According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, around 55% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual singles have used or are currently involved in the online dating world — and it’s not just to find a date. Free gay chat sites and apps also make it easy to connect with members of the LGBTQ+ community without fear of harassment.
Many platforms provide a safe space for users to explore their sexuality and find new friends, lovers, and hookups. Whether you’re closeted in a conservative community or out and proud, we offer a list of sites and apps that can help you meet new people and talk the night away.
Best Overall Gay Chat Sites
Whatever you’re looking for from online chatting, these sites are a great place to start. These popular platforms have features designed to make it easy to meet and chat with new people who have the same interests as you. Each site has a different user base and approach, so be sure to choose one that suits your unique needs.
1. Match
Since 1995, Match has cultivated a diverse following and welcomed singles across the spectrum of sexuality. Gay men can rely on Match to hook them up with bears, queens, twinks, and other hot dates. Match’s time-tested compatibility scores and search features can help men navigate the dating scene and find a partner who is everything they’re looking for.
- Proud ally to the LGBTQ community
- Millions of verified dating profiles to browse for free
- Over 20 years’ worth of success stories
- Browse Match profiles 100% free »
Gay singles looking for love can find a warm reception and plenty of chat tools at Match. Although it’s a mainstream dating site, the platform is home to plenty of LGBTQ+ singles, and it takes an inclusive approach to connecting people. For queer men looking for love, the site and app offer a few different options for communicating with your potential matches.
As a basic Match member, you can like and favorite profiles you discover on the platform, and you can exchange messages with your Top Picks on an unlimited basis. For more expanded conversation options, you need a premium Match membership. Premium membership includes unlimited messaging and voice chat with anyone on the platform, and the option to use Vibe Check, a video chat tool.
Elite Singles has raised the bar in the online gay dating scene and become a rallying point for ambitious, intelligent, and commitment-minded singles around the world. This upscale dating site caters to gay men who are looking for more than just a one-night stand. Every month 2,500 singles find love thanks to the Elite Singles network.
- Caters to professional men in the LGBTQ community
- A smart, no-nonsense matching formula
- Over 2 million singles are active on the site every month
- Browse Elite Singles profiles 100% free »
EliteSingles is where the crème de la crème of the dating world finds their perfect match, and the site welcomes gay men just as much as straight men. The dating site takes all the guesswork out of finding love by sending members several curated matches every day based on a combination of preferences and personality test results.
When it comes to communication, EliteSingles offers several options. Basic members can send winks and add profiles to their favorites, but you’ll need a premium subscription to send and receive messages from other users. You also gain access to read receipts and other perks to keep communication flowing.
3. eharmony
When it launched in 2000, eharmony was on a mission to find the formula for love. It started with straight couples, and now has expanded its algorithm to pair up same-sex couples. Gay men who can join the eharmony network to get serious about online dating and commit more time and effort into forming a long-term relationship.
- Has search options for same-sex relationships
- An 80-question personality test available for free
- Paid features include unlimited live messaging and video chat
- Browse eharmony profiles 100% free »
Although eharmony has somewhat of a checkered past with the gay community, the dating site began welcoming gay and lesbian users years ago. The same principles that allow the site to steer straight singles to a healthy long-term relationship work just as well for queer men, so you could find the love of your life on the platform.
After you set up your profile and take the 32 Dimensions personality test, eharmony will suggest potential matches for you, and you have a few different options to connect. As a basic member, you can take Icebreaker Quizzes and like and favorite profiles that stand out. For the full range of options, however, you need a premium eharmony membership. A paid subscription grants you unlimited messaging to any member of the site and app but also voice chat and Video Date options to take things to the next level.
Best Senior Gay Chat Sites
Gay singles in their golden years often want sites with users who are similar to them. Not all over-50 daters are looking for the same thing, but most senior singles are done with dating games. That’s why platforms specifically tailored for senior daters are a great place to start. These online dating sites offer online chatting experiences that gay senior singles will find easy to navigate and jam-packed of interesting people.
