Comparison
InterNations alternatives in Berlin: where to go when you want a small group that keeps meeting
The best InterNations alternative in Berlin depends on what you want from it. InterNations is good for meeting lots of internationals at large official events. If you want a small group that keeps meeting, look for formats that repeat: a weekly Meetup group, a supper club you host, or a matched circle like The Analog Circle.
What is InterNations actually good for in Berlin?
Credit where it is due. InterNations has run since 2007. In Berlin it runs official events, regular Newcomers' Events and interest groups such as Speak German and Walk & Talk. Its Berlin page shows its current member, event and group numbers (as of October 2026), and its official evenings are big mixers. Membership is by approval, and official events are approved by hand before they go live.
If you arrived recently and want to hear a lot of accents in one evening, that is exactly what you need. You can leave with names, a few numbers and a sense that you are not the only one starting over.
In my experience, a room of a hundred people rarely gives you the second and third conversation with the same person. That is where friendship starts. InterNations' interest groups can give you that if you keep going back to the same one. If you want it built in, that is the reason to look at the alternatives below.
What does InterNations' own survey say about making friends in Germany?
In InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 survey, 57% of the expats it surveyed in Germany said making local friends is not easy, against 40% globally, and 41% said their friends are mostly other expats (InterNations, Expat Insider 2026). Its latest city ranking is from 2024. Berlin came last of the 53 cities for local friendliness, and 64% of respondents there disagreed that it is easy to make local friends, against 41% globally (InterNations, Expat Insider 2024).
The format matters too. Friendship needs the same faces, again and again, over months. A big mixer is built for something else: meeting as many people as possible in one night. Neither is wrong. They solve different problems.
InterNations alternatives in Berlin, side by side
| Option | Same people each time | How it works | Typical group | Vetting | Commitment | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InterNations | No fixed group; interest groups have regulars if you keep going | Expat network with official events, newcomers' events and interest groups | Large official evenings, plus smaller interest groups | Membership by approval; official events approved by hand | Free basic membership; paid plans run for a set term, then continue until cancelled | Free basic membership; paid membership prices are shown after you sign in | Meeting many internationals quickly, especially in your first months |
| Meetup | Depends on the group; small regular groups have regulars | Interest groups run by independent organisers, who decide who can join | Varies by group and event | No platform vetting; organisers set group rules | None; you RSVP per event | Free to join; organisers may charge dues or event fees; optional Meetup+ plan | A specific hobby, at little or no cost |
| Timeleft | Not by default; Repeat lets you invite people you have met | Matched by age range, personality and language, at a restaurant, a café or on a walk | Four to six people, plus you | Personality quiz; no application review described | A subscription to book | A subscription (prices shown in its app), plus your own food and drinks | Meeting new people often, with the planning done for you |
| Bumble For Friends (formerly Bumble BFF) | Up to you; it matches you one to one | Friendship app; in Germany you match, chat and arrange any meeting yourself | Two | Photo verification; no application review | None for the free app | Free to download and use; optional Premium subscription and paid features | Finding one person at a time, at your own pace |
| A supper club you host | Yes, if you keep hosting | You invite people and they bring people | As many as your table holds | You choose who you invite | As much as you put in | The cost of feeding people | People with the time and a starting network |
| The Analog Circle | By design: one matched circle that keeps meeting through the year | Matched into a circle of 8 expats, designed to meet for 8 guided dinners over the year in members' homes | Eight | By application, then a personal invitation | Monthly: 6 months. Yearly: the year paid for. Then it renews yearly or runs month to month | €400 per year, paid once a year, or €39 a month on a 6-month commitment | Expats aged 25 to 48, living in Berlin, who want the same faces at every dinner |
What does each alternative do differently from InterNations?
Meetup: small and specific
Meetup is built around groups and interests, so you can meet people because you both like bouldering or board games, not only because you both moved here. Pick the smallest group with the most regular schedule and go every week. A group of twelve that meets every Tuesday will usually give you more than a group of four hundred that meets whenever someone posts.
