Meetup alternative scorecard Getvnt vs Meetup
A free, open source alternative to Meetup with zero fees and full customization.
34/40
lines where Event Schedule has the edge.
The other 6 are a match or go to Meetup.
Every line on this card is scored from the same table below. Nothing is averaged, weighted or rounded.
The card
Scored line by line.
A feature-by-feature comparison of Getvnt and Meetup, in 40 lines across 6 sections. Our column names the plan behind every gated feature, because a comparison that hides the tier is not a comparison.
| Line | Getvnt | Meetup |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Fees 3 of 4 to Getvnt | ||
| Free plan (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included forever | Included limited |
| Paid plan price (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | 5 NGN/mo (7-day free trial) | From $16.79/mo (organizer) |
| Platform fees (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | 0% | 0% (but subscription required) |
| Payment processing | Stripe/PayPal/Payfast (processor rates apply) | Built-in (for paid events) |
| Events & Ticketing 8 of 13 to Getvnt | ||
| Ticketing | Included free RSVP, paid on Pro | Included paid events |
| Unlimited ticket sales | Included Pro | Included |
| QR check-ins (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Not offered |
| Ticket waitlist (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Check-in dashboard (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Sale notifications (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Sales data export (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Recurring events | Included Free | Included |
| Online events | Included Free | Included |
| Free event RSVP | Included Free | Included |
| Event polls (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Promo/discount codes (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Post-event feedback (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Integrations 3 of 3 to Getvnt | ||
| Calendar sync, both ways (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Add to calendar only |
| CalDAV sync (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Not offered |
| Newsletters (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Group messaging only |
| Customization 4 of 4 to Getvnt | ||
| Custom domains (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Not offered |
| Remove branding (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Custom fields (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Custom CSS (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Unique Features 12 of 12 to Getvnt | ||
| AI suite (event parsing, flyer gen, style gen) (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Parsing on Free, flyer and style on Enterprise | Not offered |
| Event graphics gen (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Not offered |
| Embeddable calendar (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Not offered |
| Fan videos & comments (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Free | Not offered |
| Event boost (ads) (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Private/password-protected events (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Not offered |
| Availability management (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Not offered |
| WhatsApp event creation (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Not offered |
| Team collaboration (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Co-organizers (paid) |
| Carpool matching (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Sponsor/partner logos (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Email scheduling (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Enterprise | Not offered |
| Platform 4 of 4 to Getvnt | ||
| REST API (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Included limited |
| Webhooks (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included Pro | Not offered |
| Open source (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included | Not offered |
| Selfhosting (Getvnt has the edge on this line) | Included | Not offered |
Selfhost Getvnt and every one of those plan chips opens: a selfhosted install resolves to Enterprise, so no line on the card is held back by a plan. Either way, ticket sales run through your own Stripe or PayPal account and Getvnt takes 0%.
Straight answers
Three lines we do not claim.
A card you can trust has to name what is missing from it. These three are true about Getvnt no matter which platform you are holding it against.
No marketplace
You bring the audience
Your public events can be listed on the Getvnt browse and search pages, but a listing is not a marketplace's built-in audience. What actually fills a room is your own schedule page, an embeddable calendar, a follower QR code, newsletters, and an interest list that emails people when tickets go on sale.
Seat maps are Enterprise
Ticket types, then seats
On Free and Pro a ticket type has a name, a price and a quantity, and buyers are not choosing a specific seat. A reserved-seating house needs Enterprise, where a venue schedule draws the room once and buyers pick their seats from the map.
One team member on Free
Extra members are Enterprise
The free plan is one person per schedule. Adding team members is on Enterprise and is capped at five on the hosted platform, so do not plan on inviting a whole staff for nothing.
Everything else on this page is a line you can check for yourself. Back to the card
The margin marks
Where the marks fall our way.
34 of the 40 lines above carry a diamond. Here are the 6 advantages over Meetup that most often decide it, in plain language rather than table cells.
No Organizer Fee
Meetup charges organizers $16.79 to $24.50/mo just to host a group. Getvnt is free forever with optional 5 NGN/mo Pro upgrade - saving you up to $200/year.
Own Your Community
On Meetup, your members belong to Meetup - not you. With Getvnt, your audience is yours: your own branding and newsletter list, and your own domain on Enterprise.
Custom Branding
Every Meetup group looks the same. Getvnt lets you customize themes, colors, backgrounds, and use your own domain for a unique brand identity.
Embeddable Calendar
Embed your event calendar directly on your website. Meetup has no embed option, forcing visitors to leave your site.
