The latest articles on DEV Community by Embyr Dating (@embyrdating). https://dev.to/embyrdating https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3948357%2Fe22eeaca-19f5-4fc5-8ae6-5d016bbb1e10.png https://dev.to/embyrdating en Embyr Dating Sat, 23 May 2026 23:51:05 +0000 https://dev.to/embyrdating/show-hn-i-built-a-free-grindr-alternative-no-ads-no-paywalls-just-men-connecting-33g3 https://dev.to/embyrdating/show-hn-i-built-a-free-grindr-alternative-no-ads-no-paywalls-just-men-connecting-33g3 <p>I got tired of Grindr. The ads, the paywalls, the endless subscriptions just to see who liked you. So I built my own.</p> <h2> What is Embyr? </h2> <p><strong>Embyr</strong> is a free gay dating app — no ads, no paywalls, no "subscribe to see who messaged you." Just men connecting.</p> <p>It's built with <strong>Next.js</strong> (App Router), <strong>Tailwind CSS</strong>, and <strong>PostgreSQL</strong>. Fully responsive (mobile-first), multilingual (25 languages), and designed to be inclusive.</p> <h2> Why I built it </h2> <p>Grindr charges €30+/month just for basic features. Scruff is going the same way. These platforms treat their users like products. Meanwhile, the gay community deserves better digital spaces.</p> <p>Embyr is:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>100% free</strong> during launch phase</li> <li> <strong>No ads</strong> — your feed isn't an auction</li> <li> <strong>Unlimited messaging</strong> — talk to anyone</li> <li> <strong>Founder badges</strong> — first users get lifetime perks</li> <li> <strong>Privacy-first</strong> — no data selling</li> </ul> <h2> What's under the hood </h2> <ul> <li>⚡ <strong>Next.js 15</strong> with App Router, Turbopack</li> <li>🎨 <strong>Dark aesthetic UI</strong> with Aurora gradients</li> <li>🌍 <strong>25 languages</strong> (i18n via next-intl)</li> <li>🗺️ <strong>City-based discovery</strong> with geolocation</li> <li>🔐 <strong>Secure auth</strong> (session-based + OAuth-ready)</li> <li>📱 <strong>Mobile-first responsive design</strong> </li> </ul> <h2> The stack </h2> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight typescript"><code><span class="nx">Frontend</span><span class="p">:</span> <span class="nx">Next</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">js</span> <span class="mi">15</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="nx">Tailwind</span> <span class="nx">CSS</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="nx">Framer</span> <span class="nx">Motion</span> <span class="nx">Backend</span><span class="p">:</span> <span class="nx">Next</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nx">js</span> <span class="nx">API</span> <span class="nx">routes</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="nx">Prisma</span> <span class="nx">ORM</span> <span class="nx">Database</span><span class="p">:</span> <span class="nx">PostgreSQL</span> <span class="nx">Deployment</span><span class="p">:</span> <span class="nx">PM2</span> <span class="o">+</span> <span class="nx">Nginx</span> <span class="nx">on</span> <span class="nx">VPS</span> </code></pre> </div> <h2> Check it out </h2> <p>👉 <strong><a href="https://embir.xyz" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://embir.xyz</a></strong></p> <p>Feedback welcome. I'm building this in public and want to make something the community actually wants to use.</p> <p><em>Gratuit aujourd'hui, 5x moins cher que Grindr demain.</em></p> showdev webdev javascript opensource