Hornet Review October 2024

(Check out Hornet - your go-to online service for gay singles seeking love and connections this fall.)
3,250,000 Members
 100 % ♂ 
Good For:
4 / 5
3 / 5
3 / 5
Success Rate:
30 / 10
38 / 10
33 / 10
Compare Hornet
Age Distribution:
18-24
25-34
35-49
50+

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Hornet in 10 seconds

  • Hornet claims to be the number one gay social network
  • It is a safe gay community that comes together around shared experiences and common interests
  • The platform aims is to build a digital home for the gay community
  • It enables men to connect in more meaningful ways than just dating and hookups
  • Hornet has over 25 million users worldwide
  • The app is available in different languages other than English like Japanese, Polish, Afrikaans, Indonesian, Simplified Chinese, and so much more
  • Caucasians dominate the global user base followed by Latinos in the USA and Asians for the rest of the world
  • The website has an overwhelming amount of advertisements
  • Offers general free services and options to upgrade - Learn more here
  • You can use Hornet for free
  • Pricing starts at $3.74 / Month - More Information
DatingScout.com Author Chris Pleines
Chris Pleines
Founder of Dating Scout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
Hornet, as a social network, is a glittering success. It has plenty of members evenly distributed throughout the world and it provides original and refreshing content that facilitates connections not limited to the romantic kind. 

Who is Hornet for and not for?

  • For single gays looking for serious relationships
  • For gay men seeking romantic flings that could lead to long-term relationships
  • For people who are looking for friendships with like-minded individuals
  • Not for uptight and conservative individuals
  • Not for people who are not into gay dating
  • Not for straight single men
Back to Overview

Hornet Pros & Cons

  • Hornet combines the features of a social network and a dating site
  • Has a large member base with over 25 million members
  • Features helpful and interesting articles about the gay community
  • The website has too many advertisements that it already disrupts the dating experience
  • There are still fake profiles despite its efforts to filter suspicious accounts
  • The app crashes when used simultaneously with other applications

How much does Hornet cost?

Can you try Hornet for free?

  • You can use or try the service for free.
  • All members can send messages for free
  • You can read the first messages in your inbox for free

Is Hornet expensive or cheap?

In comparison to other providers Hornet is in the upper midfield.

Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
Premium
1 Month14.99 USD / Month14.99 USD
3 Months9.99 USD / Month29.97 USD
12 Months3.74 USD / Month44.88 USD
Honey
500 Credits0.01 USD / Credit4.99 USD
2,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit14.99 USD
4,255 Credits0.01 USD / Credit24.99 USD
18,975 Credits0.01 USD / Credit99.99 USD
50,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit249.99 USD
84,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit399.99 USD
200,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit899.99 USD
500,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit1,999.99 USD
1,300,000 Credits0.01 USD / Credit4,999.99 USD
Hornet Cost
Free Features
  • Upload public and private photos
  • Search and browse other profiles
  • View photos
  • Send and receive messages
  • Unlimited blocks
Premium Features
  • See who checked out your profile
  • Search guys with all filters
  • Upload unlimited profile photos
  • View unlimited profile photos
  • Remove ads

With the premium membership, you can unlock the full features of Hornet. The platform also offers its in-app currency called 'Honey'. Hornet also offers different kinds of merchandise such as:

Hornet T-Shirt white: 15, 000 HP/ 15 USD
Hornet T-Shirt black: 15, 000 HP/ 15 USD
Sport Captain T-Shirt: 15, 000 HP/ 15 USD
Donation to Gay Games 11 in Hong Kong 2022: 10 HP
Donation to OutRight Action International: 10 HP
50USD Amazon Gif Card: 50 USD

Membership packages are in 1-month, 3-month, and annual increments. Transactions are auto-renewed but you can cancel anytime.

How can I delete my Hornet account and cancel my subscription?

Please find more information here

Back to Overview

Who is signed up on Hornet?

Members
3,250,000 from USA
Members activity
1,000,000 daily logins
Gender Proportion
0 %
100 %
  • Most members are in their early 20s and 30s
  • Each user logs in at an average 7 times every day
  • Has over 25 million users wordwide
  • Caucasians dominate the website
  • Members are gay men seeking meaningful relationships

Members are gay men seeking romantic flings that could turn into meaningful long-term relationships. Most members are in their early 20s and 30s, with a great percentage being Caucasians. 

There are over 25 million members worldwide and each user is reportedly logging in at an average of seven times a day. The site has an active member activity.

