The 8 Best Apps for Solo Travelers to Meet People (2026)
Here’s a number that should make you uncomfortable: 67% of solo travelers report feeling lonely at least once during their trip. Not “I miss my dog” lonely. The kind where you stare at your phone in a hostel common room pretending to read emails while everyone else is laughing.
The apps below fix that. They’re not dating apps dressed up as travel apps. They’re actual tools for finding dinner companions, hiking partners, and people who will help you navigate a foreign bus system without tears. I tested 14 apps over three months across Southeast Asia and Europe. These 8 are the only ones worth your storage space.
Why Most “Travel Friend” Apps Fail Solo Travelers
Most apps in this space die from the same disease: empty rooms. You download it, create a profile, and find five users in Bangkok, three of whom haven’t logged in since 2026. Then the app asks you to pay $9.99/month for “premium matching.”
The apps that work share three traits:
- Active moderation — dead apps feel dead because nobody removes spam or inactive profiles
- Location density — an app is useless if you’re in Hanoi and the nearest user is in Ho Chi Minh City
- Low friction events — the best apps don’t make you plan. They show you who’s eating dinner tonight and say “join this table.”
The apps below pass all three tests. Some have been around for a decade and still work. Others launched in 2026 and are growing fast because they solved a specific problem.
The quick math on safety
Every solo traveler worries about meeting strangers. The smart move: always meet in public places, tell someone where you’re going, and use apps with verified profiles or ID checks. I’ll call out which apps have solid safety features below.
App 1: Hostelworld (Not Just for Booking Beds)
Hostelworld added a social feature in 2026 called “Hostelworld Social.” It’s not buried in a menu. When you book a dorm bed, the app shows you a feed of other travelers currently staying at that hostel. You can see who’s looking for dinner, who wants to visit a temple tomorrow, or who’s just bored in the common room.
Why this works: the users are already in the same building. You don’t need to travel across town to meet someone. The feature is free with any booking, and the chat expires when you check out. No awkward “we met three weeks ago and now we’re phone numbers that neither of us will text.”
Best for: Hostel travelers who want zero-effort socializing. The app does the proximity matching for you.
Weakness: Only works if you book through Hostelworld. If you’re staying in hotels or Airbnb, this app is useless.
App 2: Meetup (The Reliable Old Guard)
Meetup has been around since 2002. It’s not flashy. The interface looks like it was designed in 2015 and nobody told them. But it works because real humans organize real events.
In 2026, most major cities have active travel meetups. Search “solo travelers Barcelona” or “digital nomads Chiang Mai” and you’ll find weekly dinners, coworking sessions, and weekend hikes. The key metric: look for groups with at least 500 members and an event scheduled in the next 7 days. Anything less is probably dead.
Pricing: Free to join. Some events cost money (dinner split, activity fees).
Safety: You can see who’s attending and how long they’ve been in the group. Long-standing organizers with high attendance rates are trustworthy.
Best for: Travelers who want structured activities, not random bar hangs. Think cooking classes, museum tours, or language exchanges.
App 3: Bumble BFF (Yes, Really)
Bumble BFF is the friend-finding mode of the dating app Bumble. In 2026, Bumble added a “Travel Mode” that lets you set your location to an upcoming city and start matching with people before you arrive. This is a killer feature.
Here’s the workflow: you’re flying to Lisbon next week. You set your Travel Mode to Lisbon. You swipe through profiles of locals and travelers who are also looking for friends. You chat for a few days. By the time your plane lands, you have a coffee date on Wednesday and a hiking plan for Saturday.
Numbers: Bumble has 50 million+ users globally. Even in smaller cities, you’ll find active profiles. The app requires photos and a bio, which filters out most bots.
Weakness: It’s still a swipe-based app. Some people treat it like a dating app and get confused when you just want to see a museum. Be clear in your bio: “Solo traveler looking for platonic friends only.”
Best for: Solo travelers who want to pre-plan their social calendar before arriving in a new city.
App 4: Couchsurfing (Hangouts, Not Just Couches)
Couchsurfing’s “Hangouts” feature is the most underrated tool for solo travelers. You open the app, tap “Hangouts,” and it shows you a list of people nearby who are also looking for company right now. Not tomorrow. Right now.
You set your status: “Grabbing coffee at The Workshop, join me in 20 minutes.” People in the area see it and can message you. I’ve used this in 12 cities and never waited more than 30 minutes for someone to show up.
The catch: Couchsurfing now charges a $2.99/month subscription fee. It used to be free. The fee killed some of the community, but the remaining users are serious about meeting people. The freeloaders left.
Safety: Profiles have references from real people. If someone has 20 positive references from travelers they hosted or met, they’re legit. Never meet someone with zero references.
