Hornet Review

Hornet is not just another Grindr by any means. Hornet is so much more than your average gay hookup site, though it can be used this way. This social networking service brings in all aspects of the wider LGBTQ community into one place. Hornet is uber cosmopolitan and can arrange you a hunky smorgasbord of men close to you or wherever you intend to travel.

With 25+ million registered users worldwide, you have options galore from Brazil and Russia, all the way to Turkey and Taiwan. Hornet gives you access to all the available studs nearby, and you can access all the latest LGBTQ news and city guides curated by Hornet’s editorial staff.

Hornet publishes their LGBTQ+ online magazine, fabulously named Unicorn Booty, along with Vespa’s gay city guides contributors. This site targets a diverse range of gay, bisexual, and curious about all the above. What makes this site unique is that its broader reach makes it accessible to women and non-binary subscribers interested in issues affecting the LGBT+ community.

With original curated content and cutting-edge technology, Hornet has earmarked the top echelons in gay dating across the globe. With an engaging and refreshingly social-minded catchphrase “connect to your community”. Hornet has allocated themselves as a giant chiseled peck above the rest of the gay dating community.

When Was Hornet Founded?

Launched in 2011, Hornet marketed themselves as “fun and easy for gay, bi, and curious guys to connect”. This site was the brainchild of financier Sean Howell and software developer and entrepreneur Christoff Wittig who aimed to provide a digital home for the gay community.

Who Owns Hornet?

Christof Wittig is the owner/founder/CEO of Hornet Networks and a self-proclaimed serial software entrepreneur who hails from the San Francisco Bay area.

Registration And Profile

Registration is an easy and painless procedure on Hornet provided that you have a Facebook or Google profile to link to your Hornet account. Once you link either one of those accounts, users can slip right into their services. You are then given a username and the option of a password providing you time to get your hunkiest pic up later.

You can flesh out your profile a bit more, and immediately, you will be presented with a grid formation of other singles in your area. Members with green dots on their status show that they have been active on-site in the past twenty minutes.

Bear in mind, you must be 18 or over to join this site.

Communication/Matches

Messaging on this site is freely available for all users, but unlike Grindr and other sites for NSA and DTF hookups, Hornet claims to focus more on interests and hobbies than just how hot you are (even though that is still very much a buying point).

Hornet does not use any algorithm based or personality test-driven matches. They give their users that old school free rein to seek and enjoy whomever they may. They have provided some tools to help them find a perfect guy under the “Discover” tab.

It is not always easy to find a match that suits you both physically and mentally; scrolling through endless profiles can leave a guy feeling kind of bored. Under the “Discover” tab, Hornet has provided users with a #search to narrow down the odds of finding a compatible mind to match the body.

Hashtag search allows users to connect with other guys who share similar interests. All you do is add a couple of hashtags to your profile to let other users know what you are about.

Under the “Discover” tab, you can find new faces and find out which hotties have been checking you out. You are also privy to all the shenanigans your favorites are up to as they are posted. FOMO anyone?

How To Search For People On Hornet?

For a dating site user, spoiled by curated matches delivered off the chiseled abs of 18-year-old virgins — sorry, this site is not for you. This is more of a DIY, toolbelt kind of vibe where you choose relevant filters to find your personal kink.

You can also get your GPS in the mix and search for matches through your location. You do not have to feel bogged down with the same old neighbors, though. You can extend your range to the other side of the world if you wish and select the exact national dish to tickle your palate.

Hornet users can message even if they are on a free membership. Make use of “Heart String” feature from which you can choose a prefabricated expression to send to a potential squeeze.

Compulsive list maker? Indulge yourself in Hornet’s ready-made notes option to keep tabs on just the person you are messaging (in case there is more than one.)

How To Delete Your Hornet Account?

To delete your hornet account, log in to website https://hornet.com and log in to your account

Click on your name or profile picture in the right corner of the screen, click “Account” and then

Click the “Delete Account” tab. Click “confirm,” and that’s it.

