Short answer: Timeleft is a subscription app that seats you at a restaurant dinner with a small group of strangers it has matched by personality. In the United States the plan costs $19.99 a month, according to Timeleft’s own guide, and you pay for your own food and drinks on top. It is worth it if you want to meet new people without organizing anything and you enjoy conversation over a meal. It is less useful if you want to see the same people every week, because each dinner is a new table and follow-up is up to you.
TryMeetNow is published by the team behind MeetNow; we’ve tried to be fair to every app here. Read our disclosure on how we review apps. Details below come from Timeleft’s website and blog, last checked October 2026. Prices and formats can change, so confirm in the app.
What Timeleft is
Timeleft is an app that organizes in-person events for strangers, built around dinners. It says it now operates in more than 200 cities across 52 countries. Its core promise, in its own words, is to help you “make friends with five new faces over good food.” Timeleft chooses the restaurant, books the table and decides who sits together. You choose a date and show up.
Dinner is the main format, but Timeleft’s guide says it also runs drinks, coffee and running events in some cities, and women-only dinners on Tuesdays in more than 50 cities.
How Timeleft works, step by step
According to Timeleft’s guide to how the app works (September 2026), the process has six stages, and “none of them require you to organize anything”:
- Take the personality quiz. Short questions about how you think and socialize, for example whether your opinions are usually guided by logic and facts or by emotions and feelings.
- Choose a format and date. Pick your city, an event type and an evening. Dinners run on set evenings each week.
- Subscribe. You need an active subscription before you can attend.
- Get matched. Timeleft groups people by age range, personality and language preferences. Tables typically have four to six people.
- Venue reveal. Key details, including the restaurant, are released in the app the day before. Your table number appears an hour before the start.
- Show up. Find your table and meet the group. A group chat opens 30 minutes before the event. In select cities there is an optional “Last Drinks” stop at a nearby bar afterward.
Timeleft price in 2026
Last checked October 2026. Prices vary by city and change over time; the app shows your local price before you pay.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription (U.S.) | $19.99 per month | Stated in Timeleft’s September 2026 guide; lets you book as many events as you like that month |
| Longer plans | Varies by city | Timeleft’s help center lists 1-, 3- and 6-month plans; available options vary by region and are shown at sign-up |
| Food and drinks | Paid separately at the restaurant | Not included in the subscription; the app lets you indicate a budget range for the restaurant |
| Last Drinks (optional) | Whatever you order | Offered in select cities after dinner |
| No-show penalty | 35% of the monthly subscription price | Applies if you book and do not show up; repeat no-shows can lead to suspension |
| Cancellation | No charge within the allowed window | Cancel bookings in the app; cancel the subscription in account settings |
What a Timeleft dinner really costs
The total is the subscription plus your meal. If you attend one dinner in a month, your cost is $19.99 plus whatever you eat and drink. If you attend four, the subscription works out to about $5 per event, plus four meals. That makes Timeleft much better value for people who will use it regularly. Before subscribing, think honestly about how many evenings a month you will actually go.
Is Timeleft safe?
Timeleft’s safety overview (July 2026) describes several measures:
- Profiles use real names and photos, and members must be at least 18.
- You do not share your phone number, last name or address to book.
- Every dinner happens at a public restaurant chosen by Timeleft.
- You meet a group, not a single stranger, and the group chat opens only 30 minutes before the event.
- Messages are filtered automatically, and you can report a message with a long press.
- Community rules include a clear rule against continuing to pursue someone romantically after they have said no.
- Women-only dinners run on Tuesdays in more than 50 cities.
Those are Timeleft’s own claims, and we have not tested them independently. Whatever app you use, the basics still apply: tell a friend where you are going, arrange your own way home, and leave if anything feels off.
Pros and cons of Timeleft
What Timeleft does well
- Zero planning. No choosing people, venues or times. For busy or anxious people, removing those decisions is the whole appeal.
- Everyone is there for the same reason. Nobody at the table is surprised that a stranger wants to chat.
- Small groups. Four to six people is large enough to avoid awkward one-on-one silences and small enough for real conversation.
- Clear rules. The format, timing and costs are explained up front, and you pay for your own meal, which avoids bill awkwardness.
- Wide availability. With more than 200 cities, many U.S. and Canadian metro areas are likely to be covered, though you should check yours.
Where Timeleft falls short
- New table every time. The format is built around meeting new people, not seeing the same ones again. Friendship needs repeat contact, so you must do the follow-up yourself.
- Two layers of cost. The subscription plus a restaurant meal adds up, especially if you only go once a month.
- Limited control. You cannot choose who sits with you or which restaurant you go to.
- Chemistry is luck. A personality quiz can only do so much. Some tables click; some do not.
- Evenings only (mostly). Dinners run on set evenings, which may not suit shift workers or parents with young kids.
What to expect at your first Timeleft dinner
If you have never sat down to dinner with strangers, the first one can feel like a leap. A little preparation makes it much easier.
Before you go
- Check the details the day before. The restaurant is revealed in the app ahead of time, so look up the route and how long it takes to get there.
- Plan your own way home. Know how you will get back before you leave, whether that is your car, transit or a rideshare.
- Tell a friend where you are going and roughly when you expect to be done.
- Prepare two or three easy questions. “What made you try this?” works at almost every table, because everyone made the same decision to come.
