Best MeetMe Alternatives in 2026 (Honest Picks)
The best apps like MeetMe for most US adults are Badoo if you want the same free “people nearby” chat with a filter to talk only to verified profiles, Plenty of Fish if you want a free app that is about dating rather than livestreams, and Facebook Dating if you want something with no paid tier at all. Tagged and Skout feel the most like MeetMe because they are its sister apps, which is exactly why they will not fix a bot or spam problem. Bumble’s separate BFF app is the pick if you mostly used MeetMe to make friends.
Below: the eight picks side by side with what each costs (checked October 2026 on the App Store and the companies’ own pages), why people leave MeetMe, which “alternatives” are really the same company, and what to do with your MeetMe Premium before you switch.
MeetMe alternatives compared
Ratings are out of 5 and come from my reviews, linked in each row; apps without a review on the site yet are marked “not rated”. Prices checked October 2026 on each app’s US App Store listing, linked in the sections below.
| App | Best for | Cheapest paid option | Free version | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badoo | Free nearby chat with verification | Premium items from $5.99 | Profile, swiping, People Nearby, chat with matches | 3.5 |
| Plenty of Fish | A free app that is about dating | 1 Week $19.99, 1 Month $29.99 | Profile, search, selfie verification | 3.5 |
| Facebook Dating | Fully free dating | None: no paid features | Everything | Not rated |
| Tagged | The same vibe as MeetMe | Tagged Premium (1 Month) $9.99 | Browse, swipe, chat, Live | 3 |
| Skout | Chatting with people abroad | 1 Month Skout Premium $9.99 | Browse, chat, Live | 3 |
| Mingle2 | A big, casual, international pool | MinglePlus 3 Months $29.99 | Search, likes, direct chats (daily limit) | 3 |
| OkCupid | A relationship with detailed profiles | Premium items from $7.99 | Profile, questions, likes, chat with matches | 4 |
| Bumble BFF | Making friends, not dates | No in-app purchases listed | Everything listed | Not rated |
App Store purchase lists do not always say which price goes with which plan length, so where a listing mixes them I give the starting price. The payment screen inside each app is the final word.
Why people leave MeetMe
MeetMe is not dead. It is still updated (Google Play shows an update on October 8, 2026, with 100M+ downloads on its Google Play listing), and on the App Store it holds 4.3 stars from 374K ratings. People searching for apps like MeetMe usually have one of these reasons:
- Bots and spam. The top Google result for this search is a Reddit thread whose author says MeetMe used to work but is now “nothing but bots”. Anyone can message anyone on MeetMe without a match, so open inboxes fill fast. My MeetMe review covers the spam and phishing warnings in its own help center.
- It became a livestream app. The Google Play title is now “MeetMe: Go Live & Stream Now”, and its owner, The Meet Group, calls itself “the top provider of livestreaming video and creator economy solutions”. If you came to meet people near you, the streams and battles get in the way.
- Spending goes to gifts, not dates. Next to Premium items from $7.99 to $17.99, the App Store lists Credits packs from $1.99 up to $99.99. Credits pay for gifts to streamers.
- They want free, but not this. The same Reddit post complains that everything else “requires a subscription”. That is why the picks below favor apps with a usable free version.
Pick the MeetMe alternative that fixes your reason for leaving
No app fixes everything, so start from what went wrong on MeetMe rather than from the biggest member count.
- If bots and spam drove you out: Badoo, where verified members can choose to talk only to other verified profiles.
- If you want real dates: Plenty of Fish, a dating app first, or OkCupid for a relationship.
- If you will not pay anything: Facebook Dating, which Meta says asks for no payment to unlock features.
- If you mostly wanted friends: Bumble BFF, or Meetup for groups and events.
- If you liked MeetMe and just want a new crowd: Tagged or Skout, knowing they are run by the same company.
1. Badoo: the closest free swap, with a verified-only filter
Badoo has the same building blocks as MeetMe: People Nearby, a swipe game (Encounters) and video chat with matches. The difference is the safety layer. Its App Store listing describes a three-step profile verification after which “you can choose to only interact with other verified profiles”, a Deception Detector that aims to block fake, scam and spam accounts, and a Private Detector that blurs intimate images. It has 4.6 stars from 150K ratings and belongs to Bumble Inc.
What it costs: Premium items are listed from $5.99 to $13.99 (7 Days Badoo Premium is $13.99), and credits start at $1.99 for 100. My Badoo review explains the two tiers and why you should never let credits auto-refill.
Who it suits: MeetMe users who want casual chat and dates nearby without the livestream noise. The catch: there are no fixed public prices, and the crowd is international, so expect some far-away profiles.
