Timeleft Alternative in Budapest: Dinner for Six With Joiner
Last updated: 22 October 2026
If you live in Budapest and like the idea of dinner with strangers, you have probably come across Timeleft. This guide looks at a Timeleft alternative in Budapest: Joiner, which is live in the city. It compares the two using facts each service publishes, so you can choose what suits your week.
Quick answer
Joiner is live in Budapest with dinners for six, coffee, drinks, runs and plans you create yourself.
Timeleft in Budapest: Timeleft's locations page lists Budapest, checked 22 October 2026. Check dates and language on timeleft.com.
Price: Timeleft publishes its US membership price. For Joiner, check current pricing in the Joiner app.
Next step: see local meets on the Budapest meetups page.
How do you meet new people in Budapest?
Budapest is a big city with a large international crowd. About 1.7M people lived in Budapest on 1 January 2025, and about 112K foreign citizens lived there on 1 January 2026, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office.
That is a lot of people who moved for work, study or love and now want a social circle. Language courses, sports clubs and expat groups all help. Group dinners and small meets help too, because someone else does the organising and you only need to show up.
Feeling disconnected after a move is common, and it gets public attention. In May 2023 the US Surgeon General published an advisory on the impact of loneliness and isolation, treating it as a public health issue. A regular table of six is a small, practical answer to that in your own city.
In a new city, a table of six is often easier than a room full of strangers.
What is Timeleft?
According to timeleft.com, Timeleft runs weekly dinners and also offers drinks, coffee and walks. You book a spot, and Timeleft places you in a group chosen by its matching algorithm. The venue and the group are revealed shortly before the event.
Timeleft states that it has 4M+ members. That figure is Timeleft's own claim, published on its website.
Is Timeleft available in Budapest?
Timeleft's locations page lists Budapest, Hungary, checked 22 October 2026, and states 200+ cities in 52 countries. Check dates and language on timeleft.com before booking.
City lists change, so check the locations page again if you read this later. Both Timeleft and Joiner list Budapest; compare the actual plans available for your preferred date and language.
Joiner is live in Budapest today. Local formats, photos and answers are on the Budapest meetups page, and the story of the launch is in Joiner is coming to Budapest.
What is Joiner in Budapest?
Joiner is a social app for making friends through shared plans. Its main format is dinner for six: six people, one table, one evening. Joiner also has coffee meets, drinks, runs, and plans you create yourself.
You sign up with a short quiz about you and the people you would like to meet, then book in the app. The meet details are in the app as well, so you know where to go and when.
People in Budapest use it for different reasons. Some just moved and want a first group of friends. Others have lived in the city for years and want a new circle outside work.
What does Timeleft cost?
Timeleft publishes its own price in a comparison post on its blog. Per Timeleft's "Timeleft vs Meetup" article, a Timeleft membership costs $27.99 a month in the US for new members, or $65.99 for three months. Timeleft notes that prices vary by country, and food and drinks are paid separately.
Those US figures are reference points, not Budapest prices. Prices vary by country, and the Timeleft app shows your local price before you pay.
For Joiner, check current pricing in the Joiner app. The app shows the plans that apply in Budapest.
On either service you pay for your own food and drinks at the venue, so plan for the evening itself as well.
- Gatherings hosted in Joiner's first cities
- 20,000+
- People per Timeleft table, per Timeleft
- 4 to 6
- Cities in 52 countries, per Timeleft
- 200+
- About how long the Joiner quiz takes
- 2 min
How do Timeleft and Joiner compare in Budapest?
Joiner
- Format
- Dinner for six, plus coffee, drinks, runs and create-your-own plans
- Booking flow
- Short quiz-based signup, then booking in the app
- Group size
- Six people per dinner table
- How the venue is revealed
- Meet details are in the Joiner app
- Budapest
- Live in Budapest
- Price
- Check current pricing in the Joiner app
- Food and drinks
- Paid separately at the venue
- Members
- Not compared here
Timeleft
- Format
- Weekly dinners, plus drinks, coffee and walks
- Booking flow
- Sign up and book through Timeleft
- Group size
- Group matched by Timeleft's algorithm
- How the venue is revealed
- Venue and group revealed shortly before the event
- Budapest
- Locations page lists Budapest, checked 22 October 2026; check dates and language
- Price
- US: $27.99 a month for new members or $65.99 for three months, per Timeleft; varies by country
- Food and drinks
- Paid separately
- Members
- 4M+ members, as stated by Timeleft
| Timeleft | Joiner | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Weekly dinners, plus drinks, coffee and walks | Dinner for six, plus coffee, drinks, runs and create-your-own plans |
| Booking flow | Sign up and book through Timeleft | Short quiz-based signup, then booking in the app |
| Group size | Group matched by Timeleft's algorithm | Six people per dinner table |
| How the venue is revealed | Venue and group revealed shortly before the event | Meet details are in the Joiner app |
| Budapest | Locations page lists Budapest, checked 22 October 2026; check dates and language | Live in Budapest |
| Price | US: $27.99 a month for new members or $65.99 for three months, per Timeleft; varies by country | Check current pricing in the Joiner app |
| Food and drinks | Paid separately | Paid separately at the venue |
| Members | 4M+ members, as stated by Timeleft | Not compared here |
The table uses only what each service publishes. Details change, so check both sites before you book.
