Batemates Nears 10,000 Members as Masturbation App Finds Niche

Batemates is nearing 10,000 members

Batemates is approaching a 10,000-member milestone as it positions itself as the primary dedicated platform for communal male masturbation. The subscription-based service launched in October 2024 to provide a permanent home for "bators" who were displaced by stricter moderation on mainstream video apps.

The platform caters to a specific niche of the LGBTQ+ community that practices "bating," or masturbating in groups over live video. Most users fall between the ages of 30 and 50. These men seek a combination of digital intimacy and sexual release that mainstream porn sites do not provide.

Founder Johan Guams, a 31-year-old product designer from Paris, created the site after finding existing solutions inadequate. He previously worked for major hotel chains and brands, and he applied that professional UX experience to "fix the flow" of communal masturbation. Guams wanted a space where users could build profiles and maintain connections rather than relying on anonymous, ephemeral video rooms.

Corporate platforms are banning sexual content

The rise of Batemates follows a mass exodus of queer men from corporate communication tools. During the 2020 pandemic, men flocked to Skype and Zoom to host "digital jam sessions" when public cruising spots and saunas closed. These sessions occasionally hosted more than 100 participants in a single virtual room.

The landscape shifted in 2023 when major tech companies began enforcing stricter "acceptable use" policies. Skype shut down its legacy services in May 2023, and Zoom began aggressively reporting and banning rooms that featured nudity or sexual arousal. Microsoft Teams also prohibits any content that depicts or implies sexual acts under its digital safety policy.

Guams describes this shift as corporate sanctimony. He argues that since masturbation is a universal human activity, LGBTQ+ people deserve a dedicated space free from the threat of sudden bans. Batemates leans into this reality with marketing slogans like "Everyone bates," targeting the hypocrisy of platforms that allow social interaction but forbid sexual expression.

How the platform handles safety

Batemates operates on a strict subscription and verification model to ensure user safety and compliance. The service costs $17.99 per month, or $155 for an annual plan. This paywall acts as a first line of defense against trolls and casual observers who might disrupt the community.

The onboarding process requires all users to undergo ID verification through a third-party vendor called Shufti Pro. While the company initially required passports, it now accepts driver’s licenses for U.S. citizens. This process confirms that every member is an adult and helps the platform maintain a "real person" environment.

The platform uses several tools and rules to manage its community:

• Besedo: An automated content moderation service that monitors communications for hate speech or mentions of minors.
• Mandatory Cameras: Users must keep their cameras on at all times to prevent "lurking," which the community views as voyeuristic and predatory.
• Room Limits: Groups can host up to 32 people, though Guams notes that most users prefer smaller, more intimate rooms.
• Face-Mandatory Rooms: Moderators can toggle a setting that requires all participants to show their faces, creating a higher level of trust and vulnerability.

The rise of gooning culture

A significant portion of the Batemates user base identifies as "gooners." Gooning is a specific style of masturbation involving prolonged sessions and intense porn consumption to reach a state of extreme sexual arousal. Unlike standard masturbation, gooning is about the journey and the loss of inhibitions rather than a quick climax.

The practice often involves "poppers," a recreational inhalant used to enhance physical sensations. Batemates supports this subculture by providing a "bator-friendly guide" to poppers and allowing users to tag rooms specifically for gooning. Guams describes the state as a "communion of pleasure" where men can moan, grunt, and express themselves without judgment.

There is a sharp distinction between different types of play on the platform:

• Bating: General communal masturbation, often ending in ejaculation.
• Edging: Repeatedly reaching the brink of orgasm and stopping to prolong the experience.
• Gooning: A trance-like state of total sexual immersion that can last for hours.

Guams criticizes mainstream media and podcasts for "misappropriating" gooning culture for profit. He argues that true gooning is about deep vulnerability and bonding with oneself, rather than a performative show for an audience. He intends for Batemates to protect the authentic version of this practice from being co-opted by "tourists."

Filtering by kink and ethnicity

The Batemates interface includes a robust search function that allows users to find partners based on specific criteria. Users can filter by age, race, location, and fetishes. Common kinks listed on the site include leather, verbal play, toys, and fisting.

The inclusion of an ethnicity filter has drawn some internal debate, as other apps like Grindr removed similar features in 2020 to combat discrimination. However, Guams, who is biracial, defends the choice. He believes the filter allows men of color to find their own "community within the community" in a space often dominated by white users.

According to Guams, people of color currently account for roughly 50 percent of the active rooms on the platform daily. He argues that the filter facilitates comfort and representation rather than fetishization. This focus on specific sub-communities is a core part of the platform's "by bators, for bators" philosophy.

Privacy and the business model

Batemates is currently available only as a desktop application for Windows and macOS. The company plans to launch a mobile-friendly web version by the end of 2024. By avoiding the official Apple and Google app stores, Batemates bypasses the restrictive "no-porn" rules that govern mobile software distribution.

The business remains independent, with no outside investors and no advertising revenue. Guams insists that the platform will never sell user data, as the subscription fees provide enough revenue to sustain operations. This independence allows the site to host "taboo" content that venture-backed startups would likely censor to appease advertisers.

User privacy is a primary concern for the community, as many members have professional careers that could be jeopardized by their participation. Many bators wear pup hoods or masks during sessions, while others frame their cameras from the neck down. The platform's moderation tools allow these users to participate in "face-optional" rooms while still adhering to the "no lurking" rule.

For users like Jaxon Roman, a 33-year-old program analyst, Batemates provides a sense of "pure bliss" and stress relief. The platform’s growth suggests that as mainstream tech becomes more sanitized, the demand for specialized, high-security adult spaces will continue to rise. Guams intends to keep the platform focused on these core users as it expands its feature set in the coming year.