QR Check-Ins
Scan attendees in at the door with QR codes. Meetup has no built-in check-in system for tracking who actually showed up.
Fan Engagement
Let your community share videos and comments on events. Build engagement that goes beyond RSVPs - something Meetup cannot offer.
Both columns
Read both sides before you sign.
About Meetup
Meetup is a social platform for organizing and discovering local community events and groups. It connects people with shared interests through in-person and online gatherings.
Meetup's strengths
- Large built-in community and event discovery marketplace
- Strong network effects with millions of active users
- Social features with member profiles, RSVPs, and group discussions
Why choose Getvnt?
Three things decide it against Meetup: the money is yours, the code is public, and the calendar keeps itself in step with the one you already use.
What you get
- Zero platform fees on ticket sales, at every plan level, into your own Stripe or PayPal account
- Free registration with no monthly ceiling, and a ticket scanned at the door on every plan
- Refunds from the Sales page on Pro, in full or in part, that send the money back through Stripe or PayPal
- One checkout for tickets to several of your events, and an interest list that emails people when tickets go on sale
- Passes, gift cards and installment payments on Pro, and allocated seating for venues on Enterprise
- Two-way Google, Outlook and CalDAV sync, free, so the public listing and your own diary cannot disagree
- Open source under the Attribution Assurance License, and selfhostable, which resolves to Enterprise
A fresh card
How to switch in 4 steps
Nothing has to move on day one. The schedule is useful the moment it exists, and the events and the list follow at whatever pace suits you.
01
Create your schedule
Free, no card, and it has its own address the moment it exists. Nothing has to move before it is useful.
02
Bring the events across
Paste a listing or upload the flyer and the parser fills in the name, date, time, venue and description for you to check. Fifty a day on the free and Pro plans (ten during a Pro trial), a hundred on Enterprise.
03
Bring your list across
Export the addresses you already have and paste them in or upload a CSV, up to ten thousand rows, on any plan. What the newsletter allowance counts is sending to them, not holding them.
04
Connect Stripe or PayPal and sell
Your own Stripe or PayPal account, so the money settles into it rather than into ours. Zero platform fees on every plan, a ticket with a price on it is Pro, and refunds go back through the same account.
100% Free Access. No Subscriptions.
All premium features, custom branding, seating charts, and integrations are included free for everyone. We only earn a small percentage fee when you sell paid tickets.
Host unlimited free events and registrations without paying a single dime.
- Unlimited events, calendars, & sub-schedules
- Google, Outlook, & CalDAV 2-way sync
- All Pro & Enterprise features unlocked
Only pay when you earn money. Automatically deducted at ticket checkout.
- Direct payouts to your Stripe account
- Passes, gift cards, promo codes, & installments
- No monthly or hidden subscription fees
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about switching from Meetup.
Is it easy to switch from Meetup to Getvnt?
Yes. Create a free schedule and add your recurring or one-time events, then share its URL with your community. Members can sign up by email for a digest of the new events you create or subscribe to your live calendar feed, and newsletters keep the group engaged between meetups.
How does Getvnt pricing compare to Meetup?
Meetup charges organizers a subscription starting at $16.79/mo for basic groups, with higher tiers for larger communities. Getvnt has a free plan with unlimited events. The Pro plan is 5 NGN/mo with zero platform fees on ticket sales.
Can Getvnt handle community events and recurring meetups?
Yes. Getvnt supports recurring events, fan engagement features like videos and comments, newsletters with A/B testing, and embeddable calendar widgets. All designed for building and maintaining community.
How will my members hear about new events?
People who sign up by email and confirm get an occasional digest of the new public events you create, at most one every 72 hours per schedule. Anyone can subscribe to your live calendar feed, which needs no email address and updates itself when a date moves. On a single event, the interest list emails people when tickets go on sale, reminds them before it starts and tells them if it is cancelled. Newsletters you write reach whoever you choose, within your plan's monthly recipient allowance.
Free forever, 0% platform fees
That is the card. Now sign it.
Final tally: 34 of 40 lines to Event Schedule.
Create your free schedule today. No credit card required, and nothing taken from your ticket sales.
Open source, and yours to selfhost whenever you want it.
Related
Keep exploring
Luma Alternative
Custom domains, zero platform fees, and open source flexibility.
Read moreEventbrite Alternative
Keep more of every ticket you sell.
Read moreFor Meetup Groups
Free RSVPs with a cap, a page the group owns, and no organizer fee to keep it.
Read moreMobilizon Alternative
Open source events with ticketing and calendar sync built in.
Read more