Only Lads
Only Lads Registration
Only Lads Messaging
only lads profile

Our Review

Only Lads was founded by UK-based entrepreneur Jimmy Forrester-Fellowes, who thought that gay dating apps lacked something and/or needed some improvement. With over six years since its official launch, the dating site has already gained over 3 million registered members worldwide.

Because of the perks of being a free member on the website, more and more gay and bisexual men are choosing Only Lads as their main dating platform. It even offers a one-day premium membership trial to all its new members, so you get to experience what it’s like to be a premium member and get to decide whether it is worthy to get your membership upgraded full-time.

New members at Only Lads in March 2024 in comparison

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

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Only Lads Members

Members
1,500,000 from United Kingdom
Members activity
300,000 active weekly
Gender Proportion
0 %
100 %
  • All members are gay males
  • Most members are from the younger age range
  • Majority of the members are from the United States
  • There are no females on the site
  • Members are spread across age groups
  • The site only accepts gay male members so you will not see a female member here.

The site  only accepts gay male members so you will not see a female member here.

Most of the members are from the United States, but there are also significant membership coming from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Germany, and Austrial only lads

The population is mostly on the younger side, but there is membership across all age groups. Most members are on the age group 25 to 34 although it is almost equally distributed among all age groups.

Females
Males

Only Lads Age Range and Age Distribution

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

How to Sign Up for Only Lads

Only Lads Registration
  • Registration takes 1-3 minutes
  • You can sign up via Facebook
  • You need to fill out a personal information form
  • Profile activation code is sent to the email you provided

Signing up in Only Lads is a quick and easy process. You have the option to sign up through Facebook to make your registration quicker and more hassle-free. If you wish not to, you can register by providing your email and filling out a personal information form.

The personal information form asks you to provide your name, sexuality (if you are gay or bisexual), email, and birthday. You also need to nominate a password and answer a captcha to prove that you are a real person. After this, you have to agree to the site’s 'Terms' and 'Privacy Policy,' and confirm that you are over the age of 18 years old.

Afterward, a profile activation code is sent to the email you provided. You need to enter the code to validate the authenticity of your account. Thereafter, you are redirected to the profile setup page, which you can and do later. A successful sign up automatically grants you a one-day free trial of Only Lads’ premium membership.

Making Contact on Only Lads

Only Lads Messaging
  • Search results page displays nearby users
  • You can view members who visited your profile
  • Sending ‘Icebreakers’ is free
  • You can add members you like to your ‘Favourites List’
  • You can send friend requests to users you want to keep a close connection with

Only Lads’ contacting features are basic. However, what makes it different from other dating sites is that it offers many perks to its free members. The different contacting features of Only Lads are:

  1. Icebreaker - sending either a wink, a smile, a wave, or a poke to other members
  2. Chat - send messages to other users
  3. Favourites List - contains interesting members that you have favourited
  4. Friends List - the members you approved to be part of your Friends list or who have approved your friend requests
  5. Search nearby - displays nearby members

Being a premium member of the dating site allows you to have an unlimited number of messages sent per day, as well as an unlimited number of members in your ‘Favourites’ and ‘Friends’ lists. A free member can send up to a maximum of three messages per day, and an unlimited number of ‘Icebreakers’. Free members can also manage at most 10 friends in their ‘Friends List’ and 20 users in their ‘Favourites List.’

As a member of the dating site, you can view who visited your profile and the members who sent you ‘Icebreakers’. Being a free member only allows you to have a preview of these lists, nevertheless, it could still be a great help when you want to connect with another member.

Only Lads Profile Quality

only lads profile
  • Profile setup takes six steps
  • You can upload photos to your ‘Locked Album’ and ‘Messenger’ Album
  • Profile information and profile photo can be edited later
  • Public photo gallery is visible to everyone
  • Profile displays your ‘Friends List’

    If you decide to skip the 6-step profile setup after registering to be a member of Only Lads, you can still go back to the setup anytime you wish. Just simply click the ‘Update Profile’ found on your ‘Home’ page or in the drop-down menu under your name.

