Comparison
A free Meetup alternative for organisers
Meetup is built for discovering events. duno gives organisers free groups with events and RSVPs, live chat, and a network for the community between events — without organiser fees.
Written October 2026. Products change — check each one's own site for current details.
What Meetup is
Meetup is a platform for organising in-person and online events through groups. Its strength is discovery: many people browse it to find events near them. Organisers typically pay for a plan to run groups; check Meetup's site for current options.
What duno does differently
Free events with RSVPs
duno groups can host in-person and online events that members RSVP to, and public ones appear on duno's events page.
Live group chat
Each duno group has a chat room for conversation between events.
A network for regulars
Create a private network for your core members or volunteers, with approval and moderators.
People with real profiles
Attendees have profiles with interests and skills, which makes follow-ups easier.
Meetup and duno side by side
| Feature | Meetup | duno |
|---|---|---|
| Built around | Event discovery | Communities, with events |
| Cost for organisers | Paid organiser plans | Free |
| Events with RSVPs | Yes | Yes, in groups |
| Audience browsing for events | Very large | Smaller, growing |
| Private member network | Group settings | Networks: public, private or hidden |
A general description, not a full feature list. "Generally" means it depends on settings, plans or tools you add.
When Meetup is the better choice
- You depend on strangers discovering your events by browsing.
- You need Meetup-specific tools such as paid events or its network of organisers.
When duno fits better
- Your attendees already come through word of mouth, and you don't want to pay to organise.
- You want conversation between events, not just RSVPs.
- You want a private space for organisers or regulars.
Trying duno alongside Meetup
- Create the networkPick a name and address at duno.com/net/your-name, choose public, private or hidden, and write your rules and a welcome message.
- Share the invite linkPost an invite link where your members already are. You can limit how many times it works and when it expires.
- Run both for a whilePin the important posts on duno and see where your members prefer to talk. Nothing stops you from using both.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell tickets on duno?
No. duno events are free RSVPs. Link to your ticketing page if you charge.
Where do my events show up?
Events in public groups appear on duno's events page and the group page.
Can I move my members from Meetup?
There's no import. Share your duno group or network link at your next event and in a message to members.
What's the difference between a group and a network?
Groups are interest communities with events and live chat. Networks are spaces you fully run, with roles, approval, invite links and their own address.
Is duno free?
Yes. Creating an account, creating networks, inviting members, posting jobs and asking questions are free. There are no paid plans and no ads in the feed.
Who runs a network on duno?
The person who creates it. Owners appoint admins and moderators, approve or decline join requests, remove or ban members and can transfer ownership. duno's own moderators only step in for content that breaks duno's terms.
Is this comparison neutral?
We wrote it as fairly as we could and list the cases where the other product is the better choice. Products change often, so check each one's own site for current features.