If this is your first time starting an Organizer account on Meetup and you have never had an organizer subscription in the past, Meetup offers a free plan for first-time organizers called Meetup Starter. This option is designed for new organizers who want to test the platform before committing to a paid subscription.
To find out if your account is eligible for such plan, follow these few steps:
- Log in to your profile on Meetup's web page. Meetup Starter can only be offered through our website and won't be available for purchase via Meetup's iOS or Android mobile app.
- Access the Choose your plan page after finishing your group.
- Select the 1 Month option.
- If you see the Starter plan option, click the Continue button underneath. If the Starter option isn't available, it means an Organizer subscription was already started through your account before and the first-time organizer plan can't be offered for that account.
- Provide your billing details at checkout and start your subscription.
What you can do with the free Meetup Starter plan as a new organizer
With Meetup Starter, you can:
- Create 1 group
- Host up to 2 in-person events per calendar month
- Have up to 10 attendees per event
- Use basic group communication tools, such as event comments and discussions
It’s a great way to start a small local community and see if Meetup fits your needs.
Limitations of the free plan
The free Meetup Starter plan is limited in a few ways:
- You can’t host more than 2 events per month
- Attendance is limited to 10 people per event
- You can only create one group
- Some advanced features — like online events, recurring events, member dues, or multiple groups — are available only on paid plans
- Meetup Starter is available only for first-time organizers and becomes unavailable once you start or upgrade to a paid plan
When to upgrade
If your community grows or you want to host larger or more frequent events, you can upgrade to a paid Meetup plan for additional flexibility. Paid plans let you:
- Host unlimited events
- Add more attendees
- Manage multiple groups (up to three with the Standard plan and unlimited with Pro)
- Access more organizer tools and analytics (only with a Pro subscription)
❗️Once you upgrade to a paid plan (Standard or Pro), it will never be possible to downgrade back to the free Starter plan, as this promotional offer is intended for first-time organizers only.