A When2Meet alternative for friend groups
When2Meet is a classic for good reason. It's free, there's no login, and everyone paints their free hours onto one grid. Students and project teams swear by it.
But if you're trying to get eight mates to agree on a Friday in December, an hour-by-hour grid is a lot of grid. Whenabouts is our own free, no-login date picker, built for that exact job: days and evenings, on a phone, from the group chat.
Here's an honest look at both, checked against When2Meet's own site in October 2026.
The difference in one sentence
When2Meet answers "which hours is everyone free?". Whenabouts answers "which day or evening can most of us make?".
Side by side (as of October 2026)
| Whenabouts | When2Meet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, optional tip | Free |
| Login for organiser or group | None | None |
| What you set up | A date range, plus evening, daytime or any time | Specific dates or days of the week, with "no earlier than" and "no later than" times |
| What people mark | Days they're free, or "maybe" | Their available time slots on a grid |
| Time zones | Not built for this; it's days, not times | Time zone setting when you create the event |
| Confirming the date | Yes: lock it in, then everyone with the link gets Add to Google Calendar and a .ics file | No confirm step |
| Picking the activity | Spin the Plan wheel | No |
| Ads | None, and no third-party trackers | The site shows ads |
Where When2Meet is better
When the exact hour matters
Study groups, rehearsals, a two-hour band practice: if you need to know that 7–9pm on Wednesday works for five people, When2Meet's hourly grid is exactly the right tool. Whenabouts doesn't do hours. You pick evening, daytime or any time, and that's as precise as it gets.
Recurring weekly slots
When2Meet lets you set up the event by days of the week rather than specific dates, which suits a regular weekly thing. Whenabouts is built for one-off occasions.
Time zones
When2Meet asks for a time zone when you create the event. If your group is spread across countries and the hour matters, that's useful.
Habit
Plenty of people already know it. There's a lot to be said for a tool nobody needs explaining.
Where Whenabouts is better for friend groups
It's made for thumbs
Friends answer on their phones, in WhatsApp, usually while doing something else. Tapping a day is quicker than dragging across a grid of hours on a small screen.
"Maybe" counts
Half of any friend group is "probably, let me check with work". Whenabouts lets people say maybe, so you can see who's a firm yes before you book.
There's an ending
When2Meet shows you the overlap and leaves the rest to you. Whenabouts lets you confirm the date, and anyone who opens the link afterwards sees it, with Add to Google Calendar and a .ics download. Nothing is emailed, so post a quick "it's on" in the chat.
Days that make sense
Use "Which days work?" to show any day, weekdays, weekends (Saturday and Sunday) or individual days. Planning a Friday-and-Saturday weekend away? Tick just Friday and Saturday.
How Whenabouts works
- Create a plan. Name it, set a date range, and choose evening, daytime or any time.
- Share one link. Hit the WhatsApp button. Friends tap the days they're free, or "maybe". No app, no sign-up.
- Lock in the best date. Whenabouts shows the date that works for the most people. Confirm it, and the calendar links appear for everyone.
Need more on the method? See how to find a date that works for everyone, or the round-up of free group date planners in the UK.
Which should you use?
- Picking an hour for a meeting, rehearsal or study session: When2Meet.
- Picking a night out, a dinner, a Friendsmas or a cottage weekend: Whenabouts.
- Weekly recurring slot: When2Meet.
- You want a confirmed date and calendar links at the end: Whenabouts.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a When2Meet alternative that works better on a phone?
Whenabouts is built for phones and the group chat. Friends tap whole days or evenings instead of dragging across an hourly grid. It's free with no login.
Is Whenabouts free like When2Meet?
Yes. Both are free. Whenabouts has an optional "Buy us a coffee?" tip with a "No thanks" button, and no ads.
Can Whenabouts do hourly slots like When2Meet?
No. You choose evening, daytime or any time for the whole plan. If the exact hour matters, When2Meet is the better choice.
Do my friends need an account?
No. Neither tool needs an account. With Whenabouts, friends open the link and tap the days they're free.
How do people get the final date in their calendar?
Once you confirm the date in Whenabouts, anyone who opens the link can tap Add to Google Calendar or download a .ics file.
Sources (checked 29 October 2026)
- When2Meet (event setup options and ads, checked on the live homepage)