Meetup Competitors

For reasons I’ve detailed elsewhere on my blog, not everyone is madly enamored with Meetup.com.

Downsides to Using Meetup.com

While it’s a good platform for hosting live and online events of all kinds, it’s recently been acquired by yet another company and raised their rates.

As I’ve also detailed in other blog posts on how I was able to successfully leverage Meetup in years past to grow my digital marketing agency, I actually was a big fan of the site for many years and don’t have any personal feelings against the company so much as I think it’s helpful to be cognizant of alternatives for hosting events and workshops if you are at that point in business growth where you’re ready to “get medievel” on expansion and new client enrollment.

How to Use Workshops to Grow Your Business

So in this post, I want to present as robust as possible a list and analysis of potential competitors or even alternatives to Meetup should the need (or wish) arise for others to “shop around.”

To cut right to the proverbial heart of the matter for those in a bum rush, here’s my list of alternatives or competitors.

Now, please bear in mind here that this list is by no means exhaustive.

There may be and probably are a few others out there in the digital wild I missed and if you’re aware of some, send them my way and I’ll gladly update this post. Secondly, this list is not in any special order; just here for informational purposes.

• Tickettailor.com
• Heylo.com
• Downtomeet.com
• Verlocal.com
• Ticketleap.com
• The-dots.com
• Skool.com
• Ning.com
• Oddcircles.com
• Peatix.com
• Mobilizon.org
• Locals.org
• Kommunity.com
• Humantix.com
• Group.app
• Forj.ai
• Funzing.com
• Generalassemb.ly
• Farornear.com
• Facebook.com
• Eventsize.com
• Eventbrite.com
• Doorkeeper.jp
• Circle.so
• Bumble.com
• Bookwhen.com
• Appinall.com
• LinkedIn Groups

To compare and contrast these sites with Meetup, I’ll break down the evaluation into several key categories: purpose and functionality, target audience, ease of use, pricing models, and unique features.

Since we know already that Meetup’s a well-known platform that lets Organizers create and join groups or events based on shared interests (and that also promotes groups and events to their relatively modest consumer base) we will assess how each alternative compares in these areas.

1. Purpose and Functionality

• Meetup.com: A social platform designed to connect people based on shared interests. It offers tools for creating, managing, and joining local groups and events.
• Event Platforms
  • Tickettailor.com: Primarily a ticketing platform, Ticket Tailor focuses on selling tickets for events, offering customizable ticket sales, and event management features.
  • Verlocal.com: Similar to Ticket Tailor, Verlocal focuses on creating and managing experiences, with an emphasis on selling tickets and managing bookings for classes and events.
  • Ticketleap.com: A simple, user-friendly event ticketing platform that emphasizes ease of use in ticket sales and event promotion.
  • Humantix.com: A ticketing platform with a social impact focus, where booking fees fund charitable causes. It’s geared towards events, but with a philanthropic twist.
  • Peatix.com: A community-driven event management and ticketing platform, Peatix helps organizers manage events and build communities around them.
  • Doorkeeper.jp: A platform for organizing and managing events, particularly popular in Japan. It includes RSVP management and ticketing features.
  • Eventsize.com: Aimed at corporate events, Eventsize offers comprehensive event management solutions, including registration, ticketing, and attendee engagement tools.
  • Eventbrite.com: A global platform for event creation, ticketing, and promotion, Eventbrite is a close competitor to Meetup in terms of its widespread use for both large and small events.
• Community and Social Platforms
  • Heylo.com: Focuses on community engagement with tools for managing groups, creating events, and fostering communication. It’s similar to Meetup but with more features for ongoing community management.
  • Downtomeet.com: Designed to create and manage interest-based groups and events. It has a similar structure to Meetup, allowing users to organize and join groups around specific interests.
  • The-dots.com: A professional networking platform similar to LinkedIn but more focused on creative professionals. It includes features for community engagement and event management.
  • Skool.com: Combines community management with education, offering tools for group interaction, course creation, and event management.
  • Ning.com: An older platform for creating social networks, Ning allows users to build custom online communities, complete with event management and social networking features.
  • Oddcircles.com: A niche platform designed for building exclusive or private communities, with tools for event management and group interactions.
  • Mobilizon.org: A privacy-focused, open-source alternative to Meetup, Mobilizon is designed for organizing events without the commercial aspects of larger platforms.
  • Locals.org: A community-building platform that emphasizes local connections and events, much like Meetup but with a focus on neighborhood-level interactions.
  • Kommunity.com: An event and community management platform that allows users to create groups, organize events, and foster community interaction.
  • Group.app: Focuses on community building within groups, offering tools for communication, event management, and member engagement.
  • Forj.ai: A platform that combines AI-driven community management with event organization tools, focusing on enhancing user interaction within groups.
  • Farornear.com: Focuses on connecting people globally through events and activities, emphasizing cultural exchanges and international connections.
  • Facebook.com: Although a general social media platform, Facebook has extensive event management features that allow users to create and manage events, groups, and communities.
  • Appinall.com: A platform that integrates group communication, event management, and social networking, targeting both personal and professional communities.
• Learning and Networking Platforms
  • Funzing.com: An experience-based platform for discovering and booking unique local experiences, with a strong focus on learning and social interaction.
  • Generalassemb.ly: A professional learning platform that also includes community engagement through events and workshops, targeting skill-building and professional development.
  • Circle.so: A platform that focuses on creating and managing communities with a strong emphasis on learning, content sharing, and group interaction.
  • Bumble.com: Primarily a dating app, Bumble has expanded to include networking (Bumble Bizz) and social meetup (Bumble BFF) features, allowing users to form connections and organize events.
  • Bookwhen.com: A booking platform for classes and events, Bookwhen is tailored for educational and recreational event management.

