Best Friendship Apps for Women Abroad: 2026 Comparison

The best friendship apps for women abroad are not the ones with the slickest adverts. They are the ones where a match turns into a coffee within a fortnight and, a few coffees later, into someone you text when your landlord is being impossible. After two international moves, my honest view is that no single app does the whole job. One app gets you introductions, one group format gets you repetition, and repetition is what makes a friend.

Women moving abroad often have specific reasons for wanting a friend app rather than a general social one. Some want a women-only space so nobody mistakes a coffee invitation for a date. Some have followed a partner’s job and need a social life of their own. Some are new mums in a city where they do not yet speak the language. All of those needs point to slightly different tools.

This guide compares the apps and communities that women in European cities such as Prague, Berlin, Lisbon, Madrid and Amsterdam actually use. We checked the official pages for every fact below and left out anything we could not verify, including prices we could not confirm. Where we could not confirm a cost, we tell you to check the official listing rather than guess.

Best friendship apps for women abroad compared (2026)

Here is the overview. Read the cost column carefully: where it says to check the official listing, that is because pricing for extras changes and we would rather send you to the source than print a number that is out of date by the time you read it.

Bumble BFF abroad: the default starting point

If you only download one app, it will probably be this one. Bumble’s friend side has had more than one name: the standalone app is listed on the App Store as Bumble For Friends: Meet IRL, while Bumble’s own website still calls it Bumble BFF. Using Bumble BFF abroad works best in larger cities, so before you spend an evening perfecting your prompts, check how many active profiles appear within your radius.

What it costs and how it works

The App Store listing states that core features, including creating a profile, swiping, matching, messaging and taking part in groups, are completely free (Bumble For Friends on the App Store). Any paid extras are optional; you can make friends without them.

One thing surprises women who know Bumble’s dating mode: you do not have to wait for the other person, because Bumble says anyone can kick off the conversation in BFF (Bumble). Use that. The women who get off the app fastest are the ones who send a specific first line and suggest a real plan within a handful of messages.

Pros

• Free core experience, so the only cost is your time.
• Selfie verification is available to reduce catfishing and fake profiles (Bumble BFF).
• Large, recognisable brand, so people in your city are more likely to already have it.
• Interest tags and prompts make first messages easier than cold small talk.

Cons

• Swipe fatigue is real; it can start to feel like admin.
• Many chats fizzle after a few messages, so you need volume.
• In nomad-heavy cities, plenty of matches are only in town for a few weeks.
• You do all the organising: there is no event structure unless you use the groups feature.

For a city-specific take, our piece on whether Bumble BFF works in Berlin goes into what happened when we tested it there and what to combine it with.

Women-only apps: Gofrendly and Peanut

Some women simply prefer a space where every profile is another woman looking for friendship. That used to mean apps like Hey! VINA, which has since ceased operating; the main active women-only option across Europe is Gofrendly, which describes itself as a women-only friendship and community app for connecting locally, joining interest groups and planning activities together (Gofrendly).

Gofrendly

The appeal is obvious: no confusion about intentions, and interest groups give you a reason to talk beyond where you are from. The honest drawback is pool size. A dedicated women-only app is usually smaller than a big mainstream brand, and activity varies a lot between cities. Open it, browse the groups near you and see whether anything has been posted recently before you build a detailed profile.

• Good for: women who want only women around, and anyone who likes joining an activity rather than chatting one-to-one.
• Watch out for: quiet areas outside big cities, and groups that exist on paper but rarely meet.

Peanut

Peanut began as a way to connect mothers and pregnant women and has since broadened into a community for women in different life stages. It is still strongest if you are a new mum abroad, when your old social life has paused and you need people on the same schedule as you: playgrounds in the morning, coffee at nap time. If you are not a parent, it may feel less relevant than Gofrendly or Bumble BFF, depending on your city.

Communities and groups: Meetup, InterNations and chat groups

Apps give you introductions. Groups give you the thing apps cannot: seeing the same people again without having to arrange it each time. Most women I know who built a real circle abroad did it through one recurring group, not through dozens of one-off coffees.

Meetup

Meetup works on a simple model: an organiser runs a group and posts events, you RSVP and turn up. Many cities have women-focused groups for walking, hiking, book clubs, running or simply meeting new people, alongside mixed English-speaking groups. Costs vary by group, so check each event page. The tip that matters most: choose a group with a regular rhythm and go at least three times before you judge it.

InterNations

InterNations is an expat network with free and paid membership levels and organised events. It suits relocated partners and professionals who want a ready-made expat crowd, though the atmosphere can feel more networking than friendship at bigger events. Pricing changes, so verify it on the official site; our honest InterNations review with costs covers whether the paid tier is worth it.

WhatsApp, Facebook and Discord groups

Women-only expat groups on Facebook and WhatsApp are often where the useful stuff happens: someone asks who fancies a market visit at the weekend, five people reply, and three turn up. Quality varies wildly, from warm and active to spam-filled. Our guide to finding good WhatsApp groups for expats explains how to spot the active ones and leave the dead ones without guilt. Discord servers tend to suit gamers, remote workers and students.

