What is the best alternative to Spontacts?
BuddyMe. Say what you are up for in three taps — for example "Open for hiking this weekend". People near you see the Loop and join with one tap; you settle time and meeting spot in the shared chat. If you would rather set a fixed date right away, or decide yourself who is in, both work. The app was rebuilt from scratch in 2026, costs nothing, and shows no ads.
What BuddyMe is — in 30 seconds
BuddyMe is built around one observation: most people have the time and the appetite for company — but the barrier of organizing something themselves is too high. So everyone waits for someone else to make the first move.
A Loop lowers that barrier to three taps. You pick a category, a time frame, and a place — usually just your city, because the feed shows what is going on around you. How specific you get is up to you: "Open for coffee this week" is plenty, and a Loop with a fixed date works just as well. You can also simply scroll the feed and join other people's Loops. From two people on, the shared Loop chat is running, and you settle the exact meeting spot there.
Through all of this, the chat is just the tool. Loop chats exist to set up the meetup and archive themselves afterwards; if you want to stay in touch, you become "Buddies" after meeting in person. There is a reason for that: friendship grows out of time spent together, not out of texting. A University of Kansas study from 2018 put it at roughly 200 hours before acquaintances become close friends. That is why everything on BuddyMe runs toward the meetup.
The difference to Spontacts
Both platforms are location-based, both are free. The difference is how a meetup comes about.
Less app, more outside
On Spontacts you can post updates, join discussions, and see who is online right now. That keeps you around — and some people like exactly that. BuddyMe has none of it: no newsfeed, no forums. Loop chats archive themselves after the meetup, and the app counts as a success when you close it and are out the door.
Open or concrete — you decide
On Spontacts, everything starts with a fully planned activity. On BuddyMe, "Open for hiking this weekend" is enough — and if you already have a fixed date or a group in mind, you just add them. You settle the exact meeting spot later in the chat.
You control who sees you and who joins
Women can set Loops to women only — and if you would rather decide who is in beforehand, you set the Loop to "On request". Your exact location stays private: others see your city, at most an approximate distance.
An app from 2026
BuddyMe was rebuilt from the ground up in March 2026. Sign-up works without a password, and the design is current. There are apps for iOS and Android, and in the browser you can open Loops, join and chat too. The servers are in the EU.
Ad-free
Spontacts states it is financed mostly through advertising. BuddyMe is financed through an optional Premium subscription — there are no ads in the feed or the chat.
BuddyMe and Spontacts compared
As of August 2026.
| Criteria | BuddyMe | Spontacts |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Loops — from open to concrete, meeting spot in chat | Activities with a fixed time and place |
| Newsfeed & forums | Deliberately absent | Yes — posts, discussions, online status |
| Path to meeting | Loop → I'm in → chat → meet | Find activity → join → show up |
| Cost | Free, Premium optional | Free |
| Ads | None | Main financing, by its own account |
| App | Rebuilt from scratch in 2026 | Platform since 2011, part of GemeinsamErleben since 2021 |
What else is built in
Visibility & privacy
You decide who can contact you: everyone or only verified members, and as a woman also women only. Your exact location is never public — what shows is the city and at most an approximate distance.
Photo verification
A selfie check confirms there is a real person behind a profile — visible as a tick on the profile.
Protected chat
You chat in the app until you meet – you never have to give out your number. Automatic checks and our team watch out for spam and scams.
Women only, if you want
As a woman, you can set any Loop to women only. Then only women see it, and only women can join.
Small groups with event character
A Loop can also be a small event — a group with a fixed date. People join until the seats are full; after that the Loop keeps a waitlist.
From Spontacts to BuddyMe: ready in five minutes
Download and sign up
Free for iOS and Android — or directly in the browser. Sign-up works without a password and takes less than three minutes.
Say what you are open for
Pick an activity and a time frame, for example hiking this weekend. Your city is set as the place. You can set a fixed date, but you do not have to.
See who is in
Your Loop appears in the feed of people nearby. Whoever wants to join taps "I'm in" and is in your Loop.
Meet up
You settle time and place in the chat — one-on-one or as a small group.
Loops open right now
Last month: 1,900+ new Loops and 1,100+ joins
Tap a Loop to join.
Earlier Loops
Loops people have opened here before.
