Base vs WasMeant
Base and WasMeant 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 $$$ ($100/month + event costs extra), while WasMeant comes in at $$ (~$19 per dinner ticket + cost of your meal).
Format & matching
Base uses groups of 6-12 per event, compared to WasMeant’s 4 per table, and both use algorithm-based 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.
WasMeant: Head to wasmeant.com and create an account. You'll fill out a personality questionnaire covering your interests, values, and social energy — takes about 10 minutes. Once your profile is complete, purchase a one-time dinner ticket ($18.99). Then pick which Friday dates work for you and start the group search. WasMeant's algorithm builds a balanced group of four people with compatible personalities. You'll get the restaurant name and details by email once your group is confirmed — usually 24 hours before. Show up Friday at 7 PM, sit down, and spend the evening with three strangers at a curated spot in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Williamsburg.
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.
WasMeant: Algorithmic matching based on a real personality questionnaire — not random groupings. Small groups of four keep conversations intimate and comfortable. No app download required — sign up and manage everything on the website. Pay-per-dinner model with no subscription or auto-renewal. Restaurant selection is curated for atmosphere, not hype.
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.
WasMeant: NYC only — if you're not in New York, you're out of luck. Friday-only schedule at 7 PM is rigid if your weekends are unpredictable. Ticket price covers coordination only — you still pay for your own meal and drinks. Relatively new platform, so the matching pool may be smaller than established competitors.
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 WasMeant: WasMeant feels like the scrappy, NYC-native answer to Timeleft. The premise is nearly identical — personality-matched dinners with strangers — but the execution is more intimate: groups of four instead of six, and a deliberate focus on one city done well rather than scaling everywhere at once. The Friday-at-7-PM ritual is a nice counterpoint to Timeleft's Wednesday format. The biggest limitation is obvious: it's NYC only. But if you live in New York and want a low-pressure way to meet genuinely interesting people over dinner, this is worth a ticket.
