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Software · head to head

Circle vs Meetup

Circle logo

Circle

Software

The all-in-one community platform

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meetup logo

Meetup

Software

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Circle location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • They diverge on capability: Circle covers Spaces, Meetup covers Groups.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Circle and Meetup actually diverge.

Attributes where Circle and Meetup differ
AttributeCircleMeetup
Starting price$49/month$55/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsIos, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20202002

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Circle

  • Spaces
  • Courses
  • Member Directory
  • Live Streams
  • Workflows
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Slack

Only in Meetup

  • Groups
  • RSVP System
  • Messaging
  • Event Photos
  • Recommendations
  • Google Calendar
  • Zoom

Both cover

  • Events
  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Circle

  • Running a branded online community with discussion spacesnot Meetup
  • Selling and delivering courses to an audiencenot Meetup
  • Hosting events and live streams for membersnot Meetup
  • Operating paid memberships with checkout and paymentsnot Meetup
  • Shipping a branded iOS and Android community appnot Meetup

Meetup

  • Finding local groups and events around a shared interestnot Circle
  • Organising a recurring in-person groupnot Circle
  • Running online events alongside physical onesnot Circle
  • Growing a community by drawing on Meetup's existing member basenot Circle

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Circle

  • Location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors
  • Does not monitor social media interactions or private messages
  • Requires Circle Home Plus hardware purchase for full home network control
  • Activity reports are limited and less comprehensive than competing platforms

Meetup

  • Organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • Increased paywalling of core community features
  • Platform is buggy with many unfixed issues
  • Customer support no longer available with AI responses only
  • Issues with billing accuracy and unauthorized recurring charges
  • Poor technical support responsiveness to organizer complaints

Pricing, plan by plan

Circle

$49/month
  • Basic$49/month
    • Community
    • Members
    • Spaces
  • Professional$89/month
    • Courses
    • Workflows
    • Analytics
  • Business$199/month
    • White Label
    • API Access
    • Custom Domain

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Circle if

  • You need spaces.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want courses.
Circle review

Choose Meetup if

  • You need groups.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want rsvp system.
Meetup review

Questions people ask

Is Circle or Meetup better?
Neither clearly leads. Circle starts at $49/month and Meetup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Circle or Meetup?
Circle starts at $49/month and Meetup at $55/month.
Does Circle or Meetup run on more platforms?
Circle runs on Ios, Android, Web. Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Circle best used for?
Circle is most often used for running a branded online community with discussion spaces, selling and delivering courses to an audience, hosting events and live streams for members, operating paid memberships with checkout and payments. Of those, running a branded online community with discussion spaces and selling and delivering courses to an audience are not what Meetup is typically brought in for.
What can Circle do that Meetup cannot?
Circle covers Spaces, Courses, Member Directory, Live Streams. Meetup covers Groups, RSVP System, Messaging, Event Photos. Both handle Events, Ios support, Android support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Circle: How much does Circle cost?

Circle offers a 14-day free trial of the app with all premium features included. After the trial, subscriptions are 9.99 USD per month or 89.99 USD per year. The Circle Home Plus device costs 129 USD upfront and includes one year of free app access, after which the app subscription costs approximately 10 USD per month.

Source
Meetup: What is Meetup Pro pricing?

Meetup Pro starts at $55 per group per month, or $47 per group per month for six-month commitments. Enterprise plans are available at custom pricing. A one-week free trial is offered.

Source
Circle: What devices does Circle support?

Circle works on Android, Apple iOS, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Xbox, PlayStation, Kindle, smart speakers, IoT devices, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and iPhones. An unlimited number of devices can be managed from a single Circle account.

Source
Meetup: What features does Meetup Pro include?

Meetup Pro includes event scheduling, group management, member engagement tools, community-building features, and integrations with platforms like Zoom and Mailchimp.

Source
Circle: How does Circle Home Plus work?

Circle Home Plus is a router-adjacent device that connects to your home network via Ethernet (with Wi-Fi backup) and manages all connected devices on that network. The Circle app then connects to this device to enforce parental controls across web browsing, app usage, and screen time across all family members' devices.

Source
Meetup: Does Meetup charge organizers fees?

Yes, Meetup charges organizers fees for hosting groups and events. Organizer fees have increased significantly following the Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024.

Source
Circle: Does Circle monitor social media?

Circle does not directly monitor social media content, conversations, or private messages. However, it can restrict access to social media apps and websites, and manage time spent on those platforms through screen time controls.

Source
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Related pages

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