Best Meetup Alternative in Australia for Hobbies

Meetup has been a go-to platform for Australians looking to find people who share their interests. It's built a large community over the years and works well for group events and organised activities. Depending on what you're looking for though, there are now apps that take a different approach — particularly if you want a one-to-one sport or hobby partner rather than a group event.

This guide covers what Meetup is best at, how it differs from newer alternatives, and which apps are worth exploring in 2026 depending on your specific needs.

Meetup has a lot going for it, and it's worth understanding where it genuinely shines.

Large existing community. Meetup has been around since 2002 and has millions of users globally, including an active presence in Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. For popular activities — hiking, photography, board games, tech events — you'll find established groups with regular attendance.

Event-based structure. If you want to attend a structured event with a defined time, place and activity, Meetup's format is well suited to that. You show up, you participate, you meet people in a group setting.

Variety of interests. Meetup covers a wide range of interests beyond sport — professional networking, language exchange, creative hobbies, social events. The breadth of categories is one of its strengths.

Meetup is designed around groups and events, which is great for some use cases and less suited to others. Here's where the differences tend to show up.

Meetup's model is built around attending events organised by group admins. If you want to find a specific person — a tennis partner at your level, a cycling buddy who rides at your pace, a guitar player to jam with — that's a different kind of connection that newer apps are specifically designed for.

Meetup charges organisers a subscription to run groups, which can mean some groups pass costs on to attendees. For casual sport sessions, there are free alternatives worth knowing about.

Meetup's most active communities tend to be in Sydney and Melbourne. In Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and regional areas, group activity can be more variable depending on the interest.

For sport and active hobbies, finding someone at the right level matters a lot. Meetup's group format doesn't include skill-level filtering, which is something purpose-built sport apps have added.

Hobbimate is a free Australian app built specifically for finding hobby and sport partners. Rather than attending group events, it connects you directly with individuals nearby who share your hobby and are at the same skill level.

How it works: You pick your hobby from 25 options (tennis, padel, cycling, running, hiking, basketball, soccer, golf, guitar, pilates and more), set your skill level, and Hobbimate shows you people nearby who are looking for the same thing. You message them directly, organise a session, and go do it.

What makes it different:

• One-to-one connections. Hobbimate is built for finding a partner for a specific activity — not attending a group event. If you want a tennis partner or a running buddy, it's the most direct path.
• Skill-level filtering. You set your level for each hobby — beginner, intermediate or advanced — so you connect with someone who's actually at the right level for you.
• Free. Hobbimate is completely free to download and use. No event fees, no subscription, no hidden costs.
• Built for Australia. Hobbimate is an Australian app, built by Australians, for the Australian market. The hobbies, the cities, the way the app works — it's designed with Australian users in mind.
• 25+ hobbies. From sport (tennis, padel, pickleball, basketball, soccer, cricket, netball, rugby, golf, cycling, running, hiking, swimming, squash, badminton, table tennis, field hockey, weightlifting, skateboarding) to music (guitar, piano) to fitness (yoga, pilates, walking) — Hobbimate covers the full range of active hobbies.

Best for: Anyone looking for a sport partner, fitness buddy, or hobby companion in Australia. Particularly strong for tennis, padel, cycling, running and hiking.

Download: Available free on iOS and Android at hobbimate.com.au

Facebook Groups remain one of the most active places to find hobby communities in Australia. Search for "[your city] + [hobby]" and you'll find groups for almost any interest — from local running clubs to photography collectives to board game nights.

Pros: Free, large user base, active in most Australian cities, good for niche interests.

Cons: Noisy and hard to navigate, no skill-level filtering, not designed for one-to-one connections, requires a Facebook account.

Best for: Finding existing communities around niche interests, particularly creative hobbies and social activities.

Eventbrite is primarily an event ticketing platform, but it's also a useful way to find hobby-related events in your area — workshops, classes, social sport events, and community gatherings.

Pros: Good for discovering one-off events, strong presence in Australian cities, free to browse.

Cons: Event-focused rather than community-focused, many events have fees, not designed for ongoing connections.

Best for: Finding workshops, classes and one-off events for a new hobby you want to try.

Bumble BFF is the friendship-focused mode of the Bumble app. You create a profile, list your interests, and connect with people nearby who are also looking for friends.

Pros: Large user base, easy to use, good for general social connection.

Cons: Not sport or hobby specific, no skill-level filtering, less active outside major cities.

Best for: General friendship and social connection, particularly for people new to a city.

Strava is the dominant fitness tracking app for runners and cyclists, and it has a strong social component. You can follow other athletes, join clubs, and participate in challenges.

Pros: Huge user base among serious runners and cyclists, good for finding training partners at a similar level, strong community features.

Cons: Running and cycling only, requires consistent activity tracking to get value from the social features.

Best for: Serious runners and cyclists who want to find training partners and connect with a performance-focused community.

The best choice depends on what kind of connection you're looking for:

Meetup and Hobbimate serve different needs rather than competing directly. Meetup is strong for group events and established communities. Hobbimate is built for one-to-one connections — finding a specific person for a specific activity, at the right skill level, near you.

There's no single app that does everything. The good news is that in 2026, Australians have more options than ever for finding people who share their interests — whether that's a group event, a community club, or a direct one-to-one connection.

If you're specifically looking for a sport partner or hobby buddy, Hobbimate is worth trying — it's free, it's Australian, and it's built around exactly that use case.

Download Hobbimate free on iOS and Android →