First Round's On Me (FROM) vs InterNations

Pricing

First Round's On Me (FROM) is priced at Free (Free classic membership; premium Social Club membership with 50 credits/month, daily coffee, and clubhouse access), while InterNations comes in at $$ (Free basic membership; paid plans vary by location and subscription period).

Format & matching

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

InterNations: Sign up and set your city — InterNations has communities in over 420 cities worldwide. Browse upcoming events near you, from casual drinks to cultural outings to professional networking nights. Join interest-based groups (hiking, photography, new parents, whatever you're into) to find people on your wavelength. RSVP to events and show up — most are organized by volunteer community ambassadors. You can also post in forums, send messages, and connect one-on-one with people nearby.

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.

InterNations: Enormous reach — 420+ cities means it works almost anywhere in the world. Events are well-organized and span professional, social, and cultural categories. Interest-based groups let you find your niche within a large community. Strong for professional networking alongside social connections. Free tier is genuinely usable for browsing events and groups.

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.

InterNations: Paid membership is required to message people or see who's attending events. Skews older and more professional — not the place for a rowdy night out. Event quality depends heavily on local ambassadors, which varies by city. The interface feels more web-era than modern app-first.

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 InterNations: InterNations is the 800-pound gorilla of expat networking. If you've moved abroad and want to meet people who understand the experience of navigating a new country, this is the most reliable option by sheer scale. The events are the real draw — well-organized, usually at interesting venues, and consistently attended. The downside is that the free tier feels like a teaser, and the paid plans aren't cheap. It also leans more professional-networking than casual-hangout, so if you're looking for a party, look elsewhere. But for building a real social foundation in a new city abroad, InterNations is hard to beat.