After my friend broke up with her girlfriend of three years, she was eager to move on, so she immediately joined the best lesbian dating apps and began searching for local women to wine and dine.
Even though my friend had heard online dating can be difficult for single lesbians, she was determined to beat the odds by doing her research and maintaining active profiles on a bunch of LGBTQ dating apps at once. She dove into the experience, sent out dozens of messages, and filled her calendar with dates.
Popular lesbian and queer dating apps can offer LGBTQ people a chance to recover from a breakup, regain their confidence, and build relationships with like-minded singles. You don’t have to be serious about meeting “The One” to enjoy yourself on a dating app for lesbians. The following resources work for women of all ages, backgrounds, and dating goals.
Overall Best Lesbian Dating Apps
When you’re looking for lesbian dating websites and apps, you should do your research to decide which ones can meet your specific needs. If you like having a lot of options and whittling them down, then you should pick a popular dating app like Grindr that has free communication features. If you want the app to do the legwork for you, then pick one with a robust algorithm and a highly selective match list.
We’ve reviewed a few of the best of the best queer dating apps in the online world to help single lesbians get their flirt on.
1. Match
Match supports the LGBTQ+ community by providing a safe online space where anyone can log on and pursue a real relationship. The female-friendly dating site prioritizes the happiness of its members and offers effective matching tools to help them land their dream dates. Whether you're looking for new friends or a long-term love, you can trust Match to point you in the right direction.
- Women enjoy an expert-led online dating experience
- Can set specific date preferences for age, education, pets, etc.
- Premium messaging and video chat features keep the riff-raff out
- Browse Match profiles 100% free »
Match is like the matriarch of the online dating world because it has been around longer than any other dating platform, and it has more success stories to its name, too. Since 1995, Match has established a fierce reputation among lesbian and bisexual singles seeking the real deal.
People of all orientations are welcome to join Match’s dating website or app and use the free membership to search for compatible profiles within a certain mile radius. You can identify yourself as a woman seeking women upon signing up, and that’ll effectively remove all men and straight women from your match list.
If you’re bisexual, gender fluid, nonbinary, or bi curious, you can always go into your settings and adjust your gender preferences as you play the field and meet date prospects. This wasn’t always possible on Match; however, the dating company has recently made an effort to foster a more inclusive dating pool. At the end of the day, Match is all about dating on your own terms, so you’re always in the driver’s seat.
Elite Singles empowers queer women to pursue lesbian relationships by using an intelligent matchmaking system. This premium dating site has created a global network of professional women who are serious about finding love. Elite Singles members can take the in-depth personality test for free and start receiving daily match recommendations based on their personal standards and preferences.
- Caters to executive women worldwide
- Members receive 3-7 potential matches every day
- Over 80% of members have earned a college degree
- Browse Elite Singles profiles 100% free »
Elite Singles is a high-class dating app for lesbians who know their worth and won’t settle for anything less than an extraordinary love story. The platform welcomes straight and LGBTQ people looking for a meaningful relationship.
About 85% of Elite Singles members have graduated from college — and a good number have pursued post-graduate degrees as well — and over 90% say they’re interested in finding a long-term relationship. EliteSingles is a fantastic resource for doctors, lawyers, executives, entrepreneurs, and other powerhouse women who happen to be single.
LGBTQ women can think of Elite Singles as a headhunter in the queer dating world. The online dating app and site delivers quality matches every day, and every potential match has vetted credentials. If you want to upgrade your love life, EliteSingles is a great dating platform to start.
3. Zoosk
Zoosk boasts one of the largest dating networks in the world, and it welcomes new members of all sexual orientations. Lesbian women can enjoy a curated online dating experience thanks to Zoosk's Behavioral Matchmaking System. Zoosk has tons of search filters, interactive tools, and premium perks to get singles into the middle of the action.