Best for: Last-minute plans. You’re bored at 4 PM and want a dinner partner by 7 PM. Hangouts delivers.
App 5: Travello (Built for Solo Travelers)
Travello launched in 2017 and has 500,000+ users. It’s a dedicated social network for travelers. The core feature is the “Feed” — you post what you’re doing today, and other travelers in the area can comment or message you.
The app also has group chats for specific cities. Bangkok Solo Travelers, Bali Digital Nomads, etc. These groups are active daily with people posting “Anyone for Muay Thai tonight?” or “Need a second person for this tour — split cost.”
Pricing: Free with optional premium ($4.99/month) that removes ads and shows you who’s viewed your profile.
Weakness: Smaller user base than Bumble or Meetup. In less popular cities, you might find 10-20 active users. In Bangkok or Chiang Mai, it’s bustling.
Best for: Backpackers on a longer trip (1-6 months) who want a consistent social feed across multiple cities.
App 6: Tourlina (Women-Only Travel Companion)
Tourlina is a women-only app for finding travel companions. It requires photo verification and ID checks. Every profile is manually reviewed. The result: almost zero spam and a very safe environment.
You create a trip profile — “Bali, June 1-15, want to share a villa and hire a driver” — and the app matches you with women who have overlapping dates. You can chat within the app and video call before committing.
Numbers: 200,000+ users in 190 countries. Growing fast because it solves a real safety concern for solo female travelers.
Best for: Women who want to travel with another woman but don’t want to use dating apps or Facebook groups.
App 7: WhatsApp Groups (The Hidden Network)
This isn’t an app you download for travel. It’s an app you already have that connects to the largest network of travel groups on the planet.
Search Facebook for “[City] Solo Travelers WhatsApp Group” or “[City] Backpackers 2026.” You’ll find dozens of groups with hundreds of members. Join 3-4 groups before you arrive. People post daily: “Anyone at the Night Bazaar right now?” or “Need a ride to Pai tomorrow, splitting cost.”
Why it works: WhatsApp is ubiquitous. Everyone has it. The groups are self-moderating — if someone spams or acts weird, the admin kicks them. The conversations are real-time and immediate.
Weakness: You have to find the groups first. They’re not centralized in one directory. Spend 20 minutes on Facebook searching before your trip.
Best for: Immediate, in-the-moment plans. “I’m at this bar, come join” works perfectly in WhatsApp.
App 8: Atlas Obscura (For the Curious Traveler)
Atlas Obscura is primarily a guide to weird and unusual places. But they also host events — walking tours, food crawls, ghost hunts — in cities worldwide. The events are led by local experts and attract curious travelers, not drunken backpackers.
You sign up for an event, show up, and you’re automatically in a group of 10-15 people who share your interests. The structured format means you don’t have to awkwardly approach strangers. The event leader s conversation.
Pricing: Events range from free to $30. Most walking tours are $15-20.
Best for: Solo travelers who want intellectual or niche experiences. Think underground tunnels, abandoned asylums, or secret speakeasies. Not for party people.
Comparison Table: Which App Should You Use?
| App | Best For | Cost | Safety Features | User Base Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostelworld Social | Hostel guests, zero-effort matching | Free (with booking) | Only shows current guests | Large (hostel network) |
| Meetup | Structured group activities | Free (some paid events) | Group history, organizer reviews | Very large (global) |
| Bumble BFF | Pre-planning before arrival | Free (premium $19.99/mo) | Photo verification, blocking | Very large (50M+ users) |
| Couchsurfing Hangouts | Last-minute plans | $2.99/month | User references, profile reviews | Medium (active users) |
| Travello | Long-term backpackers | Free (premium $4.99/mo) | Profile verification | Medium (500K+ users) |
| Tourlina | Women-only companions | Free | ID verification, manual review | Medium (200K+ users) |
| WhatsApp Groups | Immediate, real-time plans | Free | Group admin moderation | Varies by city |
| Atlas Obscura | Niche, intellectual events | $0-30 per event | Event host, group setting | Medium (event-based) |
The One Mistake Solo Travelers Make With These Apps
They download all eight at once. They open each one once. They get overwhelmed. They go back to scrolling Instagram in their hostel bed.
Pick two. That’s it. Here’s the pairings that work:
- Hostel traveler: Hostelworld Social + Couchsurfing Hangouts
- Pre-planner: Bumble BFF (Travel Mode) + Meetup
- Female solo traveler: Tourlina + WhatsApp groups
- Curious explorer: Atlas Obscura + Meetup
Install both before you leave. Set up your profile. Join one group or event in your first city. That’s the hardest part. After that, the momentum carries you.
The apps that survive in 2026 are the ones that understand solo travelers don’t want a dating app experience. They want a dinner table with an empty chair. These eight apps provide that chair. The rest is just showing up.
