Meetup alternatives for attendees: free apps to find plans and people (2026)
Updated: · Hellohood
In short
If you just want to show up and meet people without paying for Meetup+, try Hellohood for free small group plans nearby, Heylo for run and hiking clubs, Eventbrite for free local events, Meet5 for group meetups in Germany, France and the Benelux, BFF for friendships and InterNations if you are an expat.
Meetup is still the biggest place for interest groups, and joining a group or RSVPing to a free event costs nothing. But more of it now sits behind Meetup+, the paid member subscription: starting a direct message with other members, priority on waitlists, full attendee lists and skipping the service fee on paid events. On top of that, organisers pay for their own subscription and can charge event fees to cover it — so “free” evenings increasingly come with a price tag.
This guide is for attendees, not organisers: apps where you can find something to do and people to do it with, without a subscription. We build Hellohood, so it comes first, but every other app was checked against its official website and app store page (October 2026). Each gets an honest “best for”, a real downside and its pricing model.
1. Hellohood
Best for: Free small group plans nearby, no subscription
A free map of small real-life plans around you: coffee, runs, football, hikes, board games, language exchange and day trips. Join in one tap and the group chat opens, or start your own plan from one sentence and AI fills in the details. City chats let you ask anything, and people nearby are only visible after a manual check-in.
- Completely free: no paywall, no ads, no fees to join or to start a plan
- Anyone can start a plan — no organiser subscription, nothing to pass on
- 18+, profile photo required, no cold DMs; women-only plans, and women can turn off messages from men
Watch out: It is new (it started in Munich in 2026), so many cities are still quiet — outside Munich you may need to start the first plan yourself. · Price: Free
2. Heylo
Best for: Run clubs, hiking groups and other community clubs
A platform many community groups use instead of Meetup to run their events, chats and payments — run clubs, hiking clubs, cycling groups, pickleball leagues, social clubs and more. As a member you join the group, RSVP to events and chat with everyone in one place.
- Free for members: events and group chats cost nothing
- Popular with active clubs that meet every week
Watch out: Group leaders can charge for events or memberships (Heylo takes a service fee on those payments), and what you find depends on which clubs in your city have moved there. · Price: Free for members; some groups charge
3. Eventbrite
Best for: Finding free and ticketed events in your city
A ticketing and discovery platform: browse talks, workshops, parties, tastings, festivals and more, and grab a ticket. Plenty of events are free, from community talks to open workshops.
- Free events cost attendees nothing
- A huge variety of events in most cities
Watch out: It is a ticketing platform, not a community: there is no group chat to get to know people before or after, and paid tickets come with service fees. · Price: Free events free; fees on paid tickets
4. Meet5
Best for: Group meetups in Germany, France and the Benelux
An app for meeting new people in groups: members create meetups — dinner, bowling, a walk, a museum visit — and you join with others from your area. It is clear that it is not a dating app.
- Joining and creating group meetups is free
- Groups instead of one-on-one dates
Watch out: Private chat needs a Premium membership, Premium members get a head start on new meetups, and it only runs in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. · Price: Free; optional Premium
5. BFF (by Bumble)
Best for: One-to-one friendships and interest groups
Bumble’s friendship-only app: swipe to match with people nearby, then chat. The new BFF app (US, Canada and Mexico) adds Groups around shared interests with chats and a shared calendar; in other countries you get the older Bumble For Friends app.
- Platonic only — not a dating app
- Matching, messaging and Groups are free
Watch out: Outside North America it is still mostly one-to-one swiping, and swipe, match, chat, then meet takes time. · Price: Free
6. Timeleft
Best for: Being matched into a small group, zero planning
Fill in a short personality quiz and Timeleft matches you with a small group of strangers for a dinner, drinks, coffee or a run, and picks the venue. Many cities also have women-only dinners.