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Andria · January 2026
hallo ihr lieben, habe vor zwei tagen meine neue Arbeit begonnen in der nähe von Deutschlandberg Steiermark Graz, und würde mich freuen wenn jemand lust hat etwas zu unternehmen oder mir Tipps gibt mit eigenen Erfahrungen zu Steiermark. weil Chatgpt kann ich selber fragen. alle Tips und infos, Erfahrungen nehme ich herzlich an. Danke
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Raffael · September 2025
Hey! Würde mich freuen über neue Leute für gemeinsame Unternehmungen und Aktivitäten, regelmäßige Treffen woraus sich idealerweise gute ehrliche Freunschaften entwickeln! Mehr über mich in meinem Profiltext! 🙂👋
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Mahdi · September 2025
Ich bin neu in dieser Community und hoffe, einen Lebenspartner zu treffen, mit dem ich Erfolge und Aktivitäten gemeinsam teilen kann.
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Mara022 · September 2025
Wir haben eine neue WhatsApp-Gruppe erstellt, um gemeinsam neue Freundschaften zu schließen! 🤗 Alles ist freiwillig – keine Anmeldung, keine Kosten, keine Verpflichtung! Die Aktivitäten werden auf eigene Verantwortung organisiert und selbst bezahlt. Die Teilnahme an der WhatsApp-Gruppe ist freiwillig. Deine Telefonnummer wird nur innerhalb der Gruppe für die Organisation von Aktivitäten verwendet und nicht weitergegeben.
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Mara022 · August 2025
Hallo ihr Lieben, wir sind Matthias (29) und Tamara (26) und wohnen in Gallneukirchen (nähe Linz). Wir möchten endlich wieder neue Freundschaften schließen. Im Laufe der letzten Jahre haben wir uns viel auf uns konzentriert und leider einige Kontakte verloren – das möchten wir jetzt gerne ändern. Wir suchen aufgeschlossene Menschen oder Paare, mit denen wir gemeinsame Erlebnisse teilen, lachen können und echte Verbindungen entstehen lassen.
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Lucas · June 2025
Hi Suche leidenschaftliche DnD Spieler, können Neulinge oder auch Veteranen sein. Da meine jetzige Gruppe nur sporadisch spielt. Suche ich hier nette Leute fürs gemeinsame Spielen (nicht online). Kampagne ist eine Homebrew Eigenkreation, Regelwerk ist 5e. Jeder ist gern willkommen. Melde dich falls du Interesse hast.
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Kai · June 2025
Moin bin 19 und suche leute die bock haben sachen zu unternehmen Weil ich will eine neue freundesgruppe bauen alle sind willkommen
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daniel · June 2025
Hi ich lerne gerade salsa und suche noch eine nette Dame um gemeinsam zu üben :)
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Ines · April 2025
Hallo liebe Buddies! ☀️ Für meine Ausbildung zur psychosozialen Beraterin, möcht ich Übungsstunden sammeln u. euch stark vergünstigt, Beratungs- und Coaching Einheiten anbieten 🙌 Gibt es Themen die dich belasten o. blockieren? Möchtest du sie aus neuen Perspektiven ansehen, verstehen u. auflösen? Gibt es Glaubenssätze die dir im Weg stehen u. positiv umgeschrieben werden wollen? Dann melde dich gern bei mir u. wir arbeiten gemeinsam, mit Hilfe von verschiedenen Methoden, an Lösungen u.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuddyMe really free?
Yes. Opening Loops, joining other people's, and writing in the Loop chats is free. Premium is optional and makes your Loops more visible — there are no ads in either version.
What does Spontacts cost?
Spontacts is free to use and states it is financed mostly through advertising (as of August 2026).
Can I meet groups through BuddyMe too?
Yes. A Loop can be a meetup for two or a group of up to eight — you set the number of seats.
What is the difference between a Loop and a Spontacts activity?
A Spontacts activity is a planned date that others join. A Loop states what you are up for in the near future — it can carry a fixed date just the same, but it does not have to. Joining needs no approval, and you set the exact meeting spot together. If it went well, the host can repeat the Loop afterwards under My Loops.
Who sees my Loop?
People near you see it in their feed. If you want to decide who joins, set it to "On request" and confirm every join request yourself. As a woman, you can also open it to women only. Nobody sees your exact location.
