🔞 Gay hookup app · Grindr review
Grindr: everyone’s on the grid, a patchy privacy record.
The biggest app for gay, bi, trans and queer men, built around a grid of guys nearby. How it works, what XTRA and Unlimited add, and the best sites like Grindr.
ViceHunt’s take: For guys looking for guys, nothing else comes close on numbers and speed. But its privacy history is poor, the free version is busy with ads, and the paid tiers keep getting pricier.
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Chat nowPros & cons
The good
- Huge user base almost everywhere
- Free version lets you browse and chat
- Fast grid of who’s nearby right now
- Web version for XTRA and Unlimited subscribers
The bad
- Fined in Norway for sharing user data with advertisers
- £26 million UK settlement over alleged HIV-data sharing
- Free version comes with ads and limits
- Paid tiers keep multiplying and getting pricier
Grindr vs the alternatives
The full Grindr review
What is Grindr?
Grindr launched in Los Angeles in 2009 and is the biggest app for gay, bi, trans and queer men. It’s run by Grindr Inc., which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and it’s available in around 190 countries and territories.
It’s best known for hookups, though people also use it for dates, friends and getting to know a new city. The company says around 15 million people use it every month.
How Grindr works
Grindr shows you a grid of profiles sorted by distance, nearest first. Tap one to chat, share photos or open a private album. You can add tags, filter your search, favourite people, and block or report anyone who crosses a line.
Nude profile photos aren’t allowed, though what people share in private chats is up to them. In the UK you now have to verify your age to use it, under the Online Safety Act.
Free vs XTRA and Unlimited
The free version lets you browse nearby profiles and chat, with third-party ads and fewer profiles on screen. XTRA removes those ads, shows up to 600 profiles at once and adds filters, like seeing only who’s online now.
Unlimited adds unlimited profiles, the full Viewed Me list, Incognito browsing and unsending messages and photos. Grindr is also testing a far pricier AI-powered tier called Edge in some markets. Prices depend on your country and plan, and subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel.
Grindr’s privacy record
In 2018 researchers found Grindr had been passing users’ HIV status to two analytics companies; Grindr said it stopped. In 2021 Norway’s data protection authority fined it NOK 65 million for sharing user data with advertisers without valid consent, and the fine has been upheld on appeal.
In September 2026 Grindr agreed to pay £26 million to settle a UK claim brought by about 12,000 users over alleged sharing of sensitive data, including HIV status, before 2020. It admitted no liability. The company says things have changed since then, but it’s still wise to keep what you put on your profile to a minimum.
Is Grindr safe?
Grindr has the basic tools, but on an app this big you need your own rules too:
- Only share health details you’d be happy to see made public
- Be wary of blank profiles that push to meet fast
- Meet somewhere public first and tell a friend
- Take extra care in countries that criminalise gay sex
Read our safety guidelines for more.
ViceHunt’s verdict
Grindr is still the default for guys looking for guys: more people, faster replies and a free version that works. Its record on handling sensitive data is the weak spot, and the paid tiers are getting pricier.
Want a similar grid from an independent company that keeps third-party ad networks out? Try Scruff. Want something open to every gender and relationship style? Try Feeld. Prefer classified-style personals? There’s Doublelist.
Grindr FAQ
Is Grindr free?
Yes. You can browse nearby profiles and chat for free, with ads and limits. XTRA and Unlimited remove third-party ads and add more profiles, filters, Viewed Me and Incognito.
What’s the difference between Grindr XTRA and Unlimited?
XTRA removes third-party ads, shows up to 600 profiles and adds extra filters. Unlimited adds unlimited profiles, the full Viewed Me list, Incognito and unsending messages and photos.
Is Grindr safe?
It has blocking, reporting and, in the UK, age verification, and it’s used by millions without trouble. But its record on sharing users’ data is poor, so keep sensitive details off your profile and meet in public first.
Why was Grindr fined?
Norway fined it NOK 65 million in 2021 for sharing user data with advertisers without valid consent. In 2026 it also agreed a £26 million UK settlement over alleged HIV-data sharing before 2020, without admitting liability.
What are the best Grindr alternatives?
Scruff for a similar grid with a more privacy-minded owner, Feeld for open-minded dating across genders, and Doublelist for classified-style personals.
More sites like Grindr
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