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

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. Kndrd is a friendship app using interest-based matching with groups of Varies, priced at Free (Free to 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. Kndrd's strengths: Every member is manually verified, which keeps the community quality high.

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

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 Kndrd if you prefer interest-based matching, Varies groups, and on-demand events — Post a plan, people join, a group chat forms.. Both are available as IRL social apps. Compare pricing (First Round's On Me (FROM): Free, Kndrd: Free) and city availability on Søren to find the best fit for meeting people in real life.

First Round's On Me (FROM)

Kndrd

First Round's On Me (FROM) vs Kndrd

First Round's On Me (FROM) and Kndrd 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)Kndrd

CategoryFriendshipFriendship

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

Group Size1:1 and groupsVaries

MatchingManual / Self-selectInterest-based

Frequencyon-demandon-demand

Age Range21+—

PlatformsiOS, AndroidiOS

Cities1 city0 cities

Founded20202023

Pricing

Both First Round's On Me (FROM) and Kndrd 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. Kndrd: Free to use.

Format & matching

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

Kndrd: Download the app and apply to join — every member is reviewed by the Kndrd team, so expect a short wait. Once you're in, browse plans that other members have posted: anything from after-work drinks to weekend hikes to concert outings. See something you like? Join it, and a group chat auto-generates so you can coordinate details. You can also create your own plan and let the community come to you. There's also a Forum section where you can ask for recommendations, find roommates, or get advice from the community.

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.

Kndrd: Every member is manually verified, which keeps the community quality high. Plan-based format means you're meeting people while doing something you already enjoy. Group chats auto-generate, removing the awkward 'so should we hang out?' step. The Forum adds a community layer beyond just events. Completely free — no subscriptions, no paywalls.

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.

Kndrd: Only available in New York City right now — no other cities yet. Approval process means you can't just download and go. Skews heavily toward women — less useful if you're looking for a mixed-gender crowd. Small user base means plan variety depends on who's active.

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 Kndrd: Kndrd is the kind of app that only works if the community is tight, and right now it is — because they're keeping it small and vetted. The plan-based model is genuinely smart: instead of matching you with a stranger and hoping you figure out something to do, you just join a plan that already sounds fun. The catch is that it's NYC-only and the approval process creates friction. If you're a woman in New York looking for a low-pressure way to find your people, this is worth the wait to get in.