2. Target Audience

• Meetup.com: Appeals to a broad audience, from hobbyists to professionals, focusing on connecting people around shared interests, both personal and professional.
• Event Platforms: Generally target event organizers who need tools for ticketing and managing events, such as Ticket Tailor, Verlocal, and Eventbrite. Humantix appeals to socially conscious event organizers.
• Community and Social Platforms: Target communities and groups with specific interests. Platforms like Heylo, Downtomeet, and Kommunity focus on ongoing community engagement, whereas Facebook and The Dots cater to both personal and professional networking.
• Learning and Networking Platforms: Target users interested in skill development, professional networking, and educational events. General Assembly and Circle.so focus on professional growth, while Funzing caters to those seeking unique learning experiences.

3. Ease of Use

• Meetup.com: Known for its fairly accessible interface, allowing users to easily find, join, and create groups and events. It’s user-friendly for both organizers and participants.
• Event Platforms: Vary in complexity. Ticket Tailor, Ticketleap, and Humantix are praised for their simplicity, while Eventbrite offers more features that might require a learning curve. Verlocal and Doorkeeper have niche tools that could be less intuitive for general users.
• Community and Social Platforms: For the most part user-friendly, with Heylo and Downtomeet offering easy-enough User Experience (UX for short) similar to Meetup. Platforms like Ning and Mobilizon could take more time and effort to set both create and manage, particularly for those unfamiliar with community-building tools.
• Learning and Networking Platforms: Ease of use depends on the focus of the site or platform you’re using. Funzing and General Assembly are moderately simple to navigate, with clear pathways for finding and joining events. However, it’s also important to note that General Assembly is more focused toward the tech industry. Bumble’s social features are well-integrated, making it easy to transition between dating, networking, and socializing.

4. Pricing Models

• Meetup.com: Free for users to join and participate in events (at least so far as of this writing in late 2024), but organizers must pay a monthly fee to create and manage groups; and that fee has already begun to climb.
• Event Platforms: These often operate on a “freemium” model, where basic features are free, but advanced tools and higher ticket volumes require payment. For example, Ticket Tailor charges per ticket sold, and Eventbrite has tiered pricing based on the event size and features needed. Humantix stands out by donating booking fees to charity.
• Community and Social Platforms: Pricing varies. Heylo and Downtomeet offer free basic usage, with premium features available for a fee. Sites such as Ning on the flip side often require a subscription for community creation. Mobilizon, being open-source, is free but may require donations for continued development.
• Learning and Networking Platforms: Pricing is usually tied to the type of event or course offered. Funzing, General Assembly, and Circle.so may charge for participation in specific events or memberships. Bumble’s social networking features are mostly free, with optional paid upgrades.

5. Unique Features

• Meetup.com: Strong focus on local, interest-based groups with features to support in-person and virtual events, community building, and networking.
• Event Platforms: Stand out with their ticketing and event management tools. Humantix’s social impact model is unique, as is Ticket Tailor’s customizability for different types of events.
• Community and Social Platforms: Offer features tailored to ongoing group engagement. For instance, Heylo’s integrated community management tools and Ning’s custom social network creation are distinctive. Mobilizon’s emphasis on privacy and open-source principles is also a key differentiator.
• Learning and Networking Platforms: Focus on integrating education with community engagement. Funzing offers unique local experiences, while General Assembly provides professional development opportunities. Bumble’s ability to shift between dating, networking, and social meetups makes it versatile.

