Crews vs GroupMe
GroupMe is a simple group messaging app that has long been popular with student groups, teams and clubs. It's easy to get everyone into one chat, and it's familiar on a lot of campuses.
Crews is a paid tool for organizers whose groups meet up regularly. It keeps the chat, then adds a shared calendar, RSVPs with capacity limits, a chat for every event, a memory wall and friendly leagues between crews.
Who should pick GroupMe, who should pick Crews
Pick GroupMe if…
- Your group mostly needs one simple chat
- Your members already use GroupMe, for example on campus
- Plans are occasional and easy to track in the chat
- You want something free for a student group or friends
Pick Crews if…
- Your club runs regular events and needs reliable headcounts
- You want events to have their own page and chat
- You want one calendar across every club you’re in
- You want some friendly competition with other clubs
At a glance
Shared calendar
- Crews
- Shared crew calendar, plus a personal calendar across all your crews
- GroupMe
- Group-level events; not the center of the app
Event RSVPs
- Crews
- Going / maybe / not going, capacity limits, invite-only events
- GroupMe
- Basic event responses
Event chat
- Crews
- Every event gets its own chat
- GroupMe
- Plans are discussed in the group chat
Group chat
- Crews
- Real-time crew chat with threads, reactions, @mentions and pinned messages
- GroupMe
- Simple group messaging with reactions
Polls
- Crews
- Polls right in crew and event chat
- GroupMe
- Polls in groups
Photo memories
- Crews
- Memory wall; turn any chat photo into a memory
- GroupMe
- Photos shared in chat
Leagues & challenges
- Crews
- Leagues by crew size and crew-vs-crew challenges
- GroupMe
- Not built around group competition
Push notifications
- Crews
- In-app and web push notifications
- GroupMe
- Mobile notifications
Invite links
- Crews
- Expiring, role-based invite links and join requests
- GroupMe
- Share links to join a group
Native apps
- Crews
- Installable web app (PWA), no app store needed
- GroupMe
- Mobile apps
Price
- Crews
- 14-day free trial, then $59/mo per crew
- GroupMe
- Free to use
Key differences
- 1
Chat-first vs plan-first
GroupMe is a messaging app first. Crews starts from the calendar: every plan is an event with a date, RSVPs and a dedicated chat.
- 2
Organizer tools
Crews gives organizers capacity limits, invite-only events, CSV participant export, roles (admin, moderator, member) and join requests for private crews.
- 3
Memories and rivalry
Photos can become memory posts on the crew’s wall, and crews compete in weekly leagues through challenges against other crews.
- 4
App vs installable web app
GroupMe has mobile apps in the app stores. Crews is an installable web app with push notifications, so there’s nothing to download from a store.
When GroupMe is the better choice
GroupMe makes more sense in a few situations.
- Your group only needs a simple, familiar chat
- Everyone on your campus or team already uses it
- You prefer a native app-store app
Moving your group from GroupMe
A common path is to keep GroupMe for quick messages for a few weeks while events move to Crews.
- 1.Create your crew and choose public or private. Private crews are joined by invite link or approved join request.
- 2.Make one or two trusted members moderators so organizing isn’t all on you.
- 3.Add the next few upcoming plans to the crew calendar, so there is something to RSVP to on day one.
- 4.Share a link to your crew in your GroupMe and ask members to join and RSVP in Crews from now on.
- 5.Ask members to install Crews to their home screen and turn on push notifications, so they don’t miss new events.
The verdict
GroupMe is a fine, familiar and free group chat, and for casual groups it's the sensible pick. If you run a club with regular events and want RSVPs, event chat and memories in one place, Crews is built for that, at $59/month per crew after a 14-day trial.
Start 14-day free trialFrequently asked questions
Is Crews good for student clubs?
It works well, but Crews is a paid tool ($59/month per crew after a 14-day free trial). A society with a budget may find it worth it for the shared calendar, RSVPs, event chat, officer roles and memory wall. A small, casual club is usually better off with a free chat like GroupMe.
Do members need to download an app?
No. Crews runs in the browser and can be installed to the home screen, with push notifications.
Can Crews track who is coming to an event?
Yes. Members RSVP going, maybe or not going, you can set a capacity limit, and organizers can export participants as CSV.
Can we move our GroupMe history to Crews?
There’s no import. Most groups start fresh in Crews with upcoming events.
How much does Crews cost?
Every crew starts with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. After that it’s $59/month per crew, paid by the organizer, and members join free. That includes up to 100 members; each extra 100 members is +$18/month. Billing is monthly and you can cancel anytime. Full details are on the pricing page (/pricing).
Comparison based on publicly available information as of September 2026; features change — check each product's site. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.