    The sections that appear on each members’ profiles depend on which sections they decide to fill up or skip. At the most top of the profile are the cover photo, profile photo, your username, and profile headline. The four contacting features are also in this section.

    Below these sections are your photo gallery and the ‘Introduction’ paragraph about yourself. You can have three different types of photo galleries. One is the ‘Public,’ which is displayed to all members of Only Lads. The other is the ‘Private,’ which other members need permission to access. And the last is the ‘Messenger’ album which has the photos you can send as attachments in messages.

    After the photo gallery is the ‘About’ section that has your basic personal information and details about your appearance. The next section is all about what or who you’re looking for on the website. It contains a paragraph and basic details about your match criteria.

    The bottom part of your profile shows details about your lifestyle and interests. It also displays your ‘Friends’ and ‘Favourites’ lists if you have one.

    Only Lads App

    OnlyLads App
    • Same features as the website
    • Clean and clear user interface
    • Profiles show how far you are from a user
    • App only requires small free storage
    • App is downloadable in App Store and Play Store

    Only Lads’ mobile app has the same features as the website. The only difference is, it is optimised for users who are on-the-go. Whenever you click a user from the search results, the whole screen will show that member’s profile photo, with basic details at the bottom.

    These details are his name, the types of relationship he’s looking for, age, how far away that member is from you in terms of  kilometers , and the number of photos he has on his gallery. When you scroll up, you will see that member’s full profile along with the contacting features.

    Only Lads Real Life Review

    “I’ve been using different gay dating apps for over 3 years now. I did have successes in some, but I don’t think it was worth paying the hefty monthly membership fee. The other completely free gay dating sites, on the other hand, were full of fake profiles and members who just wanted to scam me. And then I found out about Only Lads which offers a one-day free trial for its premium membership, and also has limited but nevertheless, amazingly fair perks for free members. With the perks that come with being a free member, I still get to interact with other members. Plus, I am sure that the users I interact with are genuine with using the website because the site is not totally free. I feel safe and content with what Only Lads has to offer.” 

    - Joey, 33, Seattle

    Design and Usability

    Only Lads’ web design was well-thought of in terms of providing a seamless usability for its users. The design is clean and straightforward. There are four tabs on its main menu found on the upper left side of the page. The first tab is the ‘Home’ where you will see the six main interaction page features that you can view and use. This design is similar to its mobile app, with the features hidden in a collapsible menu.

    You can also find a sidebar menu on the website consisting of the same features listed above, with ‘Account Settings’ added to it, same as the mobile's.

    The next two tabs are the ‘Search’, which would take you to the ‘Nearby’ members search results page, and the ‘Chat’ tab which is your message inbox. The last tab on the main menu is your name, which is a collapsible menu that has the ‘update profile’, ‘account settings’, and ‘logout’ function buttons.

    Only Lads Costs and Prices

    Free Features
    • Send ‘Icebreakers’
    • Standard definition viewing of photos
    • Up to 50 profiles you can browse per day
    • Up to 3 messages you can send per day
    • Up to 10 search results pages you can view
    • Up to 10 friends you can have in your Friends List
    • Up to 20 users you can put in your Favourites List
    • View a preview of who visited and favourited your profile
    Premium Features
    • High definition viewing of photos
    • Unlimited browsing of profiles
    • Unlimited sending of messages
    • Access to unlimited search results pages
    • Unlimited number of friends
    • Unlimited number of users in your ‘Favourites List’
    • Full view of the list of users who visited your profile
    • Full view of the list of users who favourited you
    • Ability to turn off advertisements

    Is Only Lads expensive or cheap?

    In comparison to other providers Only Lads is low-priced.

    Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
    Premium Membership
    1 Month12.95 USD / Month12.95 USD
    Only Lads Membership
    Payment Options
    • Credit Card
    • Direct Debit

    Only Lads has a premium membership that is offered monthly. The site usually offers 30% to 46% discount from time-to-time to encourage its members to upgrade. Having a premium membership in Only Lads unlocks all limitations of being a free member. You can send an unlimited number of messages and have an unlimited number of friends and favourites.

    Special Features

    The six features of Only Lads are:

    Nearby

    Shows you the members who are approximate to your current location

    Chat 

    Your message inbox

    Visited You

    Shows you the members who recently viewed your profile

    Friends

    Your friends list

    Favorites

    The members who you put into your ‘Favorites List’

    Update Profile

    Would take you to the different profile sections that you can edit

    Our rating

    Signing Up: 3.0 / 5
    Making Contact: 3.0 / 5
    Profile Quality: 3.0 / 5
    App: 3.0 / 5
    Real Life Review: 3.5 / 5

    Editor's Conclusion

    Chris Pleines, Author at Datingscout.co.uk
    Chris Pleines
    Founder of Datingscout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
    Overall, the simple features of Only Lads are straightforward in connecting gay and bisexual men with each other. Even if it offers no unique features, it gives free members a chance to use and experience what the site has to offer by giving them generous perks.As a free member, you can enjoy the site’s features only for a limited number of times. Still, this can make wonders for men who are looking for friendship or any kind of relationship through gay dating apps. Yet, if you think this website is not for you, you can browse our other reviews in our Gay Dating Sites category and determine if another dating site fits your needs better.

    Only Lads FAQ

    Facts

    Who founded Only Lads?

    It was founded by entrepreneur Jimmy Forrester-Fellowes.

    When was Only Lads first launched?

    It was first launched in 2012.

    Is Only Lads only for gay men?

    Yes, the site is exclusive to gay and bisexual men.

    Usability

    How do I send a message in Only Lads?

    You can send a message to any member by going to that member’s profile and clicking the ‘Chat’ button.

    How come I cannot send a message to another Only Lads member?

    Free members are only allowed to send a maximum of three free messages per day, so maybe you have exceeded your daily limit. If you wish to send an unlimited number of messages, you can upgrade your membership to premium.

    How come I cannot see the full list of who favourited me?

    Only premium paying members of Only Lads can view the full list of those who favorited them.

    How do I remove the advertisements showing on my mobile app?

    You can remove ads from your mobile app by upgrading your Only Lads membership.

    Why can I no longer add friends to my list?

     Free members can only have a maximum of 10 friends in their list. You can upgrade your Only Lads membership to have an unlimited number of friends.

    Security

    What security features does Only Lads offer?

    Only Lads has a published Privacy Policy and Terms of Usage that are strictly enforced and monitored.

    I suspect a scammer, how do I report the user?

    You can report an Only Lads user by clicking the ‘Report profile’ button found on his or her profile.

    Someone is being abusive, how do I block that user?

    You can block an Only Lads user by clicking the ‘Block profile’ button found on his or her profile.

    Membership

    How do I join Only Lads?

    You can sign up on the registration page or connect your Facebook account for a quicker registration.

    Does Only Lads offer premium membership?

    Yes, it has one type of premium membership that can last for a month at $12.95 cost.

    How do I permanently delete my Only Lads profile?

    You can delete your profile by going through your ‘Account Settings’ and clicking the ‘Remove Your Account’ button.

    Can I temporarily hide my Only Lads profile?

    Unfortunately, there is no option to temporarily hide your profile.

    How do I cancel my Only Lads premium membership?

    You can cancel your premium membership by clicking the ‘Membership Management’ link on your ‘Account Settings’.

    Does Only Lads offer refunds?

    Under no circumstance are refunds offered to members who decide to cancel their premium membership.

    Usability

    What is an ‘Icebreaker’?

    An ‘Icebreaker’ is a quick contacting feature of Only Lads that you can send for free. You can send either a wink, smile, wave, or poke.

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