# Meetup vs StudyBuddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: StudyBuddy at 92% against Meetup's 21%. StudyBuddy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). Meetup's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (273K vs 5). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meetup sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. StudyBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

StudyBuddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Meetup has 273K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Meetup's written reviews are positive against 92% of StudyBuddy's.

Meetup ships an update every 4 days, StudyBuddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meetup | StudyBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (273K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meetup-social-events-and-groups/id375990038/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybuddy/id948997336/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **273K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 21.3% of reviews | **91.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#14** | — |
| Size | 273 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Meetup LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/365018580) | [Nathaniel Blumer](https://appshunter.io/developer/859778029) |

## What reviewers say

### Meetup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meetup-social-events-and-groups/id375990038)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #43 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Connect with people who share your interests through local and online events. Discover or create groups, find new friends, build your network, and engage in discussions. Join or host events happening weekly.

**Highlights:** Discover local and online events, Join or create interest-based groups, Meet new people and make friends, Host and manage your own events, Engage in discussions and direct messaging, Personalize event schedules

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Member Subscription: 1 Month | $3.99 | per month |
| Meetup Plus Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Meetup Plus Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Member Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Member Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Meetup Plus Subscription | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Standard Organizer | $12.99 | per 7 days |
| 1-Month Unlimited Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Meetup Subscription: 1 month | $23.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Great way to meet new people
- 🌍 Connects people with similar interests
- 🎉 Helps with socializing and making new friends
- 🌳 Organizes outdoor activities and events

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with sharing personal information
- 📢 Too many notifications and emails
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to upload photos
- Inconsistent event information across app and website
- Login and account management issues
- Unreliable push notifications

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize notification settings
- Option to filter events by age group
- Improved calendar integration
- More moderation of inactive or spam groups


### StudyBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studybuddy/id948997336)

Connect with nearby students to study together. Find a study partner for exams, projects, or casual academic discussions. Make learning more social, fun, and collaborative.

**Highlights:** Find nearby study buddies, Collaborative studying, Social learning, Exam preparation, Academic discussions

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meetup free?

Meetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is StudyBuddy free?

StudyBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Meetup or StudyBuddy?

StudyBuddy is rated higher. Meetup averages 4.7 out of 5 from 273K ratings, while StudyBuddy averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Meetup or StudyBuddy have ads?

Meetup shows ads; StudyBuddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Meetup or StudyBuddy?

Meetup ships an update every 4 days, and StudyBuddy monthly. Most recently, Meetup was updated on November 8, 2026 and StudyBuddy on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*