- Women can set specific date preferences and filter men out
- Over 3 million messages sent per day
- SmartPicks matching based on profile info and activity
- Browse Zoosk profiles 100% free »
Over 40 million singles have joined Zoosk in search of romance, and the app’s smart algorithm has sparked many mutual friends and online connections. What makes this LGBTQ friendly dating platform stand out is the way it pairs up singles. There’s no personality questionnaire or love formula — it’s all based on how you browse the user base.
Zoosk is a free dating app where actions speak louder than words. The Dating Insights section assesses the user’s browsing, liking, and chatting history and makes inferences about their dating preferences from that. If you seem to chat up a lot of engineers, for instance, you’ll find many smart cookies in your matches.
Women can also flip through many pretty ladies in the Carousel, which offers a quick swiping feature to help get the ball rolling.
4. HER
A lesbian named Robyn Exton founded HER because she recognized that not all dating sites and apps look out for the unique needs and interests of LGBTQ+ womxn. The HER community does a great job of connecting its users in a fun-loving and active community. Its easy social networking tools are great whether you're fully out of the closet or just starting to question your sexuality.
- Free private messaging to all mutual matches
- Post comments or send likes to connect with local lesbians
- A safe, friendly, and one-of-a-kind dating app
- Browse HER profiles 100% free »
Unlike the other apps on this list, HER is actually an all-women space designed to serve the LGBTQ+ community. A lesbian woman named Robyn Exton got into the online dating game to make sure lesbian, bisexual, bi curious, transgender, and queer women had a safe and respectful place they could call their own. Think of it like Grindr for lesbians.
The LGBTQ friendly dating app currently has over 10 million members, and it’s still growing by word of mouth. HER authenticates every profile through social media and removes the fake profiles, frauds, and creepy dudes automatically. This is a strict no-jerks and no-dicks zone, and you can tell from the community guidelines that the team takes that seriously.
From the moment you join the HER community, you’ll see lots of pictures, blurbs, and events shared by women who are eager to meet mutual friends, find dates, and build strong relationships. Recently, #WeMetOnHER posts have been piling up as womxn fall for each other on this popular lesbian dating app and share their stories on social media.
BlackPeopleMeet is a niche dating site for African American singles in North America, and its diverse membership base includes a fair number of lesbian women. Black lesbians are a niche within a niche, so they can have a hard time meeting one another in the real world, but not on BlackPeopleMeet. The dating site's search tools make it easy to narrow down the dating field to a few attractive candidates.
- A female-friendly online dating environment
- Free registration, likes, and profile browsing
- Virtual gifts, match alerts, boost visibility, and other premium perks
- Browse BlackPeopleMeet profiles 100% free »
BlackPeopleMeet is the leading dating site for black and biracial singles in the U.S. and Canada. Since 2002, the black community has flocked to BlackPeopleMeet to connect with lesbian and bisexual people who share similar backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences.
The BlackPeopleMeet app is available on the App Store and Google Play. Android and iPhone users can download it for free and start swiping through profiles of single women nearby. The app also has an advanced search feature to make it easier to narrow the dating pool to the most viable options.
BlackPeopleMeet has shared several testimonials over the years, and it can undoubtedly help LGBTQ people mingle in a more diverse user base.
6. OkCupid
OkCupid has taken great strides to welcome LGBTQ+ women from all walks of life. The dating site and app offers a menu of gender and orientation options that recognize the fluidity of people's sexual identities. Now singles can identify themselves as lesbian, queer, questioning, bisexual, sapiosexual, and so much more.
- A wide range of sexual orientation options available
- Use the search filters to find nearby lesbians
- A savvy system leads to meaningful relationships
- Browse OkCupid profiles 100% free »
OkCupid operates under the motto “dating deserves better.” This dating app is all about improving the online dating process, and it can offer better quality matches by using its time-tested formula.
Since 2004, OkCupid has endeavored to use math to create love — and it’s been rather successful. The algorithm compares dating profiles and identifies compatibility in demographics, values, and relationship goals. You can make your compatibility ratings more accurate by providing more information to the app via the personal questions section. The questions include “Could you date someone who’s messy?” and “Do you like the taste of beer?”
