Loneliness is now a market mover. But as more people search for new pals outside their work in addition to family, a growing class of “friendship apps” and social media software are trying to match people up. Through October, Appfigures estimates that these local-focused platforms have seen approximately $16 million worth of U.S. consumer spending, as well as around 4.3 million downloads — proof the social graph is growing in a decidedly platonic direction.
The momentum mirrors wider public health worry. The U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 declared loneliness a crisis, with statistics on increased risk for heart disease and stroke discovered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Remote and hybrid work, cross-country relocations and a shrinking role for third places have many adults rebuilding social circles from the ground up. The stigma of meeting people online diminished in the dating era; now it’s being repurposed for friendships.
Why Friendship Apps Are on the Rise for Adults Seeking Community
Intent clarity is the unlock. Unlike traditional social networks, this sort of app makes the purpose clear — friendship, not romance. That diminishes the threshold for being able to say hello, and pushes users toward group meetups where chemistry can develop more organically. Many rely on event-centric designs to solve the “cold start” issue: if you know a comedy show or trivia night awaits, deciding to show up feels more manageable.
Monetization mirrors the offline experience. Rather than premium swipes, the curation and coordination are frequently the services these outlets charge for. The model spans from really low monthly dues to ticketed dinners, with AI matching stitched in to up the hit rates and keep churn low. The wager: a small price to pay if you routinely walk away with two or three people you’ll text again.
Apps at the Forefront of the New Friendship Wave
222 is pitched as an iOS-only concierge for real-life outings. Once users take a short personality test, the app opens up to them a small group of vetted users at a public venue (think wine bar or comedy club) and offers appetizers and even a plus-one if you’d like to bring an ally for company. It offers a $22.22 curation fee or monthly plan at the same price.
Bumble BFF, which started out as a feature in 2016 and spun off into its own app in 2023, was recently retooled around small groups to help users expand circles more quickly. The move is indicative of a transition from one-on-one chats to more loosely organized hangouts — communal spaces that feel more like something you’d stumble upon in real life than make plans for — rather than scheduling with a new friend.
Clyx is designed to help tell what’s going down around you by compositing events from all over — think Ticketmaster, TikTok — and letting you know where people in your contacts are going.
It also recommends people to meet at those venues. The service is live in Miami and London, with New York City and São Paulo coming up next on its itinerary.
Les Amis caters to women, transgender and LGBTQ+ users with weekly AI matches that drop every Monday and prompt IRL activities such as pottery classes, book clubs or wine tasting. It’s live in major European cities and also in Austin, and members pay different sums depending on the market — $70 a year with a New York membership, for example; €55 for Amsterdam.
Meetup still steers the longest and also has helped people connect in interest-based groups since 2002. It’s endured because of the mechanics that friendship apps now mimic: recurring events, clear group norms, and simple tools for organizers to sustain momentum.
Meet5 is a European community app that targets users over 40, and it recently launched in the U.S. with a simple pitch: hikes, concerts or picnics for small groups of people. With pent-up demand among empty nesters and recent relocators, Appfigures estimates it has already tallied about 777,000 U.S. downloads.
Pie leans into predictive matchmaking. When guests RSVP to an event, they take a short personality quiz: an algorithm creates six-person groups and opens a group chat between them, so everyone can get to know one another before the big day. It is available now in Austin, Chicago and San Francisco.
Timeleft gathers the five strangers together for dinner on Wednesdays, having shared little more than light information (occupation and cosmos sign) the evening before. Icebreakers and an optional post-dinner bar provide even more opportunity to get to know your date. Users pay for a ticket in advance and are responsible for their own food and drinks, the price point of which varies by location and venue.
Wyzr Friends takes on the 40+ set with activity-first matching. Users are kept from discussing anything other than logistics, giving a thumbs up or down to meeting on top of that hike, movie or coffee. It is live nationwide throughout the U.S., as well as in Canada, Australia, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore and Mexico on iOS and Android.
Mmotion mashes a live map, like the one Tinder latches onto, with interest groups to surface nearby people and places — new bars, restaurants or outdoor spots — then allows direct messaging. It is currently available in New York City only, with membership by application.
What Works and What Still Lags in the Friendship App Space
Group-based formats are winning, in part because they decrease the ambiguity and nervousness surrounding a first date; there’s more structure — an actual activity to go with the conversation. AI matching is helpful, but density matters more — apps grow useful when there are plenty of users near you and on your calendar. Most of the best retention is on recurring, interest-based meetups that basically make casual acquaintance a regular thing.
Safety and privacy still take center stage. Users increasingly want to see evidence of identity verification, clear IRL guidelines and active moderation. And also that there are privacy (or “Trust,” as Party’s own advocates put it) implications of making the locations of people who might be infected known in a push strategy for self-isolation.
Choosing a Platform: How to Pick the Right Friendship App
Choose the app according to what you want. For discovery based on events, try Clyx or Meetup. If you like the curated tables where conversation is the primary attraction, Timeleft or Pie offer it with minimal friction. Les Amis has specially tailored matching for women+ and LGBTQ+ spaces. For over-40 singles the most successful app is either Meet5 or Wyzr Friends. If you’re looking to get closer to a city block by block, Mmotion’s live map will potentially help. For a concierge-like experience, 222 takes the planning off your plate.
The throughline is straightforward: show up, frequently. The apps offer the scaffolding, but friendship still, it seems, forms the old-fashioned way — courtesy of shared time and repeated interactions, and something, perhaps a new reason to meet again next week.