Females
Males

Hornet Age Range and Age Distribution

  • 18-24
  • 25-34
  • 35-44
  • 45-54
  • 55+

New members at Hornet in October 2024 in comparison

Here you can see how membership figures at Hornet are developing compared to others

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Back to Overview

Hornet in Detail

  • Reading time 16 minutes
  • Lots of insider information for more success

How to Sign Up for Hornet

Hornet Registration
  • You must be at least 18 years old to sign up
  • You can sign up using your username and password
  • You can sign up with Facebook, Google
  • You must sign up to browse Hornet

To sign up, visit the Hornet website or download the Hornet app. The app is available only on iOS. To complete the registration, provide all required information.

Optional Information on Signup
  • Username
  • Name
  • Your Relationship Status
  • Type of relationship you are looking for
  • Your Gender
  • Your Ethnicity
  • Greeting/Profile Bio
  • Profile Picture

Hornet offers the following methods to verify your account:

  • Security code sent to your phone number (required)

Making Contact on Hornet

Hornet Messaging
  • Give awards
  • Follow members
  • Send hearts
  • Post a status on your feed
  • Watch and comment on video stories
  • All members can send messages for free
  • There is a chatroom

Sending and receiving messages on Hornet is free for everyone, regardless of membership. The only difference is that paid members can see if their messages have been read by the receiver. 

Members can give award stickers that cost hornet 'honey' which can be purchased separately. They can also send 'hearts' to show their interest. Hornet is very similar to Facebook's style where users have an interactive newsfeed. Members can post their photos, videos, and statuses. Members can follow each other and comment on photos and videos.

Hornet Profile Quality

Hornet Profile
  • Profiles are informative
  • Shows a member's follower count
  • Members can write short introductions on their profiles
  • STD status is available but displaying it is not mandatory
  • Shows activity feed
  • Members can upload up to five photos
  • The profile information can be changed later
  • Profile pictures are visible to everyone for free
  • Password, profile photos, personal information can be edited later

Profiles on Hornet are detailed and informative, but not all members choose to complete their information. Profiles show a member's follower count and their news feed activities. Members may opt to show their STD status but this is not mandatory. Free members can upload up to five photos while premium members can upload more.

Despite Hornet's efforts to filter suspicious accounts, fake profiles are still present on the app.

Hornet App

Hornet App
  • Free to download
  • Still has the Stories section
  • Full of advertisements
  • Users report issues with spam bots
  • Messages and attachments sent can't be undone or deleted

The mobile app for Hornet stands out with its superior design compared to the PC version. It offers a smoother, more intuitive navigation experience. While it still features a Stories section complete with articles, photos, and videos, this is now found under a secondary tab. 

The main focus is on your matches—filtered by preferences or location—and your messages, making the user experience highly accessible and mobile-optimized. 

While Hornet caters primarily to the LGBT community, Badoo, although not exclusive to LGBT users, is worth trying if you're interested in more casual dating with a diverse group of people. If you're signing up for Hornet, using it on the mobile app is definitely the way to go.

Special Features

Check out Hornet's special features:

Stories

Hornet's main website looks like an online magazine with official news and entertainment articles. Though they have an in-house editorial staff, some of these articles and stories are actually submitted by Hornet members themselves. Anyone can apply to be a community writer and submit "witty, heartfelt, and outrageous stories or experiences". In addition to the written word, members can also submit pictures and videos. Before submitting your story, you have to pitch it to Hornet by posting a brief description in their Stories Discussion forum. They can then decide whether it's right for the website or not.

Events

Events are, well, the upcoming LGBT events near your area. It's more like a bulletin post rather than the Facebook Event you're probably accustomed to. Only the details of the event are posted with no sort of interactivity available (i.e. Facebook's Going/Interested/Not going). It's up to you to personally show up to these events. If you attend, you are not protected by Hornet's terms and privacy policy anymore, so practice common sense in choosing events.

Places

An app called Vespa was "an extensive and carefully curated database of places and events in 300 cities in 70 countries" for the gay millennial generation. Vespa was the leading city gay guide and it was acquired by Hornet in 2016, then renamed Hornet Places. Just as well, because news outlets revealed that Vespa's founder and CEO Christof Wittig was appointed as the new CEO of Hornet. On the same page as Events but in a different tab, you'll find Places. These are listed areas near your location by LGBT men for LGBT men. Places include testing centers, gyms, spas, dive bars, underground piano bars, disco clubs, and more.

Who Checked You Out?

They say it's easier to make a move, especially when the feeling is mutual. Thus, in the hopes of encouraging more people to be more forward with their flirting, "Who Checked You Out?" lets you know who's interested and took a look at your profile.

