Connect with guys this fall on Scruff - a social app for the LGBTQ community. Find friends, dates, and more in a safe environment. Say goodbye to half-naked pics with new app policies.
New members at Scruff in November 2024 in comparison
Here you can see how membership figures at Scruff are developing compared to others
Some members are travellers or are living around the neighborhood
Claims to have no fake members or bots
In Scruff, you will find guys who are looking for a homosexual relationship. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's only for long commitments. Some of the members are also open to hook-ups, flings and even just friendships.
Based on available data, the most numbers of members come from the USA.
Meet users who are living around the area or those who wanted to meet up during their travels.
The website promotion claims that there are no spambots around the site.
Females
Males
Scruff Age Range and Age Distribution
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
How to Sign Up for Scruff
Before anything else, you must provide your device location
You can browse through profiles and features even without an account
Scruff will ask you to describe your profile photo
The only required fields are name, photo, email, password, and birthday - everything else is optional
You can be open to anything from networking to no-strings-attached affairs
The location that you input will be given a corresponding latitude and longitude through Google Maps. Once this is set up, you can only update your location once every 24 hours. Before you upload your profile photo, Scruff will ask "Will this be a face pic?". You have to choose between:
My face is clearly visible
Only my body is visible
I'm not in the photo
Unlike other apps, a face pic isn't necessarily required, but they will still ask you to define your photo. As we proceeded with the test, it became apparent that this was done to categorise accounts. Only profiles with a clearly visible face can be included in Scruff Match. The aforementioned 5 fields are the only required ones and you can leave the others blank. However, a complete and descriptive profile has more chances to be noticed by other guys.
Making Contact on Scruff
Instead of a chat, you can send a Woof - "the Scruff way of saying hey"
You can message anyone, anytime
Different modes of communication available: a text message, a GIF, a photo, or a snapshot of your location
You can tick a box on their profile if you're interested in meeting the other user
You can send a message to anyone, anytime. Matching with them or payment are not required. If you're tired of saying boring "Hey"s or you've run out of pick up lines, you can click on the Paw button. This sends a Woof and notifies the user. You now have their attention, and they can send the first chat if they like what they see.
There's a special choice on the bottom of a user's profile that lets you tick appropriate boxes whether you're interested in meeting them or not. If you like each other, Scruff will notify you both. Within the chatbox, you can send someone a text message, a GIF (powered by GIPHY), photos and videos, or your current location. Very convenient and useful for hook-ups.
Scruff Profile Quality
You can be categorised into 'communities'
A partner (boyfriend, husband, etc.) can be linked if they have an existing Scruff account
Nudity is forbidden in profile photos but not in private albums
Profiles on the grid are organised into Online, New members, and Most Woof'd
Other users' responsiveness insights are viewable
The communities available are (and hold on to your seats because we're including every single one): Bear, Muscle, Guy next door, Geek, Jock, Daddy, Poz, Leather, Discreet, College, Otter, Military, Queer, Chub, Chaser, Twink, Bisexual, Transgender, and Drag. You can tick multiple ones. How often other members respond to messages can be viewed for free.
By clicking the lock icon on someone's profile, you are giving them access to your private album. They will receive a notification when you do this. Alternately, someone else can go to your profile and give you access to their private album. Profile notes (only visible to you) can be added on other accounts, but you have to subscribe to Scruff Pro to avail of this feature.
Scruff Costs and Prices
Free Features
Using the site without an account
Profile creation
Browsing profiles
Sending, receiving, and reading messages
Responsiveness insights
?
View how often they respond to messages
Premium Features
No ads
Up to 1,000 guys nearby
Unlimited private album sharing
Advanced grid sorting
?
Sort by date, distance, or last online
Browse anonymously
Unlimited search and filters
Is Scruff expensive or cheap?
In comparison to other providers Scruff is average.
Duration / Credits / Coins
Costs
Total
Scruff Pro
1 Month
14.99 USD / Month
14.99 USD
3 Months
13.33 USD / Month
39.99 USD
12 Months
10.00 USD / Month
119.99 USD
Payment Options
Credit Card
Via Mobile Phone
Scruff can be used perpetually even without a paid subscription. However, there are some unique and a lot of interesting Scruff Pro features. Some of the ones not listed above are: being able to unsend messages, protecting your privacy by hiding your profile from the Global Grid, and turning off push notifications while you sleep.
