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Software · head to head

Meetup vs Zkipster

Meetup logo

Meetup

Software

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zkipster logo

Zkipster

Software

Guest management for luxury events

From
$299/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024; Zkipster the pricing page names three tiers but publishes no rate for any of them
  • They diverge on capability: Meetup covers Groups, Zkipster covers Guest list management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Meetup and Zkipster actually diverge.

Attributes where Meetup and Zkipster differ
AttributeMeetupZkipster
Starting price$55/month$299/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Founded20022012

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 Zkipster

  • Guest list management
  • Digital check-in
  • Seating charts
  • Real-time analytics
  • VIP tagging
  • Salesforce
  • Mailchimp
  • Google Sheets

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

Zkipster

  • Guest list management and check in at invitation only eventsnot Meetup
  • Seating plans and name badges for galas and dinnersnot Meetup
  • Sending event invitations and RSVPs by email, SMS or WhatsAppnot 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

Zkipster

  • The pricing page names three tiers but publishes no rate for any of them
  • Essentials is capped at 60 events per year or 10 per month and Professional at 80 per year or 20 per month
  • Guests are capped at 10,000 per event on Essentials and Professional
  • Event communications, floor plans, seating and name badges require the Professional plan
  • SMS, WhatsApp and Wallet Pass require Professional or higher
  • API access requires an annual Professional plan or an Enterprise add on
  • Advanced security and compliance tools and priority support are Enterprise only
  • zkipster Audience is banded by contact volume, so cost rises with the contact list rather than with features

Pricing, plan by plan

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Zkipster

$299/month
  • Starter$299/month
    • Guest list management
    • Check-in app
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$599/month
    • Seating management
    • Custom branding
    • Advanced reporting
  • Enterprise$1199/month
    • Multi-event
    • API access
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Meetup if

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

Choose Zkipster if

  • You need guest list management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital check-in.
Zkipster review

Questions people ask

Is Meetup or Zkipster better?
Neither clearly leads. Meetup starts at $55/month and Zkipster at $299/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Meetup or Zkipster?
Meetup starts at $55/month and Zkipster at $299/month.
Does Meetup or Zkipster run on more platforms?
Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zkipster 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 Zkipster is typically brought in for.
What can Meetup do that Zkipster cannot?
Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging. Zkipster covers Guest list management, Digital check-in, Seating charts, Real-time 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

More on Meetup

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