OkCupid is a personality-driven dating app where who you are counts for a lot. It also happens to be one of the most LGBTQ friendly apps with 22 gender options and 13 orientation options included in every profile. You can send messages for free on OkCupid, so there’s no harm in giving it a try to see if it works for you.
Plenty of Fish's claim to fame is its free communication. Lesbians will never have to pay a cent to read or send messages on this dating site and app. This dating field is brimming with activity, and it doesn't take a lot of effort make a match and start a conversation. Thanks to its values-driven matchmaking, Plenty of Fish creates over 57 million new connections every week.
- Supports single lesbians seeking love and relationships
- A popular dating site for meaningful conversations
- Ability to report and block any unsavory characters
- Browse Plenty of Fish profiles 100% free »
Plenty of Fish is a fast-paced, fun-loving dating platform where singles can flirt as long as they like. Communication is a free feature on Plenty of Fish, and that’s probably why it sees over 4 million daily active users.
Over the last decade or so, Plenty of Fish has become a global sensation with members in 20 countries. The app has also been translated in 11 languages. In total, the POF community includes over 150 million registered users, including the U.S., France, Brazil, and Germany, and it sees more than 65,000 new registrations each day.
Of course, all those numbers don’t mean a thing if couples aren’t actually meeting on Plenty of Fish. The good news is: they are. POF has received lots of success stories from straight, gay, and lesbian couples who met on the app or site and fell in love. Camille and Nigel said, “Thanks Plenty of Fish for helping me find my lover, best friend, and soul mate!”
8. Tinder
When it comes to online dating, Tinder is one of the queens. The dating app invented swiping, for crying out loud. Thanks to its mutual matching system, lesbian women no longer have to worry about dudes showing up in their inboxes. You have control over who can talk to you on Tinder.
- A growing network of lesbian, bisexual, and queer women
- Set gender preferences to "women" or "men and women"
- Responsible for over 97 billion matches worldwide
- Browse Tinder profiles 100% free »
Tinder needs no introduction. It’s easily one of the most popular dating apps of all time, responsible for over 43 billion matches since its launch in 2012.
This dating app pioneered the swiping-based matching system that’s become standard operating procedure for most dating websites and apps, so we’ve got to give credit where credit is due. If you want to view a lot of gay dating profiles and form a lot of matches quickly, then Tinder will be your jam.
Tinder is relatively gay-friendly, and its open-ended system allows women to set their own standards and pursue any type of relationship they want. “I actually met a girl I dated for four months on Tinder,” said Bezzella in a Reddit post. “Just watch out for couples looking for a third.”
9. Bumble
Bumble is a female-friendly dating app made by women for women. The platform encourages women to take initiative and go after the date they find most attractive. Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women can use Bumble to make deep connections with women in the area.
- A global network of strong, confident women
- Conversations expire within 24 hours of a match
- Less than 1% of Bumble women are looking for hookups
- Browse Bumble profiles 100% free »
Since 2014, Bumble has made a name for itself as the female-friendly alternative to male-dominated dating apps. Men typically outnumber women on most dating websites and apps, and that can spell bad news for women who don’t want to be badgered by creepy messages and dick pics.
Fortunately, Bumble has come up with a simple solution to keep the creeps at bay, and we can summarize it in two words: Ladies first. Bumble shakes up the traditional gender dynamics of online dating by empowering women to make the first move (i.e. send the first message) and control who shows up in their inboxes.
Of course, this is a moot point for a person seeking a same-sex relationship — in that case, you’re both able to send messages to your mutual matches without waiting for anyone to go first. All in all, Bumble is a proactive and progressive dating app for lesbians seeking new connections and love interests.
