Ranked · Apps
Best apps to run a club (book clubs, chess clubs, game groups) in 2026
Ten apps for book clubs, chess clubs, board game nights and hobby groups: meeting schedules, RSVPs, waitlists, reading lists and club dues.
Bitezine Editorial TeamRankings, reviews & guides 6 min read
AI generatedThe best apps to run a club replace the group chat, the shared spreadsheet and the paper list of who paid with one place where members see the next meeting and say whether they are coming.
We looked at tools for small, volunteer-run clubs: book clubs, chess clubs, board game and card nights, e-sports teams, puzzle and gardening clubs. We compared how each handles meeting schedules, RSVPs and waitlists, notes and reading lists, announcements and dues, using the makers' own pages and the apps that come up again and again on existing best-of lists for community and club apps.
#1 · Best for Organisers of book, chess and game clubs who want meetings, notes and dues in one app
Listub Studio
Club nights, notes and dues in one app
Listub Studio has ready-made Studio kinds for book clubs, chess clubs, board games, card games, e-sports teams, puzzle clubs, collectors and gardening clubs. You plan a weekly club night or a one-off tournament with a set number of places and a waitlist that moves up by itself, and members answer Going, Maybe or Can't come. Reading lists, discussion notes and game analysis sit in Lists and Notes, and announcements go to everyone or one team. Members join free, and dues are tracked with an "I paid" tap while the money goes straight to you.
- Weekly or one-time meetings with places, a waitlist and a reminder
- Going, Maybe or Can't come answers in one tap
- Lists and Notes for reading lists, discussion questions and game analysis
- Teams with their own schedule and line-ups for chess or e-sports matches
- Club dues as monthly plans or one-off charges, with "I paid" and overdue tracking
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, web
- Pricing
- Monthly packages, two weeks free; members join free
- Data
- Stored in Germany
#2 · Best for Growing social clubs that collect payments in the app
Heylo
Community app with events and payments
Heylo is built for run clubs, parent groups, volunteer teams and other community groups. Organisers create events, collect RSVPs, take attendance and cap capacity with waitlists, and new members sign up through one link that can also handle waivers and payments. Topic and event chats keep conversations in one place.
- Events with RSVPs, attendance and waitlists
- Join link with registration and payments
- Member profiles and topic chats
- Organiser dashboard
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- United States
#3 · Best for Open groups that want strangers to find and join them
Meetup
Best for finding new members
Meetup is the best-known platform for groups that meet in person, from board game nights to book clubs. Its strength is discovery: people near you find your group and RSVP to events. Organisers pay a subscription, while members join free.
- Public group page found by local search
- Event RSVPs and waitlists
- Messages to members
- Organiser subscription
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- United States
#4 · Best for Clubs that want a free attendance app
Spond
Free organiser app popular in Europe
Spond started in sports and is now used by all kinds of groups. Organisers send event invitations, see who accepted, chat with the group and can collect payments. The core app is free, which makes it a common pick for clubs on a tight budget.
- Event invitations with accept or decline
- Group chat and posts
- Payment collection
- Sub-groups
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- Norway
#5 · Best for Reading groups that need nothing beyond books and meetings
Bookclubs
Made only for book clubs
Bookclubs focuses on one job: organising a book club. You create the club, schedule meetings, collect RSVPs and choose books together, for example with polls. The core features are free.
- Meeting schedule and RSVPs
- Book selection and polls
- Club reading history
- Free to use
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Focus
- Book clubs
#6 · Best for Groups that want a free private board and calendar
BAND
Group board, calendar and chat
BAND from NAVER gives each group a private space with posts, a shared calendar, polls, files and chat. It is free and flexible, so hobby groups use it for event dates, sign-ups and keeping announcements away from busy chats.
