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Software · head to head

Meetup vs ON24

Meetup logo

Meetup

Software

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ON24 logo

ON24

Software

The digital engagement platform

From
$2000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024; ON24 the Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.
  • They diverge on capability: Meetup covers Groups, ON24 covers Live webinars.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Meetup and ON24 actually diverge.

Attributes where Meetup and ON24 differ
AttributeMeetupON24
Starting price$55/month$2000/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Founded20021998

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Meetup

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

Only in ON24

  • Live webinars
  • Virtual events
  • Engagement hub
  • AI-powered analytics
  • Content hubs
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Eloqua

Both cover

  • 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 ON24
  • Organising a recurring in-person groupnot ON24
  • Running online events alongside physical onesnot ON24
  • Growing a community by drawing on Meetup's existing member basenot ON24

ON24

  • Event planningnot Meetup
  • Ticket salesnot Meetup
  • Attendee managementnot Meetup
  • Virtual eventsnot Meetup
  • Event marketingnot 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

ON24

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ON24's homepage on 1 January 2021 named five distinct platform tiers, Webcast Elite, Engagement Hub, Target, Intelligence, and Connect, but pointed visitors to a 'Find your pricing fit' quiz rather than publishing figures.

Pricing, plan by plan

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

ON24

$2000/month
  • Core$2000/month
    • Webinars
    • Engagement tools
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$4000/month
    • Virtual events
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Enterprise$8000/month
    • Full platform
    • AI insights
    • Dedicated success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose Meetup if

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

Choose ON24 if

  • You need live webinars.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want virtual events.
ON24 review

Questions people ask

Is Meetup or ON24 better?
Neither clearly leads. Meetup starts at $55/month and ON24 at $2000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Meetup or ON24?
Meetup starts at $55/month and ON24 at $2000/month.
Does Meetup or ON24 run on more platforms?
Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android. ON24 runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 ON24 is typically brought in for.
What can Meetup do that ON24 cannot?
Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging. ON24 covers Live webinars, Virtual events, Engagement hub, AI-powered analytics. Both handle 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.

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
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
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Related pages

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