10. Christian Mingle
Christian Mingle began catering to LGBTQ singles in 2016, and its new inclusive policy has been good news for Christian lesbians seeking a partner in faith. Christian Mingle can help lesbian women find their happily ever afters by offering an information-rich and values-driven dating environment unlike any other. Christian Mingle has become synonymous with Christian dating even though you don't have to be a Christian to create an account.
- Open to single women of all religious backgrounds and orientations
- Values-driven search and matching tools
- Messaging+ Badges lend greater authenticity to lesbian profiles
- Browse Christian Mingle profiles 100% free »
ChristianMingle was a straight-only dating platform until 2016 when it broadened its definition of love and marriage to include same-sex couples. ChristianMingle now has gay and lesbian options for LGBTQ+ singles seeking a God-centric relationship.
You can create a free dating profile on ChristianMingle with a valid email address or Facebook account. The app supports a clean interface where you can view attractive lesbian personals organized by match percentage, distance, new profiles, and who’s online now.
Singles who put their faith in the LookBook are often rewarded with an inbox full of matches and messages from active users. Don’t believe it can really work for lesbian and bisexual daters? Then check out the success stories from happy couples who have gotten married and started Christian families. These inspirational testimonials can restore anyone’s faith in ChristianMingle.
Best Senior Lesbian Dating Apps
Single seniors often grapple with loneliness in their retirement years — maybe they’re mourning the loss of a partner or maybe they haven’t made a new friend in over a decade — but modern technology is doing its part to connect and support older adults and give them a community they can rely on as they enter a new chapter of life.
Online dating has been a wonderful resource for singles who are over 50 and in the LGBTQ+ community. They’re looking to date a slim minority of the population, so it helps to have powerful search tools and a niche network behind them. The following apps can help lesbian seniors come out of their shell and meet women their own age.
11. OurTime
OurTime has established itself as a leading senior dating site by focusing on making quality introductions between compatible singles in the same age bracket. This dating site is free to join and easy to use. The global network includes lesbian singles who are over 50 and looking for a partner to share their golden years.
- Free profile searches by sexual orientation, age, location, ethnicity, and height
- Age-appropriate matches for lesbian women over 50
- Today's Matches features up to 11 profiles
- Browse OurTime profiles 100% free »
OurTime is one of our favorite free dating apps for seniors because it offers a simple setup and straightforward matching system. You’re surrounded by date options from the moment you complete your profile, and it’s easy to get attention by sending flirts or likes across the platform.
OurTime not only supports online connections, but it also hosts members-only events to encourage people to get to know one another. The app goes to great lengths to make senior singles feel comfortable mingling online and offline.
If you get to the point where you want to exchange numbers with your online crush, you can use the ConnectMe tool to automatically generate a phone number that will forward messages and calls to your phone. That way, you can keep yourself safe until you establish more trust with the person.
12. SilverSingles
SilverSingles introduces mature lesbian women to one another on a safe, nonjudgmental dating platform. With a basic membership, single women can create a profile, review daily match suggestions, and search for compatible, age-appropriate partners on the site. Free members can also send smiles and likes for free to show that they're interested.
- A niche network of single women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s
- Free matching and limited communication with premium members
- Available to lesbians in the U.S., Canada, and Europe
- Browse SilverSingles profiles 100% free »
If you become a full member of SilverSingles, you’ll gain access to tons of attractive women in the over-50 age bracket, including some in the queer community.
The dating app looks out for senior singles with tight security policies to encourage members to stay safe while flirting online. The Help Center can answer any questions that may come up along the way as you complete your dating profile, reach out to potential matches, and make progress toward your dating and relationship goals.
SilverSingles has a lot of profiles on display in the Matches and Visitors sections, but you’ll only be able to see people’s pictures and send them messages if you upgrade your free account to a monthly subscription. After that, SilverSingles could be the first step to your next romance.
