Hiive vs Meetup: which fits how you run?
Meetup is a long-running platform for interest-based groups and the events they hold. Members join and RSVP free; organizers run their groups on a paid plan, with a limited free Starter tier. Here’s how it compares with Hiive for organizers, venues and communities — including where Meetup is the better choice.
Checked October 2026 · By the Hiive team
The short answer
At a glance
Yes Partly No? Not confirmed from official sources
Where they differ
Cost to organizers
Meetup
Monthly subscription per organizer or group; free Starter tier is capped.
Hiive
Free for the first couple of months, then a fee agreed with you based on value.
Getting paid
Meetup
Event fees via PayPal, member dues via Stripe.
Hiive
Tickets and bookings with payouts in ₹ and platform-fee tax invoices.
Who gets in
Meetup
Open groups, or member approval with joining questions.
Hiive
Per event: request to join, invite-only or application-based. Per Hive: open, invite-only or closed.
Venues and schedules
Meetup
Not supported — events point to a location.
Hiive
Bookable venue services and a combined calendar for conflict checks.
Your member data
Meetup
RSVP lists per event; member email export needs Pro.
Hiive
Members, join requests and identified signed-in viewers in your workspace.
Which should you choose?
Choose Meetup if…
- Your audience is spread across many cities or countries.
- Your events are free and discovery is the only thing you need.
- You run a free, discussion-led group, like tech talks or language exchange, and only need RSVPs.
Choose Hiive if…
- You run recurring events — gigs, workshops, classes, games — and charge for some of them.
- You want payouts in ₹ without wiring up PayPal or Stripe.
- You manage a venue, or coordinate events across one.
- You want to curate who joins, and see where bookings drop off.
About Meetup
Pricing
As of October 2026 (US starting prices)
- Starter: free — one group, up to 2 in-person events a month and 10 attendees, no online events, and no event fees.
- Standard: from US$29.99 a month (or $99.99 for 6 months, $174.99 a year).
- Pro: from US$55 per group per month, for organizations running many groups.
- Attendees pay Meetup a service fee on ticketed events. Event fees are collected through PayPal and member dues through Stripe.
In India
Meetup is a global platform and is used in India. Meetup says plan prices may vary by location, so Indian pricing can differ from the US prices below.
Best for
Interest groups that meet regularly and want to be found by strangers
Where Hiive isn't the best fit
- Hiive is newer than most tools it's compared with. Its event and community coverage is deepest in Mumbai, where it launched, and is growing city by city.
- Business pricing isn't a public rate card: the software is free for the first couple of months, then a fee is agreed with each partner based on the value delivered.
- Businesses join through an application, so setup is guided rather than instant self-serve.
Switching from Meetup
- 01
Export your members and attendees from Meetup.
- 02
Create your Hiive and set up your first event, Hive or venue.
- 03
Share your Hiive link with your community and run the first event on it.
Questions
Only on the Starter plan, which allows one group, up to two in-person events a month and 10 attendees, with no event fees. Standard starts at US$29.99 a month and Pro at US$55 per group per month (US prices, October 2026; prices vary by location).
Any organizer can download an event's attendee details. Exporting group members with their email addresses requires Meetup Pro, from the Pro Dashboard's Members page.
For event organizers and communities in India, Hiive combines local discovery with ticketing that pays out in rupees, venue schedules and curated membership. For free, interest-led events, Luma or WhatsApp Communities can also work.
Meetup is the better choice if your group's main need is being found by strangers across many cities and you're happy to pay a monthly organizer fee for it. Hiive suits communities and organizers of any kind — gigs, workshops, run clubs, games, supper clubs — that want ticketing in ₹, venue schedules, curated entry and booking analytics in one place, with people discovering them locally in the Hiive app.
The Hiive software is free for the first couple of months while your business is set up and runs real activity. After that, Hiive and the partner agree a fee based on the value Hiive has added. There is no fixed public rate.
Keep comparing
Try Hiive with your real events. Free for the first couple of months.
Create your Hiive, or tell us how you run things today and we'll map the right setup and a useful pilot.
See the whole platform →Sources and disclosure
Written by the Hiive team. We make a competing product, so every claim about another product here comes from its own website or help centre, checked in October 2026. Prices and features change — check the provider before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Email jai@hiive.club and we’ll fix it.