Paid social clubs are spreading across UK cities – typically charging anything from nothing at all to £20 a month. Photograph: Caia Image/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF View image in fullscreen Paid social clubs are spreading across UK cities – typically charging anything from nothing at all to £20 a month. Photograph: Caia Image/Getty Images/Collection Mix: Subjects RF Friendship Would you pay for an algorithm to pick your friends? New social apps spread across cities With many adults admitting they feel lonely, meetup platforms offer the chance to make new connections
Kimi Chaddah Wed 26 Aug 2026 08.00 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Would you pay £20 a month for the chance of making a friend, on the understanding that an algorithm – not you – gets to decide who you’ll meet?
Driven by the decline of “third spaces” such as youth centres and pubs, an increase in remote working and rising loneliness – 40% of adults aged 16 to 29 feel lonely “always, often or some of the time”, according to the Office for National Statistics – paid social events are now in vogue.
“There hasn’t been anything that feels authentic to helping people meet people,” says Nicola Gunby, a co-founder of Cliq, an online platform and app that aims “to bring people together through shared interests and real-world experiences”.
“The first place people in their 20s and 30s turn to when trying to make friends is Facebook groups,” she says. “But they’ve ended up becoming a noticeboard for people who’ve, say, lost their dog or want to sell their bed.” For Gunby, these groups are “far too big and broad to be a genuine community”.
Into this gap has stepped a new wave of what are effectively paid social clubs.
View image in fullscreen The way people decide on which social events to attend is starting to change. Photograph: ToucanStudios/Getty Images The mechanics are fairly simple: platforms such as PLY (it stands for People Like You) and Agora match people using information such as their interests, lifestyle habits and profession. Then, typically, an algorithm decides which events a user should attend, as opposed to free alternatives, such as the Meetup platform, that leave that choice with members.
The ideal outcome for participants is showing up, making some new connections and leaving with plans to meet up again.
But as these clubs spread across UK cities – typically charging from nothing at all to £20 a month – the question for anyone considering joining, is the same as you would ask about any subscription: what are you actually paying for, and is it worth it?
At PLY, memberships tend to start at £19.99 a month, giving members access to exclusive events and discounts with other businesses, falling to about £9.99 a month for longer commitments.
“When you do things for free, people often don’t turn up,” says Karen Harris, the founder of PLY, of its membership model. “People need someone who’s committed, who’s looking to maintain friendships and taking it seriously.”
View image in fullscreen You can use Meetup without having to pay a fee. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Shutterstock According to Harris, the majority of PLY’s customers sign up for longer-term memberships – a reflection of both the lower cost and of how long a friendship takes to build. On average, she says, it takes three events “to find your person”.
Other clubs offer a mix of pay-as-you-go and subscription options. This is Agora’s model as it makes things more accessible,…