- Group posts and notices
- Shared calendar with RSVPs
- Polls and sign-up sheets
- Chat and file sharing
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- South Korea
#7 · Best for Gaming and e-sports groups that meet online
Discord
Home base for gaming groups
Discord is where many gaming, e-sports and online chess groups already live. A server gives you text and voice channels, roles and scheduled events. It is strong for talking and playing together, but it has no attendance, dues or club records built in.
- Text and voice channels
- Roles and permissions
- Scheduled events
- Free core app
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- United States
#8 · Best for Online book clubs that discuss as they read
Fable
Social reading app with book clubs
Fable is a reading app for tracking books and discussing them. Its book clubs let readers move through a book together and comment as they go, which suits online and long-distance reading groups more than clubs that meet in a room.
- Book clubs with shared discussions
- Reading tracker and lists
- Comments by chapter
- Public and private clubs
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Focus
- Readers and book clubs
#9 · Best for Open meetups that need a good-looking sign-up page
Luma
Polished event pages and sign-ups
Luma creates clean event pages with registration, reminders and optional ticketing, and groups can keep a calendar that people subscribe to. It is a good fit for meetups and open game nights that welcome newcomers.
- Event pages with registration
- Subscribable group calendars
- Email and text reminders
- Optional paid tickets
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, web
- Based in
- United States
#10 · Best for Registered clubs with formal memberships and renewals
WildApricot
Membership software for formal clubs
WildApricot is membership management software for associations and registered clubs. It combines a member database, renewals and dues, event registration, emails and a club website. It is more than a casual group needs, but suits clubs with formal memberships.
- Member database and renewals
- Online dues and event registration
- Club website builder
- Email to members
- Platforms
- Web, member and admin apps
- Focus
- Associations and clubs
How to choose
Start with how your club meets. A monthly book club needs a date, a reading list and a way to see who is coming. A chess club or e-sports team needs teams, line-ups for matches and separate schedules for juniors and the first team. A board game night with limited seats needs a place limit and a waitlist.
Decide whether you collect money. Some apps process payments and take a fee; others, like Listub Studio, let members pay you directly by bank or cash and only track who paid. Free group apps are fine if you never collect dues.
Think about new members. If you want strangers to find you, Meetup or Luma give you public pages. If your club is invite-only, pick an app where you invite people by link, email or QR code and members join free, so nobody drops out because of a fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to run a book club?
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For organisers who want meetings, a reading list, notes and dues in one place, Listub Studio is our top pick. Bookclubs is a free option made only for book clubs, and Fable suits online clubs that discuss as they read.
Is there an app for managing a chess club?
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Yes. Listub Studio has a chess club kind with club nights, junior training, teams and line-ups for team matches, where players answer Going, Maybe or Can't come.
How do I organise a board game night with limited seats?
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Use an app with places and a waitlist. In Listub Studio, when a game night is full people join the waitlist and move up by themselves when someone cancels. Heylo and Meetup also offer waitlists.
How can I track club dues?
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Listub Studio gives members a monthly price plan or a one-off charge; they tap "I paid", you confirm, and overdue payments show up. WildApricot and Heylo handle dues as online payments.
Is there a free app to organise a club?
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Spond, BAND, Bookclubs and Discord are free for the core features. With Listub Studio members always join free and only the organiser pays, with a two-week free trial.
What is a good app for an e-sports team?
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Discord is where most teams talk and play. For practice times, line-ups per match and announcements, Listub Studio has an e-sports team kind.
Do club members need to pay for the app?
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Not with Listub Studio, Spond, BAND or Bookclubs. Members of a Listub Studio join free on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac or the web.
If you run a book club, chess club or game night and want meetings, notes, announcements and dues in one app, start with Listub Studio's two-week free trial. Groups that mostly need to be found by new people should look at Meetup or Luma, and pure reading groups can start free with Bookclubs.
How we research: We compare each product on the same criteria, using makers’ documentation, independent reviews and owner feedback, and re-check the list when products change.
Written by
Bitezine Editorial Team
Rankings, reviews & guides
Our editors research every piece from makers’ documentation, independent tests and owner reports, and update it when products change.