LinkedIn Groups Compared to Meetup

When we look at comparing Meetup to LinkedIn Groups, it’s pretty easy to distinguish clear differences.

To put them side-by-side we have to consider their primary purposes, target audiences, and the specific benefits each platform offers for networking, event organization, and community building.

Here’s my detailed analysis of the benefits and differences between these two platforms:

1. Purpose and Focus

• Meetup.com:
  • Primary Purpose: Meetup is designed to help people create, manage, and join local groups and events based on shared interests. It is focused on fostering in-person and virtual connections around hobbies, professional interests, and social causes.
  • Community Orientation: Meetup emphasizes building communities around specific interests, facilitating both casual and professional networking through events.
  • Event-Centric: The platform is heavily event-driven, with groups often forming around the desire to meet in person or virtually for specific activities or discussions.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Primary Purpose: LinkedIn Groups are designed for professional networking, knowledge sharing, and discussion within specific industries or fields. The focus is on building professional communities and enhancing career-related interactions.
  • Professional Networking: LinkedIn is inherently career-focused, and groups are used to connect professionals within specific sectors, share industry news, and discuss career development topics.
  • Discussion-Centric: While events can be organized within LinkedIn Groups, the primary activity is discussion and content sharing, often related to industry trends, professional advice, and networking opportunities.

2. Target Audience

• Meetup.com:
  • Diverse Audience: Meetup caters to a wide range of users, from hobbyists and enthusiasts to professionals and activists. The platform is used for everything from hiking groups to tech meetups and activist gatherings.
  • Local and Niche Interests: Users often join groups based on location and specific interests, whether personal (e.g., hiking, board games) or professional (e.g., tech startups, marketing).
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Professional Audience: LinkedIn Groups primarily target professionals seeking to network within their industry or field. The audience is typically more career-oriented, with a focus on industry knowledge, networking, and professional development.
  • Industry-Specific: Groups are often organized around specific industries, professions, or roles, such as marketing professionals, HR experts, or software developers.

3. Event Management and Participation

• Meetup.com:
  • Robust Event Tools: Meetup offers extensive tools for creating, promoting, and managing events. Organizers can easily schedule events, manage RSVPs, collect fees, and communicate with attendees.
  • In-Person and Virtual Events: While Meetup traditionally focuses on in-person events, it has expanded to support virtual events, especially since the pandemic, making it versatile for different types of gatherings.
  • Discovery and Participation: Meetup’s platform is designed to help users discover new events and groups based on their interests and location, making it easy for people to participate in relevant events.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Limited Event Features: While LinkedIn Groups allow event creation, the tools are more basic compared to Meetup. Event management is not the platform’s primary focus, so features like RSVP tracking, payment processing, and detailed event promotion are less developed.
  • Webinars and Professional Events: LinkedIn is well-suited for organizing webinars, industry panels, and professional development events, often integrated with LinkedIn Live for broadcasting to wider audiences.
  • Professional Engagement: Events in LinkedIn Groups are often more formal and career-focused, such as industry conferences, networking events, and webinars.

4. Community Engagement

• Meetup.com:
  • Ongoing Engagement: Meetup groups often have regular events, fostering ongoing interaction and community building. The platform encourages repeat participation and deepens relationships over time.
  • Casual and Social Engagement: Engagement on Meetup can be more casual, with a focus on shared activities, hobbies, and interests, alongside professional networking.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Professional Engagement: LinkedIn Groups emphasize professional discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking. Engagement often revolves around sharing articles, asking for advice, discussing industry trends, and connecting with other professionals.
  • Content-Driven Interaction: The primary form of engagement is through posts, comments, and discussions rather than in-person interactions, making it more suitable for continuous, content-driven networking.

5. Platform Integration and Reach

• Meetup.com:
  • Local Reach: Meetup is excellent for building local communities and bringing people together in specific geographic areas. It’s particularly effective for local networking and community-building efforts.
  • Standalone Platform: While Meetup integrates with other platforms for event promotion (e.g., Eventbrite), it operates largely as a standalone service focused on events and group activities.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Global Reach: LinkedIn, being a global professional network, allows users to connect with professionals worldwide. LinkedIn Groups can reach a vast, international audience, making them ideal for global networking.
  • LinkedIn Ecosystem: Groups are integrated within the broader LinkedIn ecosystem, allowing members to easily connect with each other, view professional profiles, and share content across the LinkedIn network. This integration enhances visibility and networking opportunities beyond the group itself.