Best Lesbian Hookup Apps
Not all women want a relationship right now — or ever. Maybe they’re on the rebound or just aren’t the marrying kind. Fortunately, legit hookup apps can help lesbian women explore their options and enjoy no-strings-attached dates that lead straight to the bedroom. The best sex apps offer the freedom to pursue pleasure without apology, and that’s why we love the following resources.
13. BeNaughty
BeNaughty has worked hard to create a safe space where women can feel comfortable embracing their sexuality and pursuing hot dates. As a reputable hookup site, BeNaughty keeps its members safe by verifying all new members, restricting communication to paid members only, and offering helpful guidance every step along the way.
- Sexually active women in the U.S., Canada, and Europe
- Advanced search parameters include orientation and body type
- Lesbian, bisexual, and queer women connect in private messages
- Browse BeNaughty profiles 100% free »
Everything about BeNaughty screams sex appeal. From the advanced search filters to the free-wheeling Like Galley, it’s easy to come across hot local dates here.
Thanks to its matching game, BeNaughty can introduce lesbian women to singles with wild imaginations and zero inhibitions. The sexually charged atmosphere facilitates hookups, threesomes, and one-night stands between sexually active individuals.
BeNaughty stands out as a hookup platform because of its many safety features and quality-assurance policies. You can turn on Safe Mode in your settings and ensure that only Verified members can contact you.
Adult Friend Finder offers a safe, anonymous place for lesbian, bisexual, queer, and questioning women to explore their sexuality. Women can look for female companionship, or maybe even a threesome, on this sexually permissive dating site. Since its launch, AFF members have posted over 98 million revealing photos and made over 5 million love connections.
- Lesbian and bisexual women can initiate threesomes and hookups
- Adults-only content on profiles, forums, and web broadcasts
- Explore your sexuality in a safe online space
- Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free »
Adult Friend Finderis a sex-positive dating site where millions of singles and swingers can satisfy their desires. Lesbians are more than welcome here — especially if they’re unicorns aka women who enjoy threesomes.
The AFF app is available in the App Store, but it was deemed too raunchy for Google Play, so Android users have to stick with the mobile-friendly site to enjoy sex on the go. The site works just as reliably as the app, and it is accessible to all mobile devices.
There are so many ways for a straight or queer person to connect on AdultFriendFinder that it’s easy to get lost in a series of X-rated chats, video broadcasts, and blogs. The dating forums are particularly popular with over 170,000 groups and over 14 million group discussions. This stimulating content can lead to a sexual awakening and inspire steamy romances between anonymous strangers.
15. LesbianPersonals
LesbianPersonals is one of the most popular hookup sites for women because of its fun-loving and sexually empowering atmosphere. Women don't have to play it coy or act like a lady here. They can outright state that they're looking for no-strings-attached sex and find partners who want the same things.
- Open to single women, couples, and groups interested in sex
- Private text and video chats accessible 24/7
- Women add over 25,000 photos and videos each week
- Browse LesbianPersonals profiles 100% free »
LesbianPersonals is the preferred hunting ground for lesbians in the mood for sex. The platform allows single women, lesbian couples, straight couples, and groups to create an account for free, and the search tools make it easy for all of them to discover common interests and desires.
You don’t have to play coy or act like a lady on LesbianPersonals because this hookup site was meant to facilitate girl-on-girl action. If you see someone you want, don’t be afraid to send your best pickup line in an instant message. You can also get up-close and personal by using a two-way webcam with a hottie online. On LesbianPersonals, lust isn’t a dirty word, and sex is always on the table.
16. FriendFinder-X
FriendFinder-X markets itself as the dating site "where good girls do bad things." This open-minded platform liberates women to follow their hearts and pursue sexual relationships online and offline. The friendly, anonymous forum helps lesbian women stay in their comfort zones as they browse and chat on FriendFinder-X.
- Facilitates same-sex hookups and threesomes
- Live chat features and intimate dating advice
- A safe space where lesbians can explore their sexuality
- Browse FriendFinder-X profiles 100% free »
FriendFinder-X characterizes itself as the site where “good girls do bad things,” and that pretty much sums up what it’s all about. Singles, couples, and groups become FriendFinder-X members because they want to find a sexual playmate and get frisky on their nights off.