At the table
- Arrive on time. Groups are small, so a late arrival is noticeable, and the first few minutes are when introductions happen.
- Share the airtime. If someone is quiet, ask them a direct, friendly question. Good tables are the ones where everyone gets to talk.
- Order within your budget. You are paying for your own meal, so there is no pressure to match anyone else’s order.
- Sort out the check early. Ask the server for separate checks when you order, which avoids end-of-night confusion.
Afterward
- Decide whether to continue. If your city offers Last Drinks, join if you are enjoying yourself and skip it if you are not. Both are normal.
- Follow up within a few days. A short message to the person you clicked with is the step that turns one good dinner into a second meeting.
Questions to ask before you subscribe
- Is Timeleft active in my city, on evenings I can actually attend? Check the available dates in the app before paying.
- How many events will I realistically go to each month? One event a month makes the subscription relatively expensive; three or four makes it far better value.
- What is my real budget per evening? Add the subscription share to a typical restaurant meal and drinks in your area.
- Do I want new people or the same people? If you want a stable group, consider pairing Timeleft with a weekly activity, or choosing a recurring option instead.
- Am I comfortable with not choosing the table? Part of the appeal is surrender. If that sounds stressful rather than freeing, a host-led or interest-based option may suit you better.
Is Timeleft worth it?
Timeleft is worth trying if most of these sound like you:
- You want to meet new people and do not want to organize anything.
- You enjoy conversation over food and are comfortable with a group of strangers.
- You can attend at least two or three events a month, which makes the subscription better value.
- You are willing to swap numbers and follow up with the people you click with.
It is probably not the best fit if:
- You want a stable weekly group. A rec league, a class or a recurring club will serve you better.
- Your budget is tight. Free options such as library programs, run clubs or volunteering give you repeat contact at no cost.
- You prefer daytime or activity-based socializing over dinners.
How to get the most out of Timeleft
The research on friendship is clear that time together is what turns acquaintances into friends; Jeffrey Hall’s work suggests roughly 50 hours to become casual friends, which we unpack in our article on how long it takes to make a friend. A three-hour dinner is a great start, but it is only a start. To turn a good table into friendships:
- Go with a follow-up mindset. Assume you will want to see at least one person again, and pay attention to who that is.
- Suggest the next plan before the night ends. “A few of us should get brunch next weekend” is easy to say when everyone is in a good mood.
- Use the group chat while it is warm. Share a photo or a restaurant recommendation the next day.
- Make it recurring. If two or three people clicked, propose a monthly dinner of your own.
- Pair it with something weekly. Timeleft is good for meeting new people; a weekly activity is good for seeing them again. Our guide on how to make friends as an adult explains how to combine the two.
Timeleft vs. alternatives
| Option | Format | Repeat contact | Planning required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timeleft | Matched dinners with strangers | Low unless you follow up | None |
| Meetup | Interest-based groups with recurring events | Medium to high | Low (join and RSVP) |
| Bumble BFF | One-to-one matching plus groups | Depends on you | Medium (you make the plan) |
| Rec sports league | Weekly games with a fixed team | High | Low once registered |
Timeleft vs. Meetup
These two are often compared, but they solve different problems. Timeleft is a curated, one-evening experience: you get a small matched table and a restaurant, and the app does all the work. Meetup is a directory of ongoing groups: you pick an interest, join a group and keep attending its events, so you see the same organizers and regulars over time. If your main obstacle is not knowing where to start or how to approach strangers, Timeleft lowers the barrier. If your main obstacle is that you never see anyone twice, a recurring Meetup group is the better tool. Many people will get the most out of using both.
For a broader comparison with costs, see our roundup of apps to meet new people.
How MeetNow differs
MeetNow is the app we are building, so we will keep this factual. Where Timeleft matches strangers and picks the venue, MeetNow is host-led: a host posts a plan at a public place with the date, time, number of seats and who pays (host pays, split, pay your own, or free), people ask to join with a short note, and the host decides who comes. It is live on the web at app.trymeetnow.com and on Android through Google Play, starting in Malta; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet. You can read more on our MeetNow app page.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web and works in your browser, starting in Malta. The Android app is on Google Play; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta.
FAQ: Timeleft review
How much does Timeleft cost?
Timeleft’s September 2026 guide says the plan costs $19.99 a month in the United States, which lets you book as many events as you like that month. Food and drinks are paid separately at the restaurant. Prices vary by city, and longer plans are available.
How does Timeleft work?
You take a personality quiz, choose a city, format and date, subscribe, and get matched with a small group, typically four to six people. The restaurant is revealed in the app the day before, and a group chat opens 30 minutes before the event.
Is Timeleft worth it?
It is worth it if you want to meet new people without planning anything and will attend a few events a month. It is less useful if you want a stable weekly group, because each dinner seats you with new people and follow-up is up to you.
Does the Timeleft subscription include the meal?
No. The subscription covers access to events. You pay for your own food and drinks at the venue.
What happens if I miss a Timeleft dinner?
According to Timeleft, canceling or rescheduling within the allowed window carries no penalty, but a no-show is charged 35% of the monthly subscription price, and repeated no-shows can lead to suspension.
Is Timeleft a dating app?
Timeleft says it is not a dating app: its core dinners are for meeting new people as friends. It also runs separate, opt-in singles events for people who want romance. Its community rules include a rule against continuing to pursue someone romantically after they have said no.