4. OurTime
OurTime is a People Media site designed to satisfy straight, gay, and lesbian singles in their 50s and older. Many of these singles have been in serious relationships before and are looking for a second chance at love. Gay singles can take advantage of this senior-friendly network to land a date who has it all going on.
- A unique network of gay men over 50
- Straightforward mutual matching and searches
- Send flirts and likes for free
- Browse OurTime profiles 100% free »
OurTime is a popular destination for senior singles, and gay singles are no exception. The over-50 dating site keeps things simple while still offering plenty of ways for members to communicate.
Free membership comes with basic ways to reach out to other users, including sending likes and a limited number of private messages. If you decide to upgrade to a premium subscription, your options become more plentiful. Premium members can send unlimited messages and also access a private phone number for texting and phone calls without having to provide their personal information.
In 2016, Christian Mingle opened its doors to the LGBTQ community and began fostering same-sex relationships on the site. This was a big step forward and paved the way for many heartfelt love stories. Gay men can now mingle freely on Christian Mingle and find gay date prospects who line up with their values and lifestyle.
- Supports straight and same-sex relationships
- Nearly 4 million monthly users
- Discover attractive men in the LookBook
- Browse Christian Mingle profiles 100% free »
Christian Mingle may not be the first name you think of for senior gay chat sites, but the faith-based dating platform welcomes gay men seeking Christian partners as well as straight men. If faith is important to you, Christian Mingle can help you connect with like-minded people.
Options for talking to other members are pretty limited as a basic member, but you can send a wink, and reply to messages that premium members send to you without ever getting out your credit card. If you’re willing to pay for a premium membership, you can send unlimited messages and get more details on your prospective partners.
SilverSingles uses new-school technology to help old-school daters find love. Since its launch, this senior dating site has welcomed over-50 singles of all races and orientations. Once you identify as a “man seeking men” on the site, you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who want the same things in life.
- Identify as “man seeking men” in your profile
- Free personality quiz and mature partner suggestions
- Over 20 daily matches in the “Have You Met?” section
- Browse SilverSingles profiles 100% free »
SilverSingles has been a popular dating platform for senior daters since it was launched in 2002, and the site and app both welcome gay and queer men along with straight men looking for new connections.
You can do a fair amount of chatting even with a basic SilverSingles membership. Basic members can receive and reply to messages from premium users, as well as send smiles and likes to indicate interest. Premium members gain unlimited access to send and receive messages, along with a private phone number to use for messaging.
Best Gay Hookup Chat Sites
Hookup sites may not be your first thought when it comes to finding people to have friendly chats with online, but they’re among the most promising platforms for finding like-minded people to talk to. Chatting on a platform that’s catered to gay men and hookups means these platforms tend to be places where you can express yourself authentically.
7. MenNation
MenNation boasts having one of the world’s largest men-only hookup community, and it has 93 million dating profiles to back up its claim. Since 1997, this gay dating site has made inroads in the LGBTQ community and supported sexually active singles and couples who want to find a partner for the night.
- Free registration and unlimited profile browsing
- Add online crushes to the Hotlist or My Network
- Enjoy private conversations in the Message Center
- Browse MenNation profiles 100% free »
MenNation is a mainstay of gay hookup sites, but if you’re looking for conversation and connection, the site is an excellent resource for that, too. You don’t have to be a gay man to join MenNation, but you should be open to romantic and sexual conversations with other men.
Every MenNation member has equal access to the forums and other public areas of the site, with no need to pay any fees. Premium membership comes with some serious perks, including live video chat access and even Buzzmode, which allows you to remotely control a live cam performer’s sex toy while you watch the results.
Ashley Madison can help married men discover and pursue same-sex relationships without anyone being the wiser. Over 80 million people have joined the affairs dating site in search of something new, and some men even use this judgment-free space to come out of the closet and explore their sexuality.
