What is the difference between First Round's On Me (FROM) and Hank?

First Round's On Me (FROM) is a friendship app that uses manual / self-select matching with groups of 1:1 and groups, priced at Free (Free classic membership; premium Social Club membership with 50 credits/month, daily coffee, and clubhouse access), available in 1 city. Hank is a friendship app using interest-based matching with groups of Varies, priced at Free (Free to download and use), available in 0 cities. Key differences include their matching approach, pricing model, and city coverage. First Round's On Me (FROM)'s strengths: The drink-credit reward system creates a genuine incentive to follow through on plans. Hank's strengths: Purpose-built for 55+ — no competing with twenty-somethings or navigating dating-app mechanics.

Which is better, First Round's On Me (FROM) or Hank?

It depends on what you're looking for. Choose First Round's On Me (FROM) if you prefer manual / self-select matching, 1:1 and groups groups, and on-demand events — An approval-only app that rewards showing up.. Choose Hank if you prefer interest-based matching, Varies groups, and on-demand events — Walks, coffee, and happy hours for adults 55+.. Both are available as IRL social apps. Compare pricing (First Round's On Me (FROM): Free, Hank: Free) and city availability on Søren to find the best fit for meeting people in real life.

First Round's On Me (FROM)

Hank

First Round's On Me (FROM) vs Hank

First Round's On Me (FROM) and Hank 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

First Round's On Me (FROM)Hank

CategoryFriendshipFriendship

PriceFree — Free classic membership; premium Social Club membership with 50 credits/month, daily coffee, and clubhouse accessFree — Free to download and use

Group Size1:1 and groupsVaries

MatchingManual / Self-selectInterest-based

Frequencyon-demandon-demand

Age Range21+55+

PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS, Web

Cities1 city0 cities

Founded20202020

Pricing

Both First Round's On Me (FROM) and Hank fall in the Free price range. First Round's On Me (FROM): Free classic membership; premium Social Club membership with 50 credits/month, daily coffee, and clubhouse access. Hank: Free to download and use.

Format & matching

First Round's On Me (FROM) uses groups of 1:1 and groups, compared to Hank’s Varies, and First Round's On Me (FROM) relies on manual / self-select matching while Hank uses interest-based matching.

How they work

First Round's On Me (FROM): Apply to join — FROM is referral and waitlist only, so you'll either need an invite or wait for approval. Once you're in, add the friends you want to see more of, or discover new connections nearby. Sync your calendar so the app can see when you and your people are free. When the stars align, pick a drink, a time, and a place from FROM's curated list of NYC bars, restaurants, and cafés. Send the invite and show up. Every time you follow through on a plan, you earn drink credits that you can redeem at partner venues with a two-drink minimum. The premium tier gets you a physical Social Club in Chelsea, daily coffee, and guest passes.

Hank: Download the app and create a profile. Browse a calendar of local activities — walks, coffee meetups, happy hours, museum visits, book clubs, and more — happening near you or online. Join anything that catches your eye. Before the event, you can see other attendees' profiles and start a conversation. After the activity, stay connected with people you clicked with through in-app messaging. If you don't see the right activity, create your own — set the time, place, and description, and Hank handles the rest.

What to love

First Round's On Me (FROM): The drink-credit reward system creates a genuine incentive to follow through on plans. Curated venue list means you're always going somewhere good, not just wherever's closest. Calendar sync removes the 'when are you free?' back-and-forth that kills plans. Approval-only membership keeps the community intentional and high-quality. A physical Social Club in Chelsea bridges the gap between app and real life.

Hank: Purpose-built for 55+ — no competing with twenty-somethings or navigating dating-app mechanics. Completely free with no subscription walls or premium tiers. Both in-person and online activities mean you can participate regardless of mobility. You can host your own events, not just join existing ones. Clean, simple interface designed for accessibility.

Reality check

First Round's On Me (FROM): NYC only — completely useless outside New York. The waitlist and approval process creates real friction to get started. Two-drink minimum at partner venues means you're spending money to redeem 'free' credits. Premium membership pricing isn't transparent upfront.

Hank: Currently strongest in the New York area — thinner activity selection in other regions. No Android app yet (planned but not launched). Smaller user base compared to mainstream apps means fewer activities in less populated areas. No algorithmic matching — you browse and choose activities yourself.

Søren's take

On First Round's On Me (FROM): FROM is built on a simple insight: the problem with socializing isn't finding people — it's actually making the plan and showing up. The drink-credit mechanic is clever because it gamifies the part everyone struggles with. The curated venue list and calendar sync remove the two biggest plan-killers (where do we go? when are you free?). The physical Social Club in Chelsea is a bold move that shows they're serious about the offline piece. The catch is that it's NYC-only and approval-gated, so if you're not in New York or don't have a referral, you're waiting. But if you are in the city and your social life has devolved into a graveyard of unanswered group chats, FROM might be the thing that gets you off the couch.

On Hank: Hank fills a gap that's been wide open for years: most friendship apps are designed for people in their 20s and 30s, and the 55+ crowd has been left to figure it out on their own. Hank's approach is refreshingly straightforward — here's a calendar of things to do, go do them with people your age. No personality quizzes, no swiping, no algorithms. The free pricing is a big deal for this demographic. The main limitation is geographic reach — it started in NYC and is still building out — but if you're 55+ and looking for community, this should be on your phone.