Rangmel vs As You Are · India · September 2026

A free As You Are alternative, made in India.

An Indian LGBTQ+ dating app launched in 2020 that puts safety copy front and centre. Worth a look. Check its current listing for what it charges and whether it is active in your city.

Rangmel is an LGBTQ+ dating app built for India with no premium tier. What As You Are sells, Rangmel gives everyone. And it has the safety features for being queer here that the big apps never built.

Side by side

Swipe sideways to see every column.

RangmelAs You Are
Free tierEverything. There is no paid tier.Limited; premium listed
Only matches can messageYes, alwaysYes
Photo blurred until you chooseYes: public, matches only, or per personUnknown
Distance gridNo. Distance rounded, and optionalNo
Quick-exit buttonYes, every screenUnknown
PIN lockYes, freeUnknown
Trans and non-binary identities in matchingYes, both directionsYes
Women and non-binary peopleYesYes
Made in IndiaYesYes

As You Are facts are from its public store listing and website as of September 2026 and may have changed. Made for LGBTQ+ people in India, based in India. If something here is wrong, tell us and it will be corrected.

What As You Are charges for

Premium plans as described on its store listing.

On Rangmel there is nothing to unlock. Likes, standouts, undo and boosts come out of a daily allowance of points that every member gets and that cannot be bought. How that works, in detail.

What neither of the big apps built

1

Blurred until you say so

Your photo is blurred in the file itself until you choose who sees it: everyone, matches, or one person at a time.

2

Quick exit and PIN

One tap loads a neutral page. A PIN keeps a borrowed phone out of your chats. Both free.

3

Blackmail has a playbook

Sextortion on dating apps in India follows a pattern. We wrote down what to do.

Questions people ask

Is Rangmel a free alternative to As You Are?

Yes. Rangmel has no premium tier at all. As You Are premium plans as described on its store listing.

Is Rangmel safer than As You Are in India?

It is built for the risks that exist here: photos stay blurred until you choose, distance is never exact, there is a quick-exit button on every screen and an optional PIN lock. Whether it is safer for you depends on how you use either app; read the safety guide.

Can I use both?

Of course. Most people do while a new app is growing. Rangmel does not ask you to leave anything.

Other comparisons

Eighteen or over, in India, and looking?

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