2. Plenty of Fish: best free app that is about dating
Plenty of Fish keeps what people liked about MeetMe (a big, casual, free crowd) and drops the streams. Its App Store listing highlights Selfie Verification, search for exactly what you want, and a setting to restrict first messages so you do not get one-word intros. It has 4.3 stars from 1.8M ratings, and it is part of Match Group, with Tinder and Hinge.
What it costs: the listing shows a 1 Week Subscription at $19.99 and a 1 Month Subscription at $29.99, with tokens from $1.99. Do not start with the week: it is the most expensive way in. My POF review gave it 3.5 out of 5.
Who it suits: people who used MeetMe to date and want profiles from people who are there to date. The catch: it is still a free app with a big audience, so scammers follow; the selfie check is worth looking for before you meet anyone.
3. Facebook Dating: best if you will not pay anything
Facebook Dating lives inside the Facebook app. Meta’s September 2025 announcement calls it “a free dating experience within the Facebook app” and says it avoids requiring payment to unlock features. The same post adds an AI dating assistant in the Matches tab (rolling out in the US and Canada) and Meet Cute, a weekly surprise match you can opt out of. Meta says hundreds of thousands of US and Canadian adults aged 18 to 29 create profiles every month.
How it works, per Meta’s US launch post: you must be 18 or older, you build a separate Dating profile, your Facebook friends are not suggested, and Secret Crush lets you pick up to nine friends or Instagram followers who only learn about it if they add you too. Meta also said at launch that photos, links, payments and videos cannot be sent in Dating messages, which blocks a lot of classic scam moves.
Who it suits: anyone who already uses Facebook and wants a free app with real names behind most profiles. The catch: you need a Facebook account, and Meta has never published how many people use Dating in the US, so the pool depends on your area.
4. Tagged: the same vibe, a different crowd
Tagged is the app that feels most like MeetMe, and for good reason: The Meet Group runs both. Its App Store listing says the app is free and lists swiping, chats, video chats on Tagged LIVE and “sending a gift in livestream”. It has 4.5 stars from 461K ratings.
What it costs: Tagged Premium (1 Month) is $9.99; Gold packs run from $1.99 to $99.99. Gold, like MeetMe’s Credits, mostly buys gifts. My Tagged review covers the complaints about fake profiles and sudden bans.
Who it suits: people who liked MeetMe’s mix of streams and chat and simply ran out of new faces. The catch: same company, same model, so the same bots and gift requests.
5. Skout: best for chatting with people abroad
Skout is another Meet Group app, launched in 2007, whose community spans more than 180 countries according to The Meet Group. The App Store listing promises meeting people “near you or around the world”, chat, live broadcasts and a list of who checked you out. It has 4.4 stars from 189K ratings.
What it costs: 1 Month Skout Premium is $9.99, and Points for gifts run from $1.99 to $99.99. My Skout review says Premium buys visibility and incognito, not better matches.
Who it suits: people who enjoy casual chat with strangers in other countries. The catch: like Tagged, it shares MeetMe’s owner and livestream model, and its reviews are dominated by complaints about fake profiles.
6. Mingle2: a big, casual pool with free direct chats
Mingle2 is a free dating site and app from NextC LLC. Its App Store listing lists daily match picks, local and global search, unlimited likes, direct chats without waiting for a match (with daily limits “to prevent misuse”) and photo verification with a pose. It has 4.4 stars from 79K ratings.
What it costs: MinglePlus 3 Months is $29.99, 1 Year $69.99 and Lifetime $89.99 on the listing. My Mingle2 review says the free version is enough for most people.
Who it suits: MeetMe users who liked messaging anyone and want a dating app instead of a streaming one. The catch: open messaging brings the same scam risk, which my Mingle2 review covers in detail.
7. OkCupid: best if you now want a relationship
If MeetMe felt too shallow, change formats, not just apps. OkCupid matches on profile answers and interests, and its App Store listing lists more than 60 gender identities and orientations and pronoun options. It has 4.3 stars from 289K ratings.
What it costs: OkCupid Premium items run from $7.99 to $59.99, with A-List at $9.99 and boosts from $0.99. My OkCupid review rated it 4 out of 5.
Who it suits: people who want dates that could turn into something. The catch: you chat after a match, so it is slower than MeetMe’s open inbox, which is also the point. For more options like it, see my serious dating sites ranking.
8. Bumble BFF: best for making friends
A lot of people used MeetMe to find friends nearby, not dates. Bumble’s friend-finding mode is now its own app, BFF. Its App Store listing says every match has passed selfie verification, and that you can chat one-on-one or join Groups with posts and video calls. It is free with no in-app purchases listed, and has 4.2 stars from 8.7K ratings (October 2026).
Who it suits: people new to a city or looking for a friend group. The catch: it is not for dating; for that, Bumble’s main dating app is a separate download, covered in my Bumble review.
