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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Christoph · February 2026
hey Leute, ich bin auf der Suche nach neuen Bekanntschaften wo mal Lust haben was zu unternehmen oder einfach mal quatschten über Gott und die Welt 😂 ich bin von München nach Dorfen gezogen und habe unter Tags viel Zeit weil ich nachts Arbeite. bei Interesse gerne melden 🥳
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Katharina · January 2026
Wir suchen ein Paar/Einzelpersonen für gemeinsame Spieleabende. Wir sind ein junges Paar aus Südtirol/Frankreich, weshalb wir meist englisch miteinander sprechen. Besonders gerne spielen wir deck-building games und Spiele wie: Flügelschlag, great western trail, Res Arcana, Terraforming mars, Dominion... Falls diese Spiele in dein Spiel-Niveau passen, würden wir dich gerne kennen lernen. Am liebsten spielen wir Abends. Wir sind besuchbar und wohnen in Saarbrücken.
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Felix · December 2025
heyo, muss Lieder gestehen süchtig nach Urbex zu sein. 😅 wer sich auskennt weiß zu gut warum das nicht alleine machen sollte, weshalb ich auf diesem Wege nun noch ein zwei buddys suche, die ab und an Zeit und Lust auf eine spannende Tour haben. Meldet euch wenn ihr Zeit und Lust habt. vlt passt es ja, und wir starten schon bald die ersten gemeinsamen Tour?
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Anke · December 2025
Hallo wir suchen neue Freunde oder pärchen für Spiele Abende oder gemeinsam Essen zu gehen einfach Spaß zu haben.
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Yvonne · December 2025
Hey Leute, ich suche Studdybuddys zim gemeinsamen Lernen und motivieren. Würde mich freuen, wenn jemand Lust drauf hat.
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Jenny · December 2025
Hallo, suche Leute im Umkreis Recklinghausen die ab und an mal Lust haben was zu unternehmen.
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Donaubauer · September 2025
Hi Mädels, Suche nette Mädels, mir denn man was unternehmen kann. Ich bin auch großer HSV Fan
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Hans · August 2025
hi bin 54 und Security Fachmann Suche Freundin für gemeinsame Unternehmungen in Zukunft?
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.
