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Nonprofits · head to head

Glue Up vs Meetup

Glue Up logo

Glue Up

Nonprofits

Membership, events and engagement software with strong Asia-Pacific presence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meetup logo

Meetup

Events

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Glue Up pricing is not published, and quotes vary substantially by region, which makes budgeting harder than with the published North American tools; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • They diverge on capability: Glue Up covers Event management, Meetup covers Groups.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glue Up and Meetup actually diverge.

Attributes where Glue Up and Meetup differ
AttributeGlue UpMeetup
Starting priceOn request$55/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
CategoryNonprofitsEvents
FoundedUnknown2002

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Glue Up

  • Event management
  • Membership management
  • Member mobile app
  • Email campaigns
  • Integrated CRM
  • Regional payments

Only in Meetup

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

What people use each for

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

Glue Up

  • Chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across Asia-Pacificnot Meetup
  • Associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-onnot Meetup
  • Organisations wanting a branded member app rather than a web portalnot Meetup
  • Bodies needing local payment methods and regional data residencynot Meetup

Meetup

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

Where each one falls short

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

Glue Up

  • Pricing is not published, and quotes vary substantially by region, which makes budgeting harder than with the published North American tools
  • Membership management is less deep than the dedicated association management systems, reflecting its event-management origins
  • Smaller North American and European ecosystem, so integrations and local references are thinner outside Asia
  • Fundraising and donor management are weak, so charities whose main activity is giving should look elsewhere
  • The breadth means individual modules are good rather than excellent when compared against specialist tools

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

Glue Up

On request
  • Essentials$undefined/year
    • Event management
    • Membership
    • Email campaigns
  • Professional$undefined/year
    • All Essentials features
    • Member mobile app
    • CRM
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-chapter
    • API access
    • Custom integrations

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Glue Up if

  • You need event management.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want membership management.
Glue Up review

Choose Meetup if

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

Questions people ask

Is Glue Up or Meetup better?
Neither clearly leads. Glue Up starts at On request and Meetup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glue Up or Meetup?
Glue Up starts at On request and Meetup at $55/month.
Does Glue Up or Meetup run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Glue Up best used for?
Glue Up is most often used for chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across asia-pacific, associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-on, organisations wanting a branded member app rather than a web portal, bodies needing local payment methods and regional data residency. Of those, chambers of commerce and professional bodies operating across asia-pacific and associations whose events are the core of member value rather than an add-on are not what Meetup is typically brought in for.
What can Glue Up do that Meetup cannot?
Glue Up covers Event management, Membership management, Member mobile app, Email campaigns. Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glue Up: Where is Glue Up strongest?

Asia-Pacific. Local payment methods, WeChat integration, regional data residency and in-region support are things the North American platforms cannot match there.

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
Glue Up: Was it called something else?

Yes, EventBank. The rename to Glue Up reflected the shift from pure event management to membership and engagement.

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
Glue Up: What does it cost?

Not published, and it varies by region. Expect an annual contract quoted on member count and modules.

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
Glue Up: Is the member app real?

Yes, a branded native app rather than a mobile web view. For associations whose members network at events, it is one of the strongest reasons to choose it.

Glue Up: Should a US-only association consider it?

It can, but Wild Apricot and MemberClicks have published pricing, larger local ecosystems and more local references. The Asia-Pacific advantage is the reason to pick Glue Up.

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