Timeleft: a smaller table
Timeleft, the dinner app, is the smaller table. Instead of a big room, you meet four to six people at once, matched on age range, personality and language, and Timeleft handles the venue and the group. By default each event is a new group. Its Repeat feature lets you invite people you have met before, and the rest of the table is new. We compared the dinner options in more detail here.
Bumble For Friends: one person at a time
Useful if you would rather build one friendship well than meet a crowd. In Germany it matches you one to one, with photo verification, and you arrange any meeting yourself. It works well alongside a group.
Hosting your own supper club
The honest, low-cost answer. Pick a date, invite three people, ask each to bring one, repeat monthly. It works as long as you keep doing the work. Many of these dinners stop the month the organiser gets busy.
The Analog Circle: one matched circle for the year
I started The Analog Circle because what helped me most after moving to Berlin was a small group of people who kept showing up. We match expats aged 25 to 48 into a circle of eight. The circle meets for eight guided dinners a year, in members' homes, with the hosting rotating so no one carries it. In between there are one-to-one adventures with someone from your circle and community experiences across circles. It is Berlin only, and you apply.
It is not a replacement for InterNations. It does a different job: one small group instead of a big network. It asks you to commit for 12 months, which is deliberate, and it is not for everyone. Here is what it is in full.
Who should stay with InterNations?
- You arrived in the last few months: InterNations' Newcomers' Events, plus Timeleft or a weekly Meetup group. Breadth first.
- You want to keep costs low: Meetup, where joining is free. Go to the same small group every week.
- You enjoy big rooms and networking: InterNations is genuinely good at that. Stay.
- You move cities often: InterNations has communities in many cities, so your network moves with you.
- You are leaving Berlin within a year, or you want drop-in events with no commitment: not The Analog Circle. It will not suit you, and that is fine.
- You have been here a while, met plenty of people, and none of it stuck: that is the gap a fixed small group fills.
Questions people ask
Is InterNations good for making friends in Berlin?
It is good for meeting people. Its Berlin community is large, its official events are big, and membership is by approval. It does not match you into a fixed group, so seeing the same people again depends on going back to the same interest group. Going regularly gives you a better chance.
What is the best alternative to InterNations in Berlin?
It depends on what you are missing. For a smaller table, Timeleft, the dinner app. For a hobby, a small Meetup group. For a small group that keeps meeting, a supper club you host or a matched circle like The Analog Circle.
Is there anything in Berlin where you see the same people every time?
Yes. The Analog Circle matches expats into a circle of eight, designed to meet for eight guided dinners over the year. You can also build this yourself with a recurring dinner, a sports club, or by committing to one small Meetup group.
Is The Analog Circle like InterNations?
No. InterNations is a large network, with membership by approval, built around big events and interest groups. The Analog Circle is one matched circle of eight expats, designed to meet for eight guided dinners over the year. One is for breadth, the other for depth.
How much does The Analog Circle cost?
€400 per year, paid once a year (works out at €33 a month), or €39 a month on a 6-month commitment (€39 at joining). Prices are in euros, and no VAT is charged (small business under §19 UStG).
Who can join The Analog Circle?
Expats living in Berlin, aged 25 to 48, who want to commit to showing up. It is Berlin only. You apply, and if there is a fit we send you a personal invitation.
Sources
Every competitor statement on this page comes from these pages, checked on 18 October 2026. Prices, schedules and member numbers change, so check each service's own page before you decide.
- InterNations: home page, about, press page and factsheet, Berlin page, terms and conditions
- InterNations, Expat Insider: all editions, Germany 2026, Ease of Settling In Index for cities 2024
- Meetup: home page, llms.txt, Berlin expat groups, Meetup+ changes, October 2024
- Timeleft: home page, Berlin page, expats page, Timeleft Repeat
- Bumble For Friends: Bumble's BFF page, German App Store listing
- The Analog Circle: pricing, what it is
If you have done the big events and want the same faces at every dinner, apply. It is Berlin only.
Apply to The Analog Circle