The free dating platform highlights local dating profiles and facilitates casual encounters online. It’s easy to get into the swing of how the matching process works. You can use search filters for age, distance, and appearance to find a woman who’s your type, and then you can send flirts or messages to see if she’s interested too.
You’re never very far from a hot date thanks to the connective power and sexually active user base on FriendFinder-X.
What is the Best Free Lesbian Dating Site?
I’ve heard this question from friends, acquaintances, and strangers at drag shows, and the answer changes depending on who’s asking. That’s simply because all women are different and want different things. The best lesbian dating site for a woman in her 50s may not be the best one for a casual dater in her 20s.
Nevertheless, we do think one lesbian dating platform far exceeds its competitors and has done a great job of meeting the needs of all sorts of women. And that’s HER.
A lesbian named Robyn Exton founded HER because she recognized that not all dating sites and apps look out for the unique needs and interests of LGBTQ+ womxn. The HER community does a great job of connecting its users in a fun-loving and active community. Its easy social networking tools are great whether you're fully out of the closet or just starting to question your sexuality.
- Free private messaging to all mutual matches
- Post comments or send likes to connect with local lesbians
- A safe, friendly, and one-of-a-kind dating app
- Browse HER profiles 100% free »
HER has our vote as the overall best dating platform for lesbians because its all-female community, progressive policies, and social media-like interface help people reach out and build relationships. HER has created a global network of more than 4 million members, and its friendly vibes can make online daters feel right at home immediately.
Is Tinder Only for Straight?
As we mentioned earlier in the article, Tinder is a gay-friendly dating app that can help lesbian women, gay men, and everyone in between. The mainstream dating app welcomes singles of all orientations, though some trans singles have raised concerns about Tinder’s lack of non-binary options and tendency to flag trans profiles as fake profiles.
Our dating experts consistently rank Tinder among the best gay dating platforms because its user-centric swiping system has facilitated over 70 billion matches. Queer people can use Tinder to find gay dates — but you may have to put up with straight men propositioning you for a threesome along the way.
Is Bumble for LGBT?
Yes, Bumble can work for singles of all orientations. If you’re a woman seeking women on the app, you’ll be able to like and message people without worrying about who’s going to go first.
Either party can initiate a conversation in a same-sex match. No game playing. No nonsense. Just good conversations with open-minded women in your mutual friends list.
Bumble is a top-notch dating app geared toward women of all orientations.
Bumble also uses a social media check to automatically flag fake profiles and make sure active users are being real with each other.
No matter where you fall on the sexuality spectrum, you can use Bumble to form deep bonds with someone special. The free dating app welcomes people from all walks of life, including queer folk, and it’s completely free to create a dating profile and match with single lesbians or queer ladies here.
Can You Find Girls on Grindr?
No. Grindr is an all-man dating network, and it only has gender options for men seeking men.
So, if you’re looking for women on Grindr, you’re in the wrong dating pool. Much like HER is a lesbian dating app exclusively for single women, Grindr is a gay dating app exclusively for single men. If you’re a gay guy, that’s great news. If you’re a woman or a straight guy, you should try some other ways to meet women.
Check Out Lesbian Dating Apps for Singles
Lesbian dating apps can help women who have just left a relationship, have never been in a relationship, or are in an “it’s complicated” situationship. Basically, anyone who wants to explore the dating scene is welcome to download a dating app and start swiping through new prospects.
Many LGBTQ+ women, like my friend, have mastered the art of online dating and frequently go on dates with compatible love interests. The popular dating apps on this list can empower lesbian singles to expand their search for romance and find a person who shares similar interests, values, and aspirations.
We recommend that a lesbian woman try multiple dating apps — the average single uses two or three at once — to see which one suits best and can successfully spark a love connection. Happy swiping!