The most unique one is the intersect toggle for the search bar. For example, you ticked both Twink and Drag in the "He is" field of your search criteria. If your intersect is OFF, you will see profiles who are Twink and Drag, Twink only, and Drag only. If your intersect is ON, you will only see profiles who are Twink and Drag; not Twink only or Drag only. The default toggle is intersect OFF.
Special Features
Scruff Match
The common swipe-right-to-like, swipe-left-to-ignore matching system of many a dating app. The profiles presented are based on your "Open To" detail. If you're open to dating, you will only see guys who are also open to dating. This is nothing groundbreaking, although there are several functions available that aren't in famous apps. First, you can tap on the photo to view the details of that user's profile. Second, you can select the clock icon if you're unsure - the profile will be presented to you again on the following day.
Scruff Venture
Scruff Venture is touted as the "global gay travel companion". It is an informative and helpful tool that will help you if you're going to be visiting a foreign city. You are presented with different cities from all over the world (you can add your own, as well). If you click on a city, you will see currently online guys from that city, currently visiting, visiting soon, and ambassadors. You can view a list of upcoming events in the city. There is also a compilation of rooms available for rent, uploaded by Scruff guys themselves (like a gay Airbnb).
Scruff Events
These are listings of all the events near you (exact distance can be modified as you please). You can see the number of members who have RSVP'd to the event and the popularity of the event by the number of flame icons (3 being the most popular). Scruff Events can be organised by location, popularity, and whether it's sponsored by Scruff or not.
Our rating
Signing Up:
3.0 / 5
Making Contact:
3.0 / 5
Profile Quality:
3.0 / 5
Editor's Conclusion
Chris Pleines Founder of Datingscout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
Registration on Scruff is painless and secure enough that you're sure there are minimal to no fake profiles floating around the app. The special features are engaging, the users are active and 100% real, and we can foresee members using the site for a prolonged amount of time. That is, if you can tolerate not just the banner ads, but the persistent pop-up ads. Many of them are sponsored by Scruff themselves, but that doesn't make them less annoying. Throughout the test, we experienced a lot of crashes; in fact, the app would close down almost every 5 minutes. For other apps without these hindrances, check out the list in our Dating Apps category.
Scruff FAQ
Facts
When was Scruff created?
The company was created in 2010.
Who owns Scruff?
Scruff is privately held by Perry Street Software, Inc.
How does Scruff work?
After you create your account, you'll be matched with guys who have similar interests as you. You can also view events in the area and have a handy guide by the GBTQ community for when you're travelling to a different city.
Usability
Can I see who viewed my profile?
Yes. Just click on the Paw button at the very top of the Scruff homepage. You will see who sent you Woofs and who viewed your profile.
How does Scruff match me with another guy?
Your matches are based on what you put in your "Open To" section. If you only clicked networking, you will be matched with guys who also clicked networking.
Payment
Is Scruff free?
Downloading the app and most of its basic features are free. But you can also get additional features if you pay for Scruff Pro.
Facts
Who uses Scruff?
Scruff is used by a community of over 12 million gay, bisexual, trans, and queer men all over the world.
Usability
How do I make a private album?
On the homepage, swipe left to see the main menu. Click on your profile photo to get redirected to the Profile Editor. Click on your photo again and you will see a pop-up that says "Would you like to edit your public profile photo or upload a photo to your Private Album?". Select the "Private" option and upload your photos.
How can I block someone?
Go to their profile, click on the three dots on the top right, then choose between "Block" or "Report".
How many blocks do I have?
Free members get 150 blocks while Scruff Pro users have up to 4,000.
What do the Scruff icons mean?
A green icon on someone's profile means online, orange means recently online (active 2 - 24 hours ago), and gray means inactive (active more than 24 hours ago). You can find out more if you look up "Icon Guide" on the Scruff Support website.
What does the leaf mean?
The leaf icon on someone's profile means that they are a new member - someone who joined Scruff within the last 2 weeks.
What does the gray dot mean?
The gray dot means the user was last active more than 24 hours ago.
Cancel
How can I delete my profile?
On the homepage, swipe left to see the main menu. Click on your profile photo to get redirected to the Profile Editor. Scroll to the bottom where you'll see two options: Disable profile or Delete profile.
Payment
What is Scruff Pro?
Scruff Pro is the premium version of Scruff. By paying for a package, you can access additional features in different time frames.
How much is Scruff Pro?
A one-month subscription starts at $14.99.
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