From WIRED · Jason Parham · · 1m 40s
Grindr's $120 premium tier prices out most users
Grindr is launching Edge, a luxury subscription service limited to 1 percent of its user base, even as its CEO acknowledges an affordability crisis.
In brief
Grindr is launching Edge, a luxury subscription service limited to 1 percent of its user base, even as its CEO acknowledges an affordability crisis. Grindr is launching Edge, a $120-a-month premium tier limited to 1 percent of users, while facing criticism over data privacy and predatory pricing practices. Originally…
CEO admits affordability crisis
Grindr CEO George Arison told Reddit on Friday that inflation is terrible and there is a massive affordability crisis in the country that government has ignored since at least two thousand twenty.
“Inflation is terrible, and there's a massive affordability crisis in this country that our government has ignored since at least 2020.”
Edge launches November 17
Grindr is releasing Edge, a premium tier costing one hundred twenty dollars a month, on November seventeen. Early access opened today. The service includes AI-powered features like personalized recommendations and reconnection tools.
Limited to 1 percent of users
Edge sign-ups will be limited to one percent of Grindr's global monthly users, creating a digital gated community similar to the invite-only app Raya. The company aims to deliberately manage growth to preserve exclusivity.
Most users cannot afford it
Of Grindr's sixteen million current users, only one point four million pay to use the app.
“These VIP tiers make me think of [it as a] digital version of expensive hustler bars.”
Privacy and safety concerns persist
Grindr has faced ongoing criticism over data privacy and user safety. In September, the company agreed to a thirty five million dollar class action settlement over allegedly sharing users' HIV status with third-party vendors.
Users call out broken infrastructure
Many Grindr members say the app's fundamental infrastructure remains broken while the company pursues luxury pricing. One Reddit user called Grindr a top-tier example of enshitification and predatory monetization.
“Grindr is a top-tier example of enshitification and predatory monetization.”
The short version
Grindr is launching Edge, a $120-a-month premium tier limited to 1 percent of users, while facing criticism over data privacy and predatory pricing practices.
