Hank vs Meet5

Pricing

Both Hank and Meet5 fall in the Free price range. Hank: Free to download and use. Meet5: Free for all activity features; Premium subscription for private chat, priority access, and extras.

Format & matching

Hank uses groups of Varies, compared to Meet5’s 5+ per activity, and both use interest-based matching.

How they work

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.

Meet5: Download the app, create a profile, and select your region to see available activities near you. Browse events by category — hiking, dining, parties, sports, culture, games — or use filters to narrow it down. Join an activity that interests you, and you'll be added to a group chat with other participants so you can coordinate before the event. You can also create your own activities and invite others. After the event, mark people you clicked with as favorites and invite them to future activities. The more you attend, the more tailored your invitations become.

What to love

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.

Meet5: Activity-based format takes the pressure off — you're there to do something, not just make small talk. Massive user base (2.5 million+) means plenty of events to choose from in supported regions. All core activity features are completely free. User verification process keeps the community legitimate. You can create your own events, not just join existing ones.

Reality check

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.

Meet5: User density in the US is still growing compared to established European cities. Premium features (private chat, seeing who favorited you) require a subscription. Event quality depends entirely on who creates them — no curation or facilitation. The app interface can feel cluttered compared to more polished competitors.

Søren's take

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.

On Meet5: Meet5 takes the opposite approach from algorithm-matched dinner apps: instead of assigning you a table, it gives you a menu of activities and lets you choose your own adventure. That freedom is both its strength and weakness — you'll find everything from hiking trips to board game nights, but the quality is entirely user-generated. The 2.5 million users and half a million completed activities prove the model works. Now that it's available in the US alongside its established European base, it's one of the best free ways to meet people through shared interests wherever you are.