Is Scruff App > Grindr + Hornet In The Gay Dating Scene?

by Sejal Parikh · June 25, 2015

If you are a regular rover in the realm of the gay dating app-scape, you will find yourself chatting to torsos, biceps, and sometimes, if you are lucky (?) even a d*ck! Literally! It is no big surprise that the majority of the big players in the gay dating app-scape like Grindr are merely proliferating the hookup culture that has been popularized in the main nexus by the mainstream counterparts like Tinder. What, then, is the redeeming point for any new entrant in the category? Which new gay dating app dares to change the minimalist use that other gay dating app giants are proffering and offer more, much more?

Suggested read: Hornet is giving Grindr a run for its money

Scruff app. And no, I am not saying that there aren’t other players who haven’t attempted to redress the notorious situation and extricate the egregious apps who have made the whole section gain some real bad rep of late, Scruff app has just come out a clear winner! And here are all the reasons why:

Scruff App page showing users’ profiles

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Scruff app, true to its name, offers a variety of purposes that transgress the minimalist photo-and-objective approach of apps like Grindr. While Hornet sure ranks a few notches higher, it still does not allow to fill the acres of vacancy that a plaintive hookup culture or a mere ‘cruise and chat’ feature cannot redress. This is where Scruff scores.

Honestly, when Scruff started out, it was just another name in the gay online dating world. But as the ticks of the clock have rolled by, its makers have increasingly felt the need to improvise upon the interface, rev up the security, enhance the features, and also tailor the app to meet the consumer demands. And not only have the makers hit the nail on the head when it has come to list out the areas of improvement but done a remarkable job of the same. Behold the number of instances when Scruff app has not only hit the target, but also won our hearts:

By moving beyond the KYS feature of Hornet and attempting to eliminate the stigma around HIV positivity vis-à-vis the inclusion of Poz option, Scruff has won our hearts. In caring to challenge the prevalence of a ‘negative’ status (that, by the way, can change overnight) as the accepted norm and bring to the fore the paradoxical relationship the community has with HIV, Scruff has cared to resolve the dilemma of the fraught choices for Poz members and adopted a much-needed approach toward HIV-status disclosure, which, in the words of Jason Marchant, Founding Partner and CPO, Scruff, ‘is a small, first step. It won’t be our last.’

Scruff app page showing one user’s profile

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Eric Silverberg, CEO and lead developer of Scruff has, in lieu of the security and privacy breaches of location-based apps mentioned about the imperative need for understanding the limitations and benefits and risks associated with location-specificity and how the stakes need to be handled. He also has taken steps to incorporate advanced location obfuscation techniques in even more robust versions! Scruff has integrated alert options for places where homosexuality is criminalized and even options for hiding distance!
The latest inclusive gesture by Scruff for the transgenders has had us raving about the long jumps Scruff is making in the realm. And not only is the additive community feature for trans-people a value addition and needless to say, welcome gesture, Scruff app has also extended welcome to military men and men in uniform, becoming the first gay app to do so.

Scruff app page showing the list of interested members

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And last but not least, the ‘dating’ aspect with which we set the tone for the issue at hand – Scruff ensures that the forum isn’t just a place for hookup but transcends the limited scope to include friendships, romances, and even business purposes. No wonder Scruff is called Scruff! With the addition of Scruff Match to the list, Eric Silverberg, CEO and lead developer of the app concurs,

“The most important feature, frankly of any service in the dating world is the guys that are there. Whether they’re geo location based apps, they’re websites, or they’re personal adds, ultimately the [main] feature is the guys.” Silverberg explained. “What makes SCRUFF Match in particular different is we are essentially creating a space for gay guys who are specifically interested in dates and relationships and we’re saying this is a space for you.”

Silverberg is hopeful of the feature’s extended use and its ability to cater to consumer needs.

“I think SCRUFF Match, by creating a space for guys specifically who are looking for dates or relationships is going to provide a different enough experience that hopefully will be able to reach a lot of those people who maybe weren’t as attracted to or didn’t find the kind of community they were looking for on apps as they have existed to this day,” he said.

Scruff app page showing guys who are nearby

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And not just for these, but for so many other reasons, Scruff is giving its competitors a run for their money. Grindr is wading far behind in murky waters while Hornet has sure tried to reclaim itself from the abyss and float about in the same water body- but Scruff has, in all ways, risen above the storm and built a citadel that we ensure will keep you very, very happy!

After all where else’d you get a FUN gay universe ride offered to you on a free ticket- with so much functionality tucked in one gay app-space-ship! Happy Scruff-ing!