Members Structure

With a 50+ million user base, Hornet has one impressive power bottom. In the US, users top 3 million, and this site also boasts 1 million daily active users. The main age demographic is 18-34-year olds sending out 250 million messages per day.

This site is primarily Caucasian, with the other most significant ethnic group being Latin Americans and Asians. The average user stats show that each member spends over 100 minutes on the app per week.

Sexual Preferences

Hornet caters primarily to gay, bisexual, and gay-curious men, but it is more than just a gay dating app with their focus on social LGBTQ+ issues. This site allows for all sexual proclivities and preferences that do not contravene any law.

Race And Ethnicity

Although Hornet’s user base is predominantly Caucasian, there are no discriminatory policies that discourage users of any ethnicity. In America, Caucasians make up 55% of the membership, followed by Latinos (16%) and African Americans at 9%. Member diversity is shown in the 25+ language options for the Hornet app.

Religious Orientation

Hornet embraces all religious affiliations that are not discriminatory towards the gay lifestyle or community.

Pricing Policies

Hornet’s pricing places it in the upper-middle end of the dating app spectrum. All subscriptions run on an auto-renew policy, and all payments are credit card based.

Free Membership

• Free membership features
• “Follow” other members
• “Sting” other users
• Location filters
• Access editorial content
• Basic preference filters
• Send and receive messages

Paid Membership

• Want to be invisible options
• Find out who has viewed your profile
• Advanced search filters
• Unlimited photo uploads
• Remove ads
• No limit on profile views

VIP membership fees are as follows:

• 1 Month 9.99 USD / Month 9.99 USD
• 3 Months 8.66 USD / Month 25.99 USD
• 12 Months 4.67 USD / Month 55.99 USD

How To Cancel Your Hornet Paid Subscription?

In order to cancel your subscription on Hornet, users must contact their support team by writing to [email protected].

Android cancellations are made through your Google account. Go to https://play.google.com/store/account. Navigate to your Hornet subscription under “Subscriptions” and simply click “Cancel Subscription.”

iOS cancellations must be made through the App Store. Tap “View Apple ID,” enter your password. On the “Account” screen, click “Manage” under subscriptions and turn the Hornet auto-renewal into OFF position.

Is Hornet Safe?

Hornet has made security and safety the forefront of their app design. This extends beyond the reach of mere cybersecurity and into user health issues like HIV status. This site is the first gay dating app that introduced the “Know your Status,” which shows on user profiles. Positive users or recently tested users have a special marker on their profiles.

Hornet has also integrated extensive security and safety features into its app. Unlike Grindr, Hornet uses an HTTPS secure connection most commonly found on online banking accounts. They also provide subscribers with a private section for their image uploads, so that photo uploads are not freely available on geolocation.

This site also has a dedicated support team who are available to address any issues 24/7. There is also a greater degree of content control, and its restrictions are much more extensive than those found on other gay dating platforms.

Quality Of Profiles

Profiles on this site are not the most detailed out there. With more of a geolocated and manual search-based operation, they do not carry extensive information. User information density is usually achieved by algorithm-based parallel systems and extensive personality testing, which Hornet does not utilize.

Profiles show how many followers a member has and his HIV status (which is not mandatory). Although new members may start browsing with only an email confirmation, generally, users without photos or basic profile information are overlooked by active members. Member profiles show activity feeds to their followers in Facebook-style updates.

Users have the option of fleshing out their profiles with more information than just their physical stats. This information includes relationship status, what a user is looking for (to what roles they prefer in sexual relationships such as top, bottom, or versatile).

Website Design And Usability

Hornet’s website has the look of an online magazine with articles about a wider sphere of the LGBTQ+ community. There is also access to stories written by Hornet members in an open submission system. These stories, including photos and videos, are vetted by editorial staff before they are approved for this site.

Hornet has a decidedly smut free feel to it, and none of the profiles we have seen had any unmentionables. From the get-go, this site shows that it is a social community rather than a hookup site, even though it can certainly be used for that. Generally speaking, users looking for straight sex encounters are put off by Hornets’ restrictions on R rated content and opt for Grindr.

