Event Management · head to head
Meetup vs Circle
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024; Circle location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors
- They diverge on capability: Meetup covers Groups, Circle covers Spaces.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Meetup and Circle actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Meetup
- Groups
- RSVP System
- Messaging
- Event Photos
- Recommendations
- Google Calendar
- Zoom
Only in Circle
- Spaces
- Courses
- Member Directory
- Live Streams
- Workflows
- Zapier
- Stripe
- Slack
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.
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
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Meetup
$55/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.
Circle
$49/month- Basic$49/month
- Community
- Members
- Spaces
- Professional$89/month
- Courses
- Workflows
- Analytics
- Business$199/month
- White Label
- API Access
- Custom Domain
Which should you pick?
Choose Meetup if
- You need groups.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want rsvp system.
Questions people ask
- Is Meetup or Circle better?
- Neither clearly leads. Meetup starts at $55/month and Circle at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Meetup or Circle?
- Meetup starts at $55/month and Circle at $49/month.
- Does Meetup or Circle run on more platforms?
- Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android. Circle runs on Ios, Android, Web.
- What is Meetup best used for?
- Meetup is most often used for finding local groups and events around a shared interest, organising a recurring in-person group, running online events alongside physical ones, growing a community by drawing on meetup's existing member base. Of those, finding local groups and events around a shared interest and organising a recurring in-person group are not what Circle is typically brought in for.
- What can Meetup do that Circle cannot?
- Meetup covers Groups, RSVP System, Messaging, Event Photos. Circle covers Spaces, Courses, Member Directory, Live Streams. Both handle Events, Ios support, Android support, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceCircle: 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.
SourceMeetup: 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.
SourceCircle: 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.
SourceMeetup: 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.
SourceCircle: 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.
SourceCircle: 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