Les Amis vs RealRoots

Pricing

Les Amis is priced at Free (Free to join; optional credit purchases for premium experiences), while RealRoots comes in at $$ (Membership required; pricing varies by city).

Format & matching

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

How they work

Les Amis: Download the app and create a profile — all users go through a verification process to keep the community women-only. Browse upcoming events in your city, from pottery classes and wine tastings to outdoor hikes and dinner parties. RSVP to anything that catches your eye. You can also join interest-based groups to find women who share your hobbies and start chatting before you ever meet in person. Show up to the event, meet your new people, and follow up through private messaging in the app.

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

Les Amis: Women-only space creates genuine comfort and safety. Curated offline events take the planning burden off you. Verified profiles mean less spam and more real people. Available across 12 cities in Europe and the US. Interest-based groups let you find your people before meeting IRL.

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

Les Amis: Women-only means you can't bring male friends or partners. Event availability varies heavily by city — Barcelona and Amsterdam have the most. Premium experiences cost extra credits on top of the free tier. Still relatively small community in newer cities like Austin and New York.

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 Les Amis: Les Amis nails something most friendship apps get wrong: it leads with real events, not endless chat threads. The women-only angle isn't just a filter — it fundamentally changes the vibe. Women show up more open, more relaxed, and more willing to actually exchange numbers. The European city coverage is strong (Barcelona and Amsterdam especially), though the US expansion is still early. If you're a woman in one of their cities and you're tired of trying to make friends through dating app side features, Les Amis is the real deal.

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.