Base vs Heylo
Base and Heylo are both friendship apps that help you meet people in real life, but they take different approaches. Here’s how they stack up across pricing, format, cities, and more.
Side-by-side comparison · Updated 2026
At a glance
Pricing
Base is priced at $$$ ($100/month + event costs extra), while Heylo comes in at Free (Free to use; Heylo takes a small percentage when groups collect payments).
Format & matching
Base uses groups of 6-12 per event, compared to Heylo’s Varies, and Base relies on algorithm-based matching while Heylo uses manual / self-select matching.
How they work
Base: Head to base.club and fill out their application form. You'll select your city, choose a personality archetype (Artist, Scholar, Sage, Explorer, Leader, Healer, or Alchemist), and share what you're looking for — community, intellectual conversation, networking, or inspiration. Every applicant has a one-on-one call with the membership team before being accepted, so this isn't a sign-up-and-go situation. Once you're in, Base matches you to weekly events: intimate Circles with guided conversation prompts on the table, curated Experiences like tastings or workshops, and matched dinners at rotating venues across your city. The algorithm learns your preferences over time based on your attendance and feedback.
Heylo: A group leader creates a branded group page on Heylo with their logo, colors, and a custom URL. They post events with all the details — location, time, registration caps, guest policies — and members get notified by push notification and email. Members RSVP, pay if there's a fee, and join event-specific group chats to coordinate. The leader can collect recurring membership dues, require waivers, screen new members before letting them in, and track attendance over time. Members manage everything from the app or web — no separate payment apps, no email threads, no spreadsheets.
What to love
Base: Personality-based matching creates genuinely interesting tables. Vetted membership keeps the quality of conversations high. Variety of event formats — dinners, circles, and experiences — keeps things fresh. Available in 10+ US cities with more launching in 2026. The archetype system adds a fun, intentional layer to the matching.
Heylo: Replaces GroupMe, Venmo, Google Forms, and email chains with a single platform. Completely free to use with no paywall or usage limits — Heylo only takes a cut of payments. Branded group pages with custom URLs look professional and are easy to share. Built-in payment collection, waivers, and member screening solve real operational headaches. Works on iOS, Android, and web so nobody is left out.
Reality check
Base: $100/month is steep, especially since event costs are extra on top. Application and vetting process means you can't just sign up and go tonight. No iOS or Android app — everything runs through the website. Limited to US cities for now — no international availability.
Heylo: Not a friend-matching app — you need to already know about a group or start your own. Discovery of groups is limited; there's no curated marketplace of communities to browse. The platform's value scales with group size — solo users won't get much from it. Heylo's transaction fee on payments may not work for groups with tight budgets.
Søren's take
On Base: Base feels like what you'd get if Soho House and Timeleft had a baby — the exclusivity of a members' club with the personality-matching smarts of a modern social platform. The vetting process is a double-edged sword: it keeps out the LinkedIn pitch-bro energy, but it also means you can't impulse-join after a lonely Tuesday. At $100/month plus event costs, it's not cheap, but the people who thrive here are the ones who show up consistently and let the matching algorithm learn them. If you're in one of their cities and want curated, intellectually stimulating social experiences without the cringe of traditional networking, Base is worth the application.
On Heylo: Heylo isn't a friendship app in the traditional sense — it's the infrastructure that makes community groups actually work. If you're running a running club and juggling Venmo requests, GroupMe threads, and Google Form RSVPs, Heylo consolidates all of that into one clean platform. The fact that it's free (they only take a cut when money changes hands) is a huge deal for volunteer-run groups. The limitation is discovery: Heylo doesn't help you find a group, it helps groups run better. If you're a group leader, this is a no-brainer. If you're looking for friends, you'll need to find the group first — but once you do, Heylo makes the experience seamless.