Couchsurfing hangouts and events

Couchsurfing is best known for hosting travellers, but its hangouts and events can connect you with locals and travellers who like meeting new people. The crowd skews towards people passing through, so it is better for fun than for long-term friendships. Check the current membership terms on the official site before signing up.

Language apps: Tandem and HelloTalk

Tandem and HelloTalk pair you with people who speak the language you are learning and want to practise yours. They are underrated friendship tools for women abroad because they give you a built-in topic and a built-in reason to meet again: you both want to keep practising.

They are mixed-gender, though, and a minority of users treat them as dating apps. Keep early chats on the language, meet in a café rather than anywhere private, and use the block and report tools without hesitation if someone pushes things where you do not want them to go. Many women find it smoother to use the app for practice and go to an in-person intercambio for friendships; our list of language exchanges in Madrid worth trying shows what a good one looks like.

Friend apps that work in Europe: city notes

The same app can feel busy in one city and empty in the next. These notes are qualitative, based on how each city’s international crowd tends to organise itself, so always check activity on the app in your own neighbourhood.

Best apps to meet people in Prague

Czech is a hard language for most newcomers, so the international community leans heavily on English-language Facebook groups and Meetup events. Bumble BFF is a reasonable first app, but the best apps to meet people in Prague are often the boring ones: a recurring Meetup group plus a language app, because locals tend to warm up when they see you making an effort with Czech.

Berlin

Berlin’s scene is big and fragmented, with groups for almost every hobby. Bumble BFF has a decent pool, and hobby-based Meetup groups and chat groups fill the gaps. Pick by activity, not by nationality, and you will meet a wider mix of people.

Lisbon

Lisbon has a large digital nomad crowd, which means plenty of friendly people and plenty of people leaving soon. Combine app matches with something that keeps you in one place every week, such as a class or a coworking community, so not all your friends fly out at once.

Madrid

Madrid’s social life runs on intercambios and late lunches. Tandem or HelloTalk plus a weekly language exchange is one of the most reliable combinations here, and Spanish friends tend to invite you into existing groups once you are a regular.

Amsterdam

Dutch social calendars are famously planned ahead, so be ready to book a coffee a week or two out. English-speaking Meetup groups are active, and Bumble BFF works best when you suggest a specific date rather than a vague sometime.

Which of the best friendship apps for women abroad to try first

Safety when meeting someone new

Friend apps are generally low-risk, but meeting a stranger is still meeting a stranger. The basics do the heavy lifting:

• Meet in a public place: a busy café, a park café or a museum, not someone’s flat.
• Tell a friend: share who you are meeting, where and roughly when you expect to be done.
• Make your own way home: arrange your own transport so you can leave whenever you like.
• Leave if uncomfortable: you do not owe anyone an explanation. A polite goodbye is enough.
• Use verification and reporting: on Bumble BFF, selfie-verified profiles add reassurance, and block or report anyone who makes you uneasy.

Daytime first meetings also take pressure off: a coffee or a walk has a natural end point, which makes it easier to say yes to a second meeting with someone you liked.

From match to actual friend

The gap between a good first coffee and a friendship is where most people stall. The fix is boring and effective: suggest the second meeting before you part, make it a repeatable thing (a weekly walk, a monthly market visit) and invite one person from another part of your life so your new friends start to overlap. Our guide on turning acquaintances into friends has scripts for exactly that awkward follow-up message.

Give it time. Friendships abroad usually take months, not weeks, and the first few matches are practice. If you want to see how these apps stack up against general social apps, our broader comparison of apps to make friends abroad covers the mixed-gender options too.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bumble BFF free to use abroad?

Yes. According to the App Store listing for Bumble For Friends, the core features, including creating a profile, swiping, matching, messaging and joining groups, are free. Paid extras are optional, and you can make friends without them.

Are there women-only friendship apps in Europe?

Yes. Gofrendly is a women-only friendship and community app with interest groups and activities. Peanut is a women’s community that started with mothers and now covers other life stages. Older women-only apps such as Hey! VINA are no longer operating.

Who sends the first message on Bumble BFF?

Anyone can. Unlike Bumble’s dating mode, Bumble says either matched member can start the conversation in BFF, so do not wait: send a specific opener and suggest a plan early.

What are the best apps to meet people in Prague?

Bumble BFF is a sensible first app, but in Prague the most reliable combination is usually a recurring Meetup group or English-language expat group plus a language app such as Tandem or HelloTalk, because regular contact and effort with Czech help friendships stick.

How do I stay safe meeting a friend from an app?

Meet in a busy public place, tell a friend who you are meeting and where, arrange your own way home and leave whenever you feel uncomfortable. Use selfie verification where available and block or report anyone who makes you uneasy.

How long does it take to make friends with these apps?

Usually months rather than weeks. Expect the first few matches to be practice. Combining one app for introductions with one recurring group, and suggesting a second meeting before you part, speeds things up more than swiping harder.