- Identify as “male seeking males” to narrow the field
- Men can blur or mask their faces in profile photos
- Every month, over 470,000 people create free accounts
- Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free »
Although Ashley Madison gets more attention for facilitating affairs between married people, it attracts plenty of closeted gay men looking for discreet encounters. Discretion is the name of the game at Ashley Madison, but the site and app both also offer plenty of methods to get in touch.
Of course, you can send and receive messages, on an unlimited basis. But Ashley Madison takes things further, offering voice and video chat options for members to use as much as they want. The only catch is that, as a gay man on the platform, you’ll have to buy Ashley Madison credits to access communication features. Fortunately, the platform offers plenty of discreet payment options.
9. Grindr
When Grindr launched in 2009, mobile dating was just taking off, and the app’s men-only, location-based matching system caught people’s notice. Today, Grindr is one of the most popular gay dating apps in the world. To date, over 27 million men have created profiles on Grindr.
- A men-only dating app reaches 192 countries
- Find dates that are just a few feet away
- Moderators review every photo and dating profile
- Browse Grindr profiles 100% free »
There’s no doubt that Grindr is one of the most well-known gay dating apps out there, but the platform is more than a hookup app. It is a diverse tool and resource for queer communities across the world.
That’s because users can send unlimited messages without paying a single fee. As long as you establish a mutual match with another Grindr member, you can chat with them. Grindr also offers community spaces, such as forums and chats, to take some of the pressure off of making new connections. Premium subscriptions do come with some real perks, though, including the ability to match with members outside of your area.
FAQs: Are Chat Rooms Safe for Gay Guys?
Open chat rooms that welcome anyone and everyone don’t have a lot of safeguards — and that’s just how it is.
We don’t recommend open chat rooms for any people who are common targets for harassment and slurs, so we can’t recommend these platforms as a safe option for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s better to look for chat sites and apps that cater specifically to the community with built-in vetting and security features.
Are There Any Truly Free Gay Chat Sites?
Most effective and user-friendly gay chat sites have memberships and premium subscriptions that make the experience more personal and enjoyable. Those sites, including the ones on our list, also tend to have large user bases, so you can quickly find a chat buddy.
You can join completely free gay chat sites, but they typically come with drawbacks, including lots of ads, slow response times, and clunky interfaces. Some of the most popular free options include the Gay Chat Rooms at #1 Chat Avenue and the chat rooms at B-Gay.com. While these options do offer instant, free chat, they lack the personal connection you find with dedicated platforms.
Which Dating Sites Offer Video Chatting?
Dating sites and apps have made video chat more available to users since the pandemic in 2020. It’s an obvious choice: if users can’t meet up in person, chatting over video is the next best thing.
Unfortunately, once restrictions eased a bit, a lot of platforms rolled back video chat options or put them behind a paywall. But a few still make it easy for users to get a feel for each other with a camera.
The League offers an innovative feature called League Live, which challenges users to go on three-minute mini-dates via video chat. If you and one of your mini-date counterparts both feel the spark, you can connect via text or even use a more standard video chat option to explore the possibilities.
Zoosk is a fast-growing dating site that reaches singles of all ages and orientations. This global network facilitates romantic connections between gay men with its behavioral matchmaking algorithm, advanced search filters, and premium communication tools. Every day, Zoosk members send over 3 million messages on the site and build close relationships.
- Over 40 million members of all orientations
- Seamless social media integration
- Thousands of success stories in the LGBTQ community
- Browse Zoosk profiles 100% free »
Zoosk also offers a Live feature, but instead of mini-dates users can broadcast to many people at the same time. While you’re on Live, you can favorite potential partners who tune in, and connect after you finish broadcasting. You can also watch Live broadcasts from other users, send messages to them while they respond in real time, and forge a deeper connection.
A Dating Platform is a Great Place to Start a New Conversation
Whether you’re looking for your next hookup, or just want to explore your sexual orientation and identity in a safe, open-minded community, free gay chat sites offer welcoming people and freedom from harassment.
These apps and sites let you be as anonymous or public as you want, so you can talk to members of the gay community without fear. So, join a new site and start talking!
