Meetup review: pros, cons and who it’s for
Meetup is a long-running platform for interest-based groups and the events they hold. Members join and RSVP free; organizers run their groups on a paid plan, with a limited free Starter tier.
Checked October 2026 · By the Hiive team
Meetup
Community platform
- Best for
- Interest groups that meet regularly and want to be found by strangers
- Pricing
- Starter: free — one group, up to 2 in-person events a month and 10 attendees, no online events, and no event fees.
- Website
- meetup.com
Our verdict
What it does well, and what it doesn't
Pros
- A large, established discovery network — people search Meetup specifically to find groups.
- Group-first structure: members, RSVPs, waitlists and attendance live under one group page.
- Works for almost any interest, from tech talks to hiking to language exchange.
- Pro adds a dashboard, member exports and an API for organizations with many chapters.
Cons
- Organizers pay a subscription before they can charge for events; the free Starter tier caps events and attendees.
- Member email export and the API are limited to Meetup Pro.
- No venue or court scheduling, and no activity tracking.
- Organizer reviews frequently cite subscription price rises and features moved behind paid tiers.
Meetup pricing
- Starter: free — one group, up to 2 in-person events a month and 10 attendees, no online events, and no event fees.
- Standard: from US$29.99 a month (or $99.99 for 6 months, $174.99 a year).
- Pro: from US$55 per group per month, for organizations running many groups.
- Attendees pay Meetup a service fee on ticketed events. Event fees are collected through PayPal and member dues through Stripe.
From Meetup’s own pricing and help pages. Check Meetup for current prices in your country.
Using Meetup in India
Meetup is a global platform and is used in India. Meetup says plan prices may vary by location, so Indian pricing can differ from the US prices below.
Who it's for
Meetup is a good fit for
- Hobby and professional groups that meet regularly and grow through discovery.
- Organizers running free events who can work within the Starter limits, or who value discovery enough to pay for Standard.
- Organizations running many chapters that can justify Meetup Pro.
Look elsewhere if you're
- Organizers of ticketed events or venue-based sessions that need scheduling, check-ins or curated entry.
- Organizers in India who want ticket revenue paid out in rupees.
- Anyone who wants full ownership of member contact data without a Pro plan.
Features
Yes Partly No? Not confirmed from official sources
Meetup alternatives
Questions
Only on the Starter plan, which allows one group, up to two in-person events a month and 10 attendees, with no event fees. Standard starts at US$29.99 a month and Pro at US$55 per group per month (US prices, October 2026; prices vary by location).
Any organizer can download an event's attendee details. Exporting group members with their email addresses requires Meetup Pro, from the Pro Dashboard's Members page.
For event organizers and communities in India, Hiive combines local discovery with ticketing that pays out in rupees, venue schedules and curated membership. For free, interest-led events, Luma or WhatsApp Communities can also work.
Try Hiive with your real events. Free for the first couple of months.
Create your Hiive, or tell us how you run things today and we'll map the right setup and a useful pilot.
See the whole platform →Sources and disclosure
Written by the Hiive team. We make a competing product, so every claim about another product here comes from its own website or help centre, checked in October 2026. Prices and features change — check the provider before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Email jai@hiive.club and we’ll fix it.