The short list
If you want to meet people without spending anything, three apps are free all the way through or close to it: Bumble BFF for friendship, Nextdoor for neighbors, and HMU for a live one-to-one conversation (its free tier includes three Meet Now introductions a day). Hinge, Tinder, Yubo and Meetup are free to start, but they sell upgrades, and it pays to know where the free part ends before you get attached.
Everything below comes from each company’s own App Store listing or site, checked on October 22, 2026. Prices change, so treat them as a snapshot.
‘Free’ means three different things
Most roundups call every app free because it costs nothing to download. That hides the real question: how far can you get before the app asks for money? Sort apps into three groups and the choice gets easier.
- Fully free: no paid features at all. Bumble BFF says every feature is free, and Nextdoor lists no in-app purchases.
- Free core, paid extras: you can meet people and chat for free, and paying adds reach or convenience. HMU, Hinge, Tinder, Yubo and Meetup sit here.
- Paid to take part: you need a membership before you meet anyone. Timeleft works this way.
Fully free: Bumble BFF and Nextdoor
Bumble BFF is the most generous of the apps here. Its App Store listing says that from planning events to building Groups, every feature is completely free, and the US store lists no in-app purchases. Every match has passed selfie verification, and the app is rated 18+. One catch: the US listing says ‘Only for iPhone’, so Android users should search their own store before counting on it.
Nextdoor isn’t built for making friends, but it’s free and it’s where your actual neighbors are. The listing covers local news, recommendations, free and for-sale items, events and groups. Members verify their address and use real names. The best use is the events and groups section: a weekend cleanup or a walking group three streets away is a free, repeating way to see the same faces.
Free core, paid extras: where each one draws the line
These apps let you meet people and talk without paying. The upgrade usually sells more reach: more likes, seeing who liked you, or showing up first. Here is what each one says on its own listing.
- HMU: free on iPhone and Android, with 3 Meet Now introductions a day on the free tier. HMU Premium is optional.
- Hinge: ‘The app is free to use.’ Hinge+ lets you see everyone who likes you and send unlimited likes; HingeX adds enhanced recommendations and priority likes. US subscription listings run from $14.99 to $34.99.
- Tinder: send Likes, match and chat for free. Paid plans are Tinder Plus, Gold and Platinum; the US store lists Plus at $9.99 and Gold from $13.99 to $24.99.
- Yubo (18+): main features free, and Yubo says that will never change. Optional packs run from a $5.99 Turbo Pack to a $27.99-a-week Infinity Pack.
- Meetup: free to download, with several paid subscriptions in the US store, including Meetup Plus at $4.99 and $9.99. Before you rely on it, open a group you like and see whether the RSVP button asks you to pay.
Paid to take part: Timeleft
Timeleft is worth knowing about because people often mistake it for a free app. You take a quiz, and it books you at a table of usually four to six strangers. You need an active membership to attend, prices vary by city, and you pay for your own food and drinks at the venue. If you want someone else to organize the evening, it can be worth the money. It just isn’t free.
What you get free on HMU
HMU is a social app where people actually talk, for adults 18 and over. Every request starts with a real first message, every profile has a question to answer, and there’s a new question every day. Discover has For You, Nearby and Recent tabs, and there are posts (called Moments) and stories.
The main feature is Meet Now. It pairs you with one person and gives you both the same opening prompt. You talk for five minutes, then each of you privately chooses Keep or Pass, and the chat continues only if you both choose Keep. The free tier includes three of these introductions a day, which is enough to try it properly on a free evening. People use HMU for friendship, dating, or both, and you can report or block anyone.
Where HMU falls short
If ‘free’ is your top priority, Bumble BFF beats HMU: it has no paid tier at all, while HMU caps free Meet Now introductions at three a day. BFF also has Groups and selfie-verified matches, and HMU has neither groups nor a verification badge to point to.
HMU is one-to-one and live. If you want a standing weekly plan with the same eight people, Nextdoor groups or a Meetup group will do that better. And because HMU isn’t friendship-only, say what you’re looking for in your first few lines.
Who should pick which
Pick by what you want to happen in the next week, not by the longest feature list.
Compare friendship apps by format
- You want friends and never want to see a paywall: Bumble BFF, if you’re on iPhone.
- You want to know people on your own street: Nextdoor events and groups.
- You want a recurring group around a hobby: Meetup, after checking whether your group’s RSVP is free.
- You’re dating and happy to browse: Hinge or Tinder on their free tiers.
- You like busy group video rooms: Yubo, free for its main features.
- You want to talk to one new person tonight without writing an opener: HMU’s three free Meet Now introductions.
How to get the most from a free tier
Free tiers reward focus. Pick two apps, not six, and use them on purpose for two weeks. Fill in every prompt or profile question with something specific enough to reply to: ‘Looking for someone to try every taco truck on Alameda with’ gets answers that ‘love food’ never will.
Then measure the right thing. Count conversations that turned into a plan, not matches or likes. If a free app gets you one coffee in two weeks, it’s working. Only consider paying once you know the free version suits you and the limit is the thing in your way. When you do meet someone, keep the first meeting public and your address private.
Related articles
- Apps to Make Friends as an Adult: An Honest Comparison — BFF, Meetup, Timeleft, 222, Yubo, and HMU compared by how you actually meet people, what it costs, and who each one suits.
- How to Make Friends in Your 40s: Start With Who You Know — Midlife is when loneliness peaks. How to make friends in your 40s by reviving old ties, hosting, and finding people at your stage, with exact messages.
- How to Meet an Online Friend in Person (Safely) — How to bring up meeting, check they’re real, plan a safe first meetup, and handle the awkward first hour, so an online friend becomes a real-life one.
- How to Make Friends With Social Anxiety, One Step at a Time — A step-by-step way to make friends when meeting people scares you: a practice ladder, three lines to bring, and when to talk to a professional.