Looking for a Spontacts Alternative?
Spontacts is a leisure platform and a social network in one — with a newsfeed, groups, and discussions. BuddyMe is deliberately less: an app that gets you back offline as quickly as possible, to a real meetup.
What is the best alternative to Spontacts?
BuddyMe. Say what you are open for in three taps — for example "Open for hiking this weekend". People near you see the signal, and whoever wants to join sends you a request. You decide who is in; you settle time and meeting spot in the chat. If you would rather set a fixed date right away, that works too. 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 signal 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 group signal with a fixed date works just as well. You can also simply scroll the feed and respond to other people's signals. Either way, a chat only opens once both have said yes. You settle the exact meeting spot there.
Through all of this, the chat is just the tool. Signal 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, follow members, 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 followers, no forums. Signal 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 asks
Signals can be restricted to verified members or women only, and you accept every request individually — only then does a chat open. And 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, the design is current, and if you stay active you collect badges and streaks. There are apps for iOS and Android, and BuddyMe works just the same in the browser — 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 | Signals — from open to concrete, meeting spot in chat | Activities with a fixed time and place |
| Newsfeed & followers | Deliberately absent | Yes — posts, discussions, online status |
| Path to meeting | Signal → request → accept → 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, only verified members, or 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 verification badge on the profile.
Protected chat
Until you have met, the chat blocks the exchange of phone numbers and social media contacts. Schemes that try to pull you into private messengers quickly go nowhere.
Trust score & badges
Reliability becomes visible: a trust score sums up verification and behavior, badges and streaks show who is active and dependable.
Meetup point
Time and place can be pinned directly in the chat as a meetup point — nobody has to hand out their number for it.
Group signals with event character
A signal can also be a small event — with a fixed date and several participants. You accept requests until the round is full.
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 a category, time frame, and radius — for example hiking, this weekend, 25 kilometers. You can add a fixed date or a group, but you do not have to.
Review and accept requests
Your signal appears to people nearby, sorted by distance, urgency, and time of day. Whoever wants to join sends a request — you decide.
Meet up
You settle time and place in the chat — one-on-one or as a small group.
Signals open right now
A snapshot of the current feed.
Sebastian Hi Ich suche Leute aus der Umgebung Ulm ; Stuttgart, für verschieden Sachen zu machen und mehr zu unternehmen (z. B. Raus Gehen, Geocaching zusammen oder einfach nur Reden oder zocken usw.).
Julius Hey ich studiere in Frankfurt und lese sehr gerne und hätte Lust mich ganz mit anderen zu treffen vielleicht in Sachsenhausen oder so und sich über Bücher auszutauschen und vlt welche vorzustellen und Bücher zu finden die man dann gemeinsam liest:) Falls ihr auch Lust habt meldet euch gerne 🙂 ich lese hauptsächlich Romance/Fantasy aber bin auch völlig offen für neue Genres https://www.goodreads.com/_jul
Christoph 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 🥳
Katharina 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.
Felix 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?
Anke Hallo wir suchen neue Freunde oder pärchen für Spiele Abende oder gemeinsam Essen zu gehen einfach Spaß zu haben.
Yvonne Hey Leute, ich suche Studdybuddys zim gemeinsamen Lernen und motivieren. Würde mich freuen, wenn jemand Lust drauf hat.
Jenny Hallo, suche Leute im Umkreis Recklinghausen die ab und an mal Lust haben was zu unternehmen.
Donaubauer Hi Mädels, Suche nette Mädels, mir denn man was unternehmen kann. Ich bin auch großer HSV Fan
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BuddyMe really free?
Yes. Creating signals, receiving requests, and chatting with up to 3 new matches per month is free. Premium is optional and lifts the limits — 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. Besides one-on-one meetups there are group signals where several people come together.
What is the difference between a signal and a Spontacts activity?
A Spontacts activity is a planned date that others join. A signal states what you are open for in the near future — it can carry a fixed date and a group just the same, but it does not have to. Whoever responds needs your approval, and you set the exact meeting spot together.
Who sees my signal?
People within the radius you chose — and only those you allow: you can restrict your signal to verified members or women only. Your exact location is never visible.