Making new friends as an adult can feel surprisingly hard especially if you’ve just moved to a new city, are working remotely, or simply feel like your current circle doesn’t reflect who you are anymore. Luckily, in 2025, there are a growing number of apps and websites designed to help you meet new people.
Whether you’re looking for someone to grab coffee with, join you on a weekend hike, or just vibe over shared interests, here are the best friend finder apps in 2025 that are changing the way we connect starting with some of the most innovative newcomers.
1. Friendchise – Spontaneous social meetups over food and drinks
Best for: People who want to meet new friends over meals, coffee, or drinks on their own terms.
Friendchise is one of the freshest and most exciting platforms for meeting new people in real life. It’s designed to make spontaneous, casual meetups feel effortless, especially for those who have just moved to a new place or are looking to expand their social circle.
Friendchise is about meeting new people with similar interests over food and drinks. Unlike other applications, Friendchise lets you choose who you meet based on shared interests, age, or other filters. It’s not about swiping or matching, it’s about actually connecting, over something as simple as lunch or drinks. On the platform you can either create your own plan and share it with others or join plans other people have created. You can meet people one-to-one or in a group. The meetings are always in restaurants, cafes or bars.
Turning strangers into friends over shared meals with zero pressure and complete freedom to choose where, when and who to meet.
Why Friendchise could work for you:
✅ Focus on real-life connections
✅ Especially great for travelers, expats, and digital nomads
✅ You decide where,when and who you want to meet
✅ You decide if you want to meet just 1 to 1 or in a bigger group
2. Timeleft – Build a new social circle in your city
Best for: Those who love structured social events and want to meet multiple people at once.
Timeleft takes a unique approach to helping people make new friends. Instead of one-on-one meetups, it organizes small group dinners every Wednesday in selected cities. These pre-planned gatherings bring together around six people who are matched by AI based on personality and interests. In the beginning when you start using the application, there is a bunch of questions you need to answer to and then AI groups you to dinners based on the answers you’ve given. You get to know the dinner restaurant a bit before the event and with built-in icebreaker games and a some real conversation you get to know the other people in your dinner.
Timeleft also organizes after-party for all of the dinners that have happened in the city at the same time. So if you feel very social that day you can meet even more people in the after-party.
A fresh way to meet people face-to-face on organized dinners.
Why Timeleft could work for you:
✅ Group-based meetups feel natural and low-pressure
✅ Events are pre-planned and curated
✅ Great if you’re new to a city and want to meet multiple people at once
Timeleft is active in major cities across Europe and North America.
3. Bumble For Friends (BFF) – From dating app to friendship finder
Best for: People who like swipe-style apps and want to make platonic connections.
Bumble BFF is the friendship-focused side of the popular Bumble app. While it started as a dating platform, BFF mode is tailored toward helping people build platonic friendships through the same swipe-and-match interface. You can add bios, photos, interests, and chat before deciding to meet up.
It’s ideal if you’re already familiar with the dating app, and want to transition into making friends the same way. It’s more about chatting online and then you get to choose if you want to meet in real life where the other applications mentioned before, Friendchise and Timeleft, are more focused on meeting people in real-life.
Swipe and chat with new people!
Why Bumble BFF could work for you:
✅ Familiar interface
✅ Large user base
✅ Easy to get started
5. Meetup – Classic platform based on events
Best for: Joining social groups, clubs, or hobby-based events.
While Meetup isn’t new, it remains one of the most powerful platforms for making friends through shared interests. From hiking groups to book clubs and to coworking meetups, you’ll find local events happening regularly in most cities. Meetup is more like an event planner so you can join the events that interest you and meet people who like the same things. It’s not exactly a friend-finder application but a good way to meet people through events.
Join events and connect with people who share your interests!
Why Meetup could work for you:
✅ Tons of activities
✅ Easy to find events based on your interests
✅ Meeting people that share your interests
Which friend finder app should you choose?
In 2025, there’s no shortage of friend finder apps to help you build meaningful friendships whether you’re new in town, a digital nomad, or just want to connect with new people. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Friendchise is perfect for spontaneous, real-life meetups over coffee or meals.
- Timeleft adds a fun, social twist with group dinners.
- Bumble BFF offers swipe-based friendship for those who prefer 1:1 chats before meeting.
- Meetup remains the go-to for structured hobby-based groups.
Whatever your vibe, the key is to show up, be open, and take the first step. Because sometimes, the next great friendship is just one coffee away.
