Scruff vs Grindr
Find the app that works best for you, whether you're looking for casual or meaningful dating. Discover features, and use them to locate your ideal match.
Video Chat
Find the app that works best for you, whether you're looking for casual or meaningful dating. Discover features, and use them to locate your ideal match.
Video ChatIt has become easier to find love or even a friend on the internet, due to dating apps that connect LGBTQ+ people. Not every platform is equal. There are two applications that are most popular nowadays, Grindr and Scruff. Both assist millions of people to connect; however, they are slightly different in their needs. This blog will deconstruct the strengths, weaknesses, and differences between the two, as well as introduce PrideLocation, a new site that provides real-time video chat to the LGBTQ+ community.
The first geosocial network application by gay, bi, trans, and queer individuals was Grindr, which was launched in 2009. It has now become the largest gay dating app in the world. As of mid-2025:
It has approximately 14.9 million monthly active users (MAUs) and approximately 1.2 million paying subscribers.
During Q2 2025 it has reported revenue of $104.2 million, which was 26.6% higher than the year before, and a net profit of $16.6 million. (Market Inference)
Grindr users spend an average of 70 minutes per day on the application. It also has 85 percent brand recognition among its viewers. (Grindr Investors)
Analysts estimate that Grindr will reach a valuation of above $425 million in annual revenue by the year 2025. (Global Dating Insights)
Other features that Grindr has introduced include AI-based recommendations, status updates known as Right Now, and a telehealth integration (Woodwork). These render it more than merely a hook-up application—it is gradually turning into a style and health application.
Scruff is a safe and inclusive community-based app founded in 2010 in New York.
It has over 30 million registered users with an estimated 11 million users monthly.
There are more than 60 million messages shared among Scruff members each week. (Craft.co)
In comparison with Grindr, Scruff does not have any ads. It is based solely on Scruff Pro subscriptions that provide additional services such as advanced filtering and unlimited browsing.
In 2018 Scruff deleted race-based filters and programmatic ad bans and added traveler alerts to keep users safe in countries that are hostile towards LGBTQ+ individuals. (Scruff)
Scruff brands itself as the home where men (gay, bi, trans, and queer) can have meaningful conversations without the need to swipe through.
Grindr is graphic and picturesque. It is simple to connect with its grid of photos, GIFs, and quick tap features. This attracts individuals who wish to have casual matches that are fast.
Scruff, on the other hand, is richer in text and is structured. It allows its users to create elaborate profiles, form interest-based communities (tribes), and utilize personal albums. The features provide room to converse and make meaningful connections.
Grindr dominates in reach. It has almost 15 million active users around the world, and it is the app where you can find fast matches. Its increases, even in the competitive app market of 2025, are very loyal.
Scruff is not as big as Grindr but has a loyal following. Its members remain active and engaged, as demonstrated by weekly activity (60 million messages exchanged).
In a nutshell: go with Grindr when it comes to visibility and choice. Select Scruff when you want to live in a tight-knit community.
The two apps addressed safety, however, in different ways:
Grindr has also implemented AI moderation and enhanced reporting features and its notorious ethnicity filter. It is also an advocate for Grindr for Equality.
Scruff is a safety-first company: there are no advertisements, blocked screenshots, private albums, or alerts to users in unsafe areas. This renders it particularly attractive to users who attach importance to privacy.
Grindr has Grindr XTRA and Grindr Unlimited. The charges are between 19.99/month and 239.99/year. Ads and new services are also sources of revenue.
Scruff also has Scruff Pro, which is approximately $8.99/month or $35.99/Quarter. It does not have any advertisements; thus, you do not experience commercials when chatting.
|
Feature |
Grindr |
Scruff |
|
Founded |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Monthly Users |
14.9 million |
11 million active / 15M registered |
|
Best For |
Fast, visual matching, large reach |
Privacy, inclusive, community-based |
|
Safety Features |
AI moderation, removed ethnicity filters |
Traveler alerts, no race filters, private media |
|
Innovation |
AI, mapping, telehealth features |
Tribe systems, private albums, verification |
|
Monetization |
Subscriptions, ads, new services |
Subscription-only, ad-free |
In addition to Grindr and Scruff, one more new app was created to help LGBTQ+ individuals establish real-time video contact: PrideLocation. PrideLocation is based on live chats, entertaining features, and identity celebration as opposed to standard dating applications.
Google Full Access (Login): Gathers Google profile data (name, email, photo), choice of gender, and country.
Email Login (Basic Access): Gathers name, email, gender, and country.
Features
Random Video Chat: Chat with real people all over the world instantly using video.
Social Tools: Follow, see your last 5 connections, report, or block.
Video Controls: Turn on and off mic, camera, and speaker; change cameras on mobile.
Pleasure & Play: Live text communication, video, animated reactions, and face filters to remain anonymous. Anytime you can swipe/skip to meet with someone.
PrideLocation is a safe, inclusive, fun place to be—LGBTQ+ folks are tired of feeling like they come first.
Both Scruff and Grindr have changed the way members of the LGBTQ+ community socialize:
Grindr works best when you need to be fast, choose, and have advanced options.
Scruff is more so when you are conscious of privacy, community, and considerate relationships.
However, when you are seeking more than dating, where face-to-face interaction and identity celebration are the top priority, PrideLocation is your next best option.
There is no longer swipe-and-message dating. Through the appropriate platform, it can be supportive, safe, fun, and authentic.
Grindr features a simplified grid design for quick contacts, whereas Scruff has a sophisticated UI with a focus on community involvement.
While Grindr concentrates on location-centric matching for speedy connections and also considers other aspects , Scruff's algorithm takes shared interests, hobbies, and customer journey map and browsing interests into account for more nuanced matching.
With features like "Communities" and events, Scruff fosters a wider range of interests than just dating but it fosters a very refined audience to make it more safer. Talking about Grindr, although its primary focus is on dating, Grindr has made steps to become more inclusive in terms of geographic locations of the individuals.
While Grindr prioritizes a direct and instant chat interface, Scruff delivers a feature-rich texting experience with multimedia choices. Overall, the messaging experience is the same until you have taken the premium plan of the messaging.
Both Scruff and Grindr are top players in the world of gay dating and thus both are quite responsible when it comes to the security and privacy of their customers.
Yes, both platforms provide extensive profiles; however, Scruff is distinguished by its focus on presenting content beyond profile photos and some other features.
Scruff and Grindr are especially designed for the queer community and hence the primary focus is to cater all the interests of the people in his community by acknowledging their events, living ways etc.
Scruff treats closeness and instant connections as per the interests and other customers points and hence help in connection making on these aspects. Grindr treats closeness and instant connections on the basis of locations and prioritizes the close proximity individuals, hence helping in making connections living close to each other.
Scruff and Grindr has end to end encryption kinds of technologies intact to have guaranteed customer privacy.
Primary purpose of both the apps is dating of queer community but it offers individuals to experience, share and interact among common interests if their communities.
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