What do real Joiner reviews say?
Joiner is new in Budapest, so the reviews below come from elsewhere. Here is what people wrote on the App Store, quoted as written:
“Never thought that one app can change so much in my life. Activities, positive emotions, friends, everything was found there.”
“This app helped me to find new friends after relocating to Vilnius. Removes the burden of searching for what to do after work or during a weekend.”
“Joiner is actually awesome for making real friends. I've met chill, like-minded people through events without any awkwardness or pressure.”
These reviews come from users in Lithuania, where Joiner has been live longer. You can read them and others on the Joiner App Store page.
How do you choose the right Timeleft alternative in Budapest?
A short, fair checklist helps you decide what to try:
✅ Group size: do you want a fixed table of six, or a group sized by an algorithm? ✅ One-off or subscription: check how each service charges and how often you plan to go out. ✅ City availability: a service only helps if it runs in Budapest. Check the Timeleft locations page and the Joiner Budapest page. ✅ Who picks the venue: both choose the place for you. Think about how much notice you like before an evening out. ✅ Custom plans: if you want to suggest a walk by the Danube or a Sunday coffee, Joiner lets you create your own plan.
If you travel often, a service with many cities can be handy. If you want a steady group at home in Budapest, a service that runs locally every week matters more.
What happens at your first meet in Budapest?
You arrive at the venue, find your table and say hello. Everyone signed up for the same reason, so nobody needs to explain why they came. Talk usually starts with easy questions: where people are from, how long they have been in Budapest, which district they live in.
By the end of the evening, the table often has a few ideas for next time. For practical tips on settling in, read moving to Budapest: how to find friends and feel at home. For a wider comparison of the two services, read Timeleft alternative: dinner with strangers on Joiner.
How do you try Joiner in Budapest?
- 1
Take the quiz
It takes a few minutes and tells Joiner who you would enjoy meeting.
- 2
Pick a plan
Choose a dinner for six or another meet in Budapest.
- 3
Show up
Meet your group, talk, and see who you want to meet again.
Find your first meet in Budapest
Take the Joiner quizFAQ
Is there a Timeleft alternative in Budapest?
Yes. Joiner is live in Budapest. It brings strangers together over dinner in groups of six, and it also has coffee, drinks, runs and plans you create yourself.
Is Timeleft available in Budapest?
Timeleft's locations page lists Budapest, Hungary, checked 22 October 2026. Check dates and language on timeleft.com before booking.
How much does Timeleft cost?
Per Timeleft's own blog, a membership costs $27.99 a month in the US for new members or $65.99 for three months. Prices vary by country, and food and drinks are paid separately.
How much does Joiner cost in Budapest?
Check current pricing in the Joiner app. It shows the plans that apply in Budapest.
How many people are at a Joiner dinner in Budapest?
Six. Every Joiner dinner is a table for six, so everyone can take part in the conversation.
How do I join a meet in Budapest?
Take the short Joiner quiz at app.getjoiner.com, then pick a dinner or another plan in Budapest in the app.
Related articles
- Timeleft alternative: dinner with strangers on Joiner
- Joiner is coming to Budapest
- Moving to Budapest: how to find friends and feel at home
- Dinner with strangers app: a table for six
Sources
- Timeleft official website
- Timeleft locations: Budapest listed, checked 22 October 2026
- Timeleft vs Meetup, Timeleft blog
- US Surgeon General advisory on loneliness and isolation, HHS
- Hungarian Central Statistical Office: Budapest resident population
- Hungarian Central Statistical Office: Foreign citizens residing in Hungary by region