Who owns MeetMe and the apps connected to it
This is the part most lists skip. MeetMe started in 2005 as myYearbook and took the MeetMe name in June 2012 after merging with Quepasa, according to Wikipedia’s page on The Meet Group. The company bought Skout in 2016 and LOVOO in 2017, and in 2020 it was acquired by ProSiebenSat.1 and placed under ParshipMeet Group. Today The Meet Group lists MeetMe, Skout and Tagged (with its sister brand hi5) as its apps and describes itself as a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group.
So when a list tells you to try “MeetMe and Skout” or Tagged, it is sending you to the same company, with the same livestream-and-gifts business. Similarweb’s competitor page for meetme.com (September 2026 data) rates Tagged 100% similar, followed by Badoo, Tinder, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and Skout. That is fine if you liked MeetMe. If you are leaving because of how MeetMe works, pick an app with a different owner and a different model.
Other apps like MeetMe you will see on lists
- Twoo: still recommended by Google’s AI answer and app directories, but it has closed. The Twoo homepage now only sends former members to Plenty of Fish or to the video chat app Azar.
- Livestream and random video chat apps (BIGO LIVE, Chamet, OmeTV): they copy MeetMe’s Live side, not its dating side. They run on gifts too, and random chat with strangers is where explicit content and scams show up first. I would not use them to meet anyone in person.
- Meetup: groups and events around shared interests. Its App Store listing claims more than 60 million members and has 4.7 stars from 273K ratings; the listing also sells member subscriptions from $3.99.
- Tinder, Hinge and Zoosk: mainstream dating apps that some lists include. They are bigger and more dating-focused than MeetMe, with no livestream side.
For more swaps like this one, see all our dating app alternatives, or the free dating sites hub if your rule is “no subscription”.
Before you switch: cancel MeetMe Premium first
Deleting MeetMe from your phone does not stop a subscription. Google says it plainly on its subscription help page: “When you uninstall the app, your subscription won’t cancel.”
- On iPhone: open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, MeetMe and Cancel Subscription, as in Apple’s cancel guide.
- On Android: open your subscriptions in Google Play, choose MeetMe and tap Cancel subscription.
- Spend or write off your Credits. Per the terms covered in my MeetMe review, unused Credits and subscription time are lost when you delete the account.
- Then delete the account in MeetMe’s settings if you want your profile gone. My MeetMe review has the exact deletion and refund steps from its help center.
Staying safe on any app like MeetMe
Apps with open inboxes, gifts and live video attract the same scripts wherever you go. The FTC’s page on romance scams lists the patterns: someone who wants to move the chat to another app fast, says they love you but cannot meet, then has an urgent story that ends in a request for money, gift cards or crypto.
- Never send money, gift cards, crypto or in-app gifts to someone you have not met in person. A “send me a gift on my stream” request is a money request.
- Verify before you meet: look for a verification badge (Badoo, POF, Mingle2 and Bumble BFF offer one) or ask for a short video call, and run a reverse image search on photos that look too polished.
- Meet in public first and tell a friend where you are going.
- Report and block in the app, and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. My guide to online dating scams walks through the common ones.
How I ranked these apps like MeetMe
This ranking is based on public information, not on hands-on use of every app: App Store and Google Play listings, prices and ratings (checked October 2026), company announcements, and the ratings in my existing reviews. I favored apps that match what MeetMe users came for (free chat with people nearby), with a usable free version and real verification tools, and I ranked the sister apps lower because they share the problems people are trying to leave.
Frequently asked questions
What apps are connected to MeetMe?
MeetMe is run by The Meet Group, which also runs Skout and Tagged (with its sister brand hi5) and is a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group. The company also bought LOVOO in 2017. Those apps share MeetMe's livestream-and-gifts model, so they feel similar.
What did MeetMe used to be called?
MeetMe started in 2005 as myYearbook, a social network founded by Dave and Catherine Cook. After merging with Quepasa, the company took the MeetMe name in June 2012.
Does anyone use MeetMe anymore?
Yes. MeetMe is still updated, has 100M+ downloads on Google Play and 4.3 stars from 374K ratings on the App Store (October 2026). Much of the activity is now in its livestreams, though, so fewer people use it purely to date.
What replaced MeetMe?
Nothing replaced it: MeetMe is still running. People who leave it usually move to Badoo or Plenty of Fish for free dating, Facebook Dating for an app with no paid tier, or Tagged and Skout if they want the same style of app.
What are some 18+ chat apps like MeetMe?
Tagged, Skout, Badoo and Mingle2 are all rated 18+ on the App Store and let you chat with new people for free. Random video chat and livestream apps also show up on lists, but they run on paid gifts and attract scams, so they are a poor way to meet someone in person.
What is the hottest dating app right now?
For free, casual dating, Badoo and Plenty of Fish are the closest to what MeetMe users want. Facebook Dating has been adding features for adults under 30, including an AI dating assistant and weekly surprise matches announced in September 2025.