Recommended Gay Dating Apps and Sites

Dating as a gay man is not always easy. Depending on where you live, there may not be many other gay men available to date. Additionally, safety remains a concern. There are still areas of the country that are more closed-minded and bigoted, despite progress made in recent years. For this reason, there may be an absence of gay clubs and bars to meet potential dates. Even if you see a cute guy across a restaurant, you may still be hesitant to approach him. After all, what if he is not gay and takes your advance badly?

Online dating can certainly feel safer in these situations. You know right away that you’re speaking to someone gay who is also looking for love. If you’re living someplace where there are not many gay men, online dating can expand your horizons beyond your zip code, providing you with many more options in terms of singles you’d potentially like to meet.

Recommended Gay Dating Apps and Sites

These are some of the most recommended dating apps and sites for gay and bisexual men:

If you’re lucky enough to live in New York City or San Francisco, gay online dating can still benefit you. In such cities, it may seem like there are too many men to sift through, and you don’t want to waste your time on guys who you ultimately aren’t compatible with. With online dating, you can discover right away whether the guy you’re interested in has the same interests and values as you, as well as whether he is looking for something serious or casual. It can also help you meet guys outside of your usual circle.

When it comes to choosing an online dating site, there are many things that you need to take into account when you start, from which website to choose to which kind of men you want to meet in person. Unfortunately, not all websites allow for men who are interested in men to sign up, which is why we created this gay online dating website guide to help you make the best choice and find success in your dating endeavors. That being said, it’s important that when choosing from among our recommended sites, you take the following into account:

Profile Information

Your first instinct might be to fill in as little information as possible about yourself and move on to search for other guys’ profiles. That’s the fun bit after all. But taking the time to fill in your interests – and what you’re looking for – on your profile will increase the chances of other guys noticing you. It will also help you find a better match by giving others a better idea of who you are. Make sure that the information that you fill in is concise and clear because you won’t have anyone’s attention for too long before they move onto the next profile. Being upfront about what sort of relationship you are looking for will save your time and spare others the pain of rejection.

Profile Picture

Include pictures that indicate your interests and who you are as a person. It’s usually a good idea to have a close-up photo of your face in addition to a full-body picture. Be honest. It’s really disappointing to go on a date and finding out that the other person is not as attractive as he is in his profile picture, or even completely different. Treat others the way you would want to be treated, and use an honest picture. Hopefully, others will be just as generous with showcasing honest profile photos!

Learn About the Guy Behind the Profile

One of the best things about gay online dating is that you get a basic sense of who the guy is before ever meeting him. When you message him, don’t just say “hey.” Take the time to read his profile and comment on one of his mentioned interests. Ask questions that will give you a better sense of who the guy behind the photo is so you can discover how compatible you might be. You can have a conversation with him, search for information about him and even ask around about him. This allows you to get a better sense of the guy you’re interested in. You can also easily ignore or block a guy if there are any red flags but he won’t let up with the messages. It’s harder to reject someone who you’ve met in person, and some guys just can’t take a hint.

Meeting up for a Date

We know that having an online conversation with a guy for hours might feel like the best date ever, but it doesn’t count. The date itself needs to happen in the real world and in person. So take that risk, ask a guy out and have a real experience. The first date doesn’t have to be anything wild or luxurious. Go someplace where you can talk comfortably and get to know each other, such as a coffee shop.

Comfort and Safety

Safety should always be a consideration when it comes to online dating. According to one survey, 50% of gay men opt to meet their date someplace neutral for the first time (versus at your place or your date’s place). Safety-wise, it’s generally best to meet someplace in public. If you have misgivings about the guy even when just chatting online, don’t bother with meeting him — it’s better to be safe than sorry. Hopefully, your date will go well, but if not, being in a public place will save you from having a potential creep knowing your address.  Additionally, even though this same survey notes that 83% of gay men send explicit photos, if you feel someone is being too pushy or asking you to send pornographic pictures when you don’t want to, you should report him to a site administrator and don’t feel ashamed about it.

Some gay dating apps and sites offer additional features to help maintain your safety and security. For example, the Compatible Partners site has an entire section dedicated to safety tips. They also make it easy to report or block a match straight from their profile page or from within your messages with them through the site.

Online gay dating has changed the way guys find partners for casual hookups and monogamous relationships. By signing up for one of our recommended gay online dating sites you too can find the relationship that you’ve been searching for, with guys you would never have met otherwise.