to both men's and women's sexual, romantic and emotional needs.
- Transgender: It is an umbrella term for individuals who do not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth. They can choose to alter their bodies hormonally or surgically to the gender they choose. However, not all choose the medical intervention.
- Queer: Queer was considered a derogatory term for homosexuals. However, they have now embraced it as an umbrella term to describe themselves and the community. It is best not to address someone as queer unless they identify themselves as queer.
- Questioning: Individuals who are still exploring their sexual identity and do not want to put any labels as yet.
Sexual preferences do not dictate how well you are in relationships, whether romantic or others. There is plenty of data to support the claim that children raised by parents of the same gender do just as well as children raised by heterosexual parents.
There is no connection between a parent's sexual orientation and any metric of a child's emotional, psychological, and behavioral adjustment. These findings show that having one or more gay parents does not put kids at risk for developing health problems.
What are the best LGBT dating apps?
The definition of the best LGBT dating app depends on what you want you are looking for. For people who are still exploring and less experienced, it is advisable to start with Zoosk, HER or Hornet. Grindr and AFF are more about casual hookups and let you indulge in your sexual fantasies. The users of these apps are experienced and know what they want. You can even look for sugar daddies and cougars on these sites. So, be sure that they will not be interested in small talks.
If you are tired of casual flings and looking for a concrete relationship, eHarmony LGBT is the best dating site. The site offers verified profiles, a patented matchmaking algorithm based on personality, and many awesome features. It is also one of the most successful dating sites out there.
Is eHarmony LGBT friendly?
Popular online matchmaker eHarmony has undergone a queer-friendly rebranding after being perceived as an unwelcoming dating platform to the LGBTQ population in the past.
The website started providing same-sex matches in 2019. It boasts more than 2 million messages sent each week. It debuted its first queer-welcoming ad depicting a lesbian couple in 2021.
eHarmony's chief operating officer, Gareth Mandel, shared with NBC news about the transformation of the company to be more inclusive. He stated that eHarmony’s commercial campaigns, platform, and everything else truly reflect what genuine love, real dating, and relationships look like today and always. The team is also aiming to be safer, more inclusive and welcoming to each and every member of the society.
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