— Gay Hookup Sites —

— Gay Hookup Apps —

The history of gay hookup sites and apps pretty much parallels that of traditional online dating sites. Some of the earliest gay hookup sites date back to 1996 and 1997. In a way, hookup sites for the gay community predate the modern internet as we know it today. As early as the 1980s and early 1990s, CompuServe chat rooms and other early messaging bulletin boards were used by the gay community to find long-term relationships as well as casual no-strings-attached hookups. In that sense, modern gay hookup sites, such as Grindr, have a developmental legacy that goes back to the period before smartphones, before cell phones — even before the World Wide Web itself.

— What is the Difference Between a Gay Hookup Site and an App? —

Some use the term “site” and “app” interchangeably. If you want to be technical about it, a site refers to a hookup portal that you interface with via a web browser — while the app functions strictly on a smartphone or tablet. Some gay hookup sites exist solely as sites, others incorporate both a browser and app version — others, only have a mobile presence and can only be accessed via an app.

— Why Use Gay Hookup Sites and Apps? —

The use of any hookup site — be it for the gay or heterosexual community — implies that you are looking for a casual encounter. It could be because you are single and simply want some action, now. Others use such sites and apps strictly when they are traveling. The practicality of being able to find another person that is looking for the same thing that you are at the exact moment is quite convenient. A hookup site will normally be used for no-strings-attached sexual encounters — it’s just that simple and there is no need to conceal it.

— Are There Different Types of Gay Hookup Sites and Apps? —

Yes, there are different types of hookup sites for the gay community. Some combine long-term relationship searches with those seeking casual encounters. For some users, this can be ideal. You may be at a stage in your life when you are looking for a serious partner to settle down with, but in the interim — why not — you still want to explore some casual encounters. Mind you, other individuals would prefer to keep those two sides of their lives separate. Fortunately, there are plenty of sites that focus strictly on the casual hookup side.

The gay hookup sites that are designed around browser-based interfaces usually focus more on using input regarding your personality, likes and dislikes to generate the search results for potential hookup matches. They do take your location into account as one of the parameters in serving the match results, but it is not always the main criteria. Location based gay hookup apps, however, do use your current location as the main criteria in serving you potential matches.

Both of those types of sites and apps can serve an important purpose — many gay men have a presence on multiple sites and apps specifically for that reason. Gay hookup sites that offer a greater number of opportunities to tweak your profile and your search criteria can be an efficient way to find a casual partner that is in more in line with specific sexual tastes and fetishes. The location-based apps can be more effective in finding an encounter almost immediately wherever you happen to be at the time.

— Why We Review Gay Hookup Sites —

The online dating industry estimates that each year there are 12.5 percent more dating sites than the year before. While that figure is impressive enough on its own, it becomes even more impressive when you look at the numbers for gay dating sites. These types of sites represent over one-third of that growth. In raw numbers, that means that each year there are over 300 new gay dating sites.

With such levels of growth, we believe that our readers deserve the truth about what is available in terms of gay dating sites. Also, it is important to remember that all online dating sites will fluctuate in quality of service over time. This is why we review the new as well as the established gay hookup sites. This, in the hopes of being able to offer our readers additional insight to all of their gay hookup options.

We like to take a varied perspective in our reviews because we know that each one our readers will be looking at a gay hookup site from a different direction. Some of you will be new to the concept. You will want — and need — to know everything; from the basics of its functionality to the complexities of its user interface. Others will already be familiar with gay hookup sites but may be curious about stand-alone hookup apps, or vice versa. For those readers, we provide information regarding the robustness of each app and site. There are also readers that are shopping around for a new site — or app — to replace or augment their existing membership. For those readers, we incorporate membership cost information to help them with their decision.

— Gay Hookup Sites Continuous Development —

About the only thing that has been a constant in gay hookup sites since they started as humble chat bulletin boards in the pre-www days, has been that they are always undergoing growth and improvement. Gay hookup sites and apps will only continue to improve in terms of the precision and speed in which they provide matches for those lonely nights.

As smartphones continue to improve in technical capacity — with even entry-level models now offering immense levels of power — it is logical to assume that the numbers of gay men using gay hookup apps will increase in the coming years. It will be like carrying a hookup bar in your pocket — accessible to everybody.

Following the trend of the industry as a whole, hookup sites will also expand. By keeping our eye on the industry, we will keep our readership abreast of hookup sites as they appear, disappear, merge, or change.

— Conclusion —

The gay community is as diverse as any other demographic in the U.S. Finding casual encounters is something that should not require visiting multiple night spots. It should be a liberating experience, not a constricting one. Gay hookup sites and apps make this sort of liberty possible. If you are currently in a mindset in which casual encounters are your thing, take the plunge — try out a few gay hookup sites and set yourself on a course for fun action.