- No planning: group and venue are picked for you
- Small tables make conversation easy
Watch out: It works by subscription only (no single tickets), you pay your own food and drinks on top, and events happen on set dates. · Price: Monthly subscription + your own bill
7. InterNations
Best for: Expats who want regular social events
A global community for people living abroad: official events and activities in many cities, interest groups and forums with tips about expat life.
- Free Basic membership lets you attend official events and use the forums
- Everyone there is also new-ish to the city
Watch out: Many events charge entry, discounts and priority admission come with the paid Albatross membership, and the crowd is mostly expats in a networking mood. · Price: Free Basic; paid Albatross
8. Facebook groups
Best for: Neighbourhood, expat and hobby communities
Most cities have Facebook groups for newcomers, expats, runners, board gamers or language exchange, where people post meetups and questions. Search for your city plus “new in”, “expats”, “running” or “meetup”.
- Free and available almost everywhere
- Good for local tips and recurring meetups
Watch out: Quality varies: many groups are noisy or inactive, and there is little checking of who is posting. · Price: Free
Side by side
| App | Best for | Meet in groups? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellohood | Small group plans nearby | Yes | Free |
| Heylo | Run, hiking and social clubs | Yes | Free for members; some groups charge |
| Eventbrite | Free and ticketed events | Events, no community | Free events free; fees on paid tickets |
| Meet5 | Group meetups (DE, FR, Benelux) | Yes | Free + optional Premium |
| BFF (Bumble) | 1:1 friendships, interest groups | Mostly 1:1; Groups in the new app | Free |
| Timeleft | Matched dinners, drinks, runs | Yes (small matched groups) | Monthly subscription |
| InterNations | Expat events | Yes | Free Basic + paid Albatross |
| Facebook groups | Local communities | Yes (posted meetups) | Free |
Tips for meeting people from apps
- Check the full cost before you RSVP: event fee, service fee and whether you need a subscription to message anyone.
- Go back to the same group or plan two or three times — friendships come from seeing the same faces again, not from one big event.
- Meet the first time in a public place and ideally in a group — a run, a coffee or a board game night is easier than a one-on-one evening.
- Keep the chat in the app until you have met, and don’t share your home address early on.
- If nothing fits, start your own plan with a clear time and place — “Sunday 10am run in the park?” gets more yeses than “anyone want to hang out?”.
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Meetup?
It depends on what you want. For small group plans nearby, Hellohood is free with no subscription. For run and hiking clubs, many groups use Heylo, which is free for members. For one-off events, Eventbrite lists plenty of free ones. In Germany, France and the Benelux, Meet5 lets you join group meetups for free.
Do I have to pay for Meetup as an attendee?
Not necessarily. Joining groups and RSVPing to free events is still free. Meetup+ is an optional paid subscription that unlocks starting direct messages with any member, priority on waitlists, full attendee lists, an ad-free app and no service fee on paid events. Without it, paid events come with a Meetup service fee on top of the ticket.
Why do so many Meetup events cost money now?
Organisers pay Meetup a subscription to run their group, and many cover it by charging an event fee. When an event is paid, Meetup adds its own service fee for attendees who are not on Meetup+. That is why apps where anyone can post a plan for free are becoming popular alternatives.
Is Meetup still worth using?
Yes, for many people. It still has the widest range of interest groups, long-running clubs and recurring events, especially in big cities. The fair approach is to use it alongside a free app: keep the Meetup groups you love, and use Hellohood, Heylo or Meet5 for spontaneous plans and smaller groups.
Which app is best for finding a running or hiking group?
Many run and hiking clubs organise on Heylo, so check whether clubs in your city are there. On Hellohood you can join or start a run or hike nearby in a few seconds. Facebook groups and Meetup also list regular clubs. For a first run, pick a group with a set route and pace.
Is Hellohood active in my city?
Hellohood works worldwide, but it is new — it started in Munich in 2026 — so many cities are still quiet. Open the map to see what is on. If nothing is nearby yet, start a plan in one sentence; other people looking for the same thing will be able to join.