How can I delete my Hornet account and cancel my subscription?

Uninstalling the app will not cancel your subscription.

How can you cancel your Subscription?

  • You can cancel via profile settings
  • You can cancel by managing your app store subscription

Will your subscription automatically renew?

  • Yes, your Hornet subscription will automatically renew. The notice period for opting out of automatic renewal is 1 Day.

Is there a money back guarantee and do you get refunded the full amount?

  • Usually you will not get back the full amount, it will be reduced by the time or credits you used for Hornet.

Will your credits expire?

  • No, your credits do not expire.

Hornet FAQ

Facts

What is Hornet?

Hornet is a gay social networking service not just used for hooking up or dating. In here you can find people with mutual interests, partners, vacation buddies, even jobs, and many more.

How does the Hornet app work?

Hornet uses your GPS information to find gay and bi men in your city close to you. To enjoy this, you have to turn on your location-sharing feature (which is the default, anyway). 

Is the Hornet app safe?

As part of its new privacy policy, Hornet randomly changes your distance as it is displayed in the app, so no one can ever know your exact location and to protect users from location triangulation. However, sending out private information (like racy photos or contact details) is still under your jurisdiction and you must share these only with the people you really trust. You can read more of this on their terms and conditions page.

Is there a Hornet blog?

Yes. Articles, news reports, forums, guides, and so much more are available on the homepage of the Hornet website.

Is there a Hornet app for Windows phones?

As of the time of writing, no. It's only available for Android and iOS.

Is the Hornet app available for Blackberry?

As of the time of writing, no. It's only available for Android and iOS.

Is Hornet available on the PC?

Yes. Just go to Hornet.com and provide your login details.

Is there a Hornet app for straight people?

For heterosexual apps with similar purposes, check out our Casual Dating service category.

Who owns Hornet?

Hornet was founded by Christof Wittig in 2011.

What is the average age of users on Hornet?

The average age of Hornet users is between 29-37 years. You can find more information here

Usability

What does the orange dot mean?

The orange dot/s represent the number of profile photos a member has. If you see multiple dots, you can swipe down to see more of their photos. A dot with a handle on top (visualizing a lock) is a private photo and you have to request access to see it.

How can I see someone's private photos?

Go to their profile and click on the blurred photos with the lock icons. You'll see the question "Request access?" then click Yes. 

How can I upload more photos?

On the top right of the web page, click on the drop-down arrow right beside your username. Choose "My Profile". Click on the + icon, choose whether you want a public or private photo, then upload.

How do I logout of Hornet?

On the top right of the web page, click on the drop-down arrow right beside your username. Choose "Log Out".

How do I deactivate my Hornet account?

On the top right of the web page, click on the drop-down arrow right beside your username. Choose "Account", then scroll to the very bottom and select "Delete account". This is an irreversible action.

Can I browse Hornet without an account?

No, you cannot browse profiles on Hornet without signing up.

Payment

How much does a Hornet subscription cost?

Offers general free services and options to upgrade - Learn more here.

Security

Does Hornet sell your data?

No, Hornet does not sell your data.

Was Hornet hacked in the past?

No, Hornet was never hacked.

How accurately does Hornet track your location?

Hornet tracks your approximate location.

Do your Hornet profile pictures or profile information appear in Google Search Results?

No, your Hornet photos and personal information will not appear in Google Search Results.

Who can view your pictures on Hornet?

All Hornet users can view your pictures.

Is your phone number required for signing up at Hornet?

No, you don't need a phone number to sign up on Hornet.

Can you erase your personal data on Hornet?

Yes, Hornet provides an option for users to erase their data.

How can I delete my Hornet account and cancel my subscription?

Costs

Can you try Hornet for free?

How much does Hornet cost?

Hornet typically costs between 4.99 USD and 4999.99 USD. Compared to other dating services, Hornet's membership costs is in the upper midfield. You can find more information here

How much does it cost to sign up on Hornet?

You can sign up for Hornet for free, but to use its premium features you must upgrade. You can find more information here

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Why Can You Trust Us?

  • We have been testing and publishing online dating reviews for over 15 years
  • We have carefully reviewed over 3,060 dating services
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  • We update our reviews every month based on new site/app offerings and feedback from our readers
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  • Our Dating Experts are constantly cited by press and TV outlets, find out more here

Final Results table

Signing Up: 4.0 / 5
Making Contact: 4.0 / 5
Profile Quality: 3.0 / 5
App: 3.0 / 5

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Contact details

Address:Flat 27A, Tower 1, The Orchards 3 Greig Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
E-Mail:feedback@gethornet.com