Grindr is aiming to become an "AI-first company." But these new "gAI" features ain't cheap.
On Tuesday, the company provided more information about its AI-based subscription service, dubbed Edge. The cost, ranging from $80 a week to $500 per month, also depends on the AI services desired by the user.
In a blog post, Grindr’s chief product officer, AJ Balance, said the company is still currently testing Edge, which is powered by "gAI" (pronounced gay-eye), billed as “Grindr’s proprietary AI stack built specifically for how the community connects.”
"EDGE is designed for users who want a more efficient, higher-signal experience — less scrolling, better conversations, and stronger follow-through," Balance said.
Related: 'AI? Bye!' Why I'm quitting Grindr for good
Related: Grindr announces 'temporary changes' to protect LGBTQ+ Olympic athletes
Edge’s features include a subscriber's recap of conversations with other users, personalized match recommendations, and insights into other profiles, according to Balance.
“Together, these features are about outcomes, not novelty: connecting with greater confidence, better conversations, and more momentum,” he said.
New AI-enhanced features in Grindr EDGE.Courtesy of Grindr
Balance added that the company has already piloted the AI product in Australia and New Zealand and is now expanding the pilot to select U.S. and Canadian cities.
The prices for the pilot range from $80 to $200 weekly, according to screenshots shared online, Business Insider reports. That would mean Grindr EDGE could cost a user up to about $6,000 a year.
Balance said the existing subscription tiers, which are hundreds of dollars below that, would remain. He emphasized that Edge is optional.
Grindr said that "gAI" will impact the entire match journey “from discovery, to messaging, to reconnecting, so the experience feels meaningfully better from end-to-end.”
For those concerned with potential dangers tied to AI, like privacy, Balance said that users remain in control at all times and that AI-powered features can be turned off in privacy settings, while sensitive health data will be “categorically excluded from AI use.”
In a steep comparison, other dating app services like Bumble and Hinge average between $19.99 and $100 per month on their top-level tiers.
Grindr first announced its plan to incorporate an "AI wingman" in October 2024. Grindr’s CEO, George Arison, told The Wall Street Journal that the feature will be available to all users — nearly 15 million — by 2027.
In response, Out columnist Alexander Cheves, citing cost and security concerns, wrote an essay explaining why he finally decided to delete queer dating apps. "I was better in person. Maybe everyone else was, too," he mused.
Earlier this week, Grindr made headlines for implementing "temporary changes" to protect the privacy of LGBTQ+ Olympians at the Milano Cortino Games.
This article was written as part of the Future of Queer Media fellowship program at The Advocate, which is underwritten by a generous gift from Morrison Media Group. The program helps support the next generation of LGBTQ+ journalists.