6. Pricing

• Meetup.com:
  • Paid for Organizers: Organizers typically pay a subscription fee to create and manage groups. There are no fees for participants to join groups or attend free events.
  • Free for Participants: Users can join groups and attend events for free unless the event organizer charges a fee for specific events.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Free to Use: LinkedIn Groups are free to create and join, with no associated costs for either organizers or participants. The platform monetizes through premium LinkedIn services, not through group management.

7. Unique Features

• Meetup.com:
  • Event-Centric Design: The platform is built around events, making it highly effective for organizing, discovering, and attending events related to specific interests.
  • Local Discovery: Meetup excels in helping users discover local groups and events that match their interests, fostering in-person connections.
• LinkedIn Groups:
  • Professional Networking: LinkedIn Groups offer a professional networking environment, ideal for career development, job searching, and industry-specific discussions.
  • Content Sharing and Discussion: The platform is well-suited for sharing articles, insights, and initiating discussions that can enhance professional knowledge and connections.

Summing Up LinkedIn Groups Compared to Meetup

Both Meetup.com and LinkedIn Groups serve valuable purposes but cater to different needs:

• Meetup.com is ideal for building and engaging with local communities around specific interests, with a strong emphasis on event organization and in-person or virtual meetups. It’s perfect for those looking to connect with others based on shared hobbies, interests, or professional fields in a more casual, social setting.
• LinkedIn Groups are best suited for professional networking, discussion, and content sharing within specific industries or fields. The platform excels in fostering professional connections, knowledge sharing, and career development opportunities, making it a go-to choice for professionals seeking to expand their network and stay informed about industry trends.

 

Conclusion

While Meetup.com remains a versatile platform for connecting people through shared interests and events, each of the listed websites offers unique strengths that may appeal to specific audiences or use cases:

• Event-focused platforms like Eventbrite and Ticket Tailor excel in ticketing and event management but lack Meetup’s community-building focus.
• Community and social platforms like Heylo and Downtomeet offer strong alternatives for group management and community engagement, making them more suitable for ongoing interactions.
• Learning and networking platforms such as General Assembly and Circle.so provide educational and professional networking opportunities, making them ideal for users focused on skill development and professional growth.

At the end of the day, if you’re trying to grow a business’ marketing efforts through a very deliberate use of workshops and similar events as outreach, or simply enjoy hosting events or groups for social purposes, choosing the right platform depends largely on the specific needs of the user, whether they prioritize event management, community engagement, learning, or professional networking.

Further, if the goal of using these sites is to exhaustively promote business-related events for the purpose of marketing/advertising that business’ offerings or services, than it makes sense to cross-promote. When I hosted events on Meetup, I’d regulary create “mirror” groups. These would be “different” groups with different titles, different graphics and logos, different pages, different local SEO targeting different nearby zip codes or cities (this is key) but would direct attendees to the same event, at the same location, at the same date, for the same price. And yes, it worked hand over fist every time.

Cross-pollinating is time-consuming if you don’t have help, but it can pay off in greatly increased attendance. This in turn, of course, can lead to greater Returns On Investment – and that, as they say, is the name of the game.

Addendum #1:

After re-writing this, I discovered a new site (new to me, anyway) called GoBrunch. After checking the site out and registering for a free account I realized that it’s actually not a bad alternative or addition to Meetup in that you could use it either as something different from Meetup or in addition to Meetup to create another mirror or duplicate site or group to have one more community to promote your workshop or even to.

The difference with GoBrunch is that it focuses more on virtual events than in-person. It permits teaching workshops both live and pre-recorded, presenting products or services, hosting larger and different online events and has a host of options and settings. You can start off with a free account (which I recommend at least until getting acclimated to how the site works) or pay for a premium account to permit more accessibility and options.

GoBrunch clearly uses the “freemium” business model where they offer a limited free version while offering more of what you’d ideally want for certain pricing tiers.

I’m not sure if I’d use it more (or less) than the other options on my site so far at this time but it’s a valuable addition to the list and one more tool we Organizers can potentially use.

Addendum #2:

Some of this material was written with the help of an AI model due to there being so many sites to compare and contrast with Meetup. AI of course can sometimes be outdated or incorrect, so please be sure to check each of these sites for completely accurate ideas on what they can or cannot do compared to Meetup.