Hornet allows users to choose various cities in the world to find dates, which is great for setting up some love when planning to travel.

Incorporation of the Vespa database created “Hornet Places.” It gives users access to curated events and places in over 70 countries catering specifically to gay millennials. This includes testing centers, spas, and discos, clubs, and more.

How Does Hornet Work?

Hornet is a social networking site and a dating platform catering to gay, bisexual, and curious men. Users can follow or sting other members with free chatting and other features. It also provides editorial content in news, culture, and current events involving the LGBTQ community.

Hornet App

The app follows a similar layout to its website but is smoother in operation and has an overall better design. The stories are still accessible but occupy a secondary tab in the app. This app’s main focus is your matches and your messages; these take prominence on the screen. The app can be extremely ad-heavy, distracting and annoying, but VIP membership will sort that out.

The three main choices presented on the app are “Guys,” “Stories,” and “Places,” where members can read about LGBTQ+ events and venues near to their location. Men can search other members using hashtags to find men of similar interests, such as #bottom or #versatile.

Hornet app is available for free from both Google Play and the App Store. Google Play app has a 3,6 rating out of five stars from over 180,000 member reviews. The App Store gives the Hornet app a 3,3 rating from 900+ user ratings.

Alternatives Of Hornet

Grindr has the largest number of users of any LGBTQ dating app, with a whopping 27 million members worldwide. Searches are done by search filters or location. This site has a more NSA leaning than Hornet.

Jack’d uses a Tinder-style rating system, allowing other members to know if they are interested or not. This site has less XXX content than Grindr but also bases your matches on user location. They have a smaller membership, though, of 1.2 million users.

Scruff app is a safe and reliable gay dating app with a user base of over 12 million members worldwide. Men can search for other men and send messages or a “Woof,” which is an onsite way of saying “Hi.”

Conclusion

The Hornet site really does stand above the other sites as a community rather than a platform to find a quick bang, even though it can be used for that purpose. It is informative, fun, and socially-minded in a way that none other sites seem to get right, besides lip service. Even Forbes named this site as having “the largest LGBTQ newsroom in the world,” and they are certainly not just some hookup app in the least.

Hornet also is more inclusive to all kind’s gay users, rather than niche sites like Jack’d (for people of color) and Scruff for older gay men. They really are up to date on security and privacy, and their HIV awareness shows a great step forward in terms of users protecting themselves from the disease.

Working out way through Hornet’s site, we were pleasantly surprised with how classy and fun this site really is. We read some funny stories, checked up on some news, and generally had a great experience. Not once were we confronted with full frontals or those disembodied shots of men’s trouser snakes.

Hornet’s greater sense of the larger LGBTQ+ community sets this site apart and makes it superior to its competitors. The site is engaging and offers so many options other than just landing a date. Their addition of editorial news site “Unicorn Booty” was trailblazing in terms of uniting LGBTQ relevant news, Vespa listing of gay places, happenings, and dating all in one space.

Hornet may even be called educational. Even experienced users can go to the NFSW section and learn something new. For example, “Sploshing” is when people get aroused by being doused in gooey liquids (not usually the bathroom/bedroom stuff). Or, take Eproctophilia, a fetish where people are sexually aroused by being farted on. So, date or no date, Hornet is worth a shot — at least, for educational purposes. It is an excellent website — not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for anyone interested in this topic.

Contact information

• Company: Hornet Networks Ltd
• Address: Hornet Networks Limited
  Office D 3/F Man Lok Building 93 Bonham Strand
  Sheung Wan Hong Kong
• Email: [email protected]

Euan Barker

MS, RD & Writer

Nobody is perfect, but I will help you become the best version of yourself! Many couples were skeptical, but I showed them how easy a lot of problems can be solved. If you want to be self-sufficient and stay confident in your partner & relationship, just let me know, I am ready to help!

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