Hank vs RealRoots

Pricing

Hank is priced at Free (Free to download and use), while RealRoots comes in at $$ (Membership required; pricing varies by city).

Format & matching

Hank uses groups of Varies, compared to RealRoots’s Small groups, and Hank relies on interest-based matching while RealRoots uses algorithm-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.

RealRoots: Download the app and complete a five-minute personality assessment with Lisa, RealRoots' AI coach. The system matches you with a small group of women in your city based on personality, interests, and life stage. A trained guide facilitates your first hangout so nobody has to carry the social weight alone. You meet the same group weekly for six weeks — the repeated contact is the whole point. After graduating, you join a community with weekly events and can stay connected with your group or meet new ones.

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.

RealRoots: Six-week format builds real friendships — not just surface-level connections from a single meetup. Trained guides facilitate every hangout so it's never awkward or one-sided. YC-backed with 150,000+ friendships made — serious traction and investment. Available on both iOS and Android. Graduate community with ongoing events means the friendships don't dead-end after six weeks.

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.

RealRoots: Women only — not an option for men or co-ed groups. Requires a multi-week commitment upfront, which can feel like a lot. City availability is expanding but still limited in smaller metros. Pricing isn't transparent — you have to sign up to see costs.

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 RealRoots: RealRoots solves the biggest problem with friendship apps: one coffee date doesn't make a friend. By committing you to six weeks with the same group and putting a trained guide in the room, they've essentially productized the way real friendships actually form — through repeated, low-stakes contact over time. The women-only focus is a deliberate choice that creates a specific kind of safety and openness. The 4.8-star rating with nearly 1,000 reviews and YC backing suggest this isn't a gimmick. If you're a woman tired of friendship apps that go nowhere, this is the one to try.