Meetup API vs PredictHQ: community events by GraphQL or event data for demand forecasts
Meetup API is Meetup's GraphQL API for groups, events and members, authenticated with OAuth access tokens. PredictHQ is a paid event-intelligence API that returns deduplicated real-world events with impact scores, used mainly for demand forecasting.
The short answer
- Meetup API: Finding community meetups and recurring group events, with a link to the Meetup page.
- PredictHQ: Forecasting demand around events with attendance and impact estimates, rather than sending people to buy tickets.
Side by side
| Meetup API | PredictHQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Searches | Events and groups (eventSearch and groupSearch replaced the old keywordSearch). | Events in 19 categories, from concerts, sports, festivals and conferences to public holidays, severe weather and airport delays. |
| Returns | Event title, event URL, description, date and time, duration, hosts, featured photo, group and RSVPs. | Title, category, start date, location (geometry, address), a 0-100 rank, predicted attendance, predicted event spend in USD and linked entities such as the venue. |
| Before the first call | A Meetup account with a registered OAuth client and an access token. Rate limit: 500 query points every 60 seconds. | A PredictHQ account (sign up for free) and an API token created in the web app. What you can query depends on your subscription. |
| Free | Not stated on its pages | A free trial with no credit card needed; the trial length is not stated. |
| Acting on a result | Event link: each event has its Meetup event URL (RSVP happens on Meetup). | Nothing: the event schema has no ticket or booking link. |
| Limits on keeping or showing results | Not stated on its pages | Caching, storing or keeping copies of PredictHQ data is prohibited unless you buy the Storage extension or agree otherwise in writing; displaying data requires attribution. |
| AI in its terms | Not stated on its pages | Training or fine-tuning any AI tool, including LLMs, on PredictHQ data, or creating embeddings from it, is prohibited without written authorisation in an Order Form. |
| Coverage | Not stated on its pages | Global. |
| MCP server | No official server listed | Official hosted MCP server at https://mcp.predicthq.com/v1/mcp (OAuth or API key). |
Where Openpath fits
Openpath has no event listings yet. Events are on its roadmap, from organizers who list them themselves. Get listed.
Questions people ask
What do I need before I can use Meetup API?
A Meetup account with a registered OAuth client and an access token. Rate limit: 500 query points every 60 seconds.
Is Meetup API free?
Its pages listed no free use when we read them on October 15, 2026.
What do I need before I can use PredictHQ?
A PredictHQ account (sign up for free) and an API token created in the web app. What you can query depends on your subscription.
Is PredictHQ free?
A free trial with no credit card needed; the trial length is not stated.
Sources
Every line about another company comes from its own pages. Prices and terms change, so check the source before you rely on one.
Meetup API, read on October 15, 2026:
- meetup.com/api/guide: “Meetup uses access tokens to authenticate GraphQL requests.”
- meetup.com/api/guide: “The API currently allows you to have 500 points in your queries every 60 seconds.”
- meetup.com/api/guide: “Split into: groupSearch, eventSearch”
- meetup.com/api/guide: “title eventUrl description dateTime duration eventHosts { memberId name }”
- meetup.com/api/authentication: “you need to either register a new OAuth client or add a redirect_uri to an existing client”
PredictHQ, read on October 15, 2026:
- predicthq.com/pricing: “Free Trial - No Credit Card Needed”
- predicthq.com/pricing: “Comprehensive high-quality global coverage of events across 19 different categories”
- docs.predicthq.com/api/events/search-events.md: “A log scale numerical value between 0 and 100 with a five-level hierarchical impact schema.”
- docs.predicthq.com/api/events/search-events.md: “A numerical value that reflects the predicted attendance for supported attendance-based categories.”
- docs.predicthq.com/api/events/search-events.md: “you don't receive an error when requesting a date range or location”
- docs.predicthq.com/getting-started/api-quickstart.md: “Store the token somewhere safe. The WebApp doesn't show it again.”
- docs.predicthq.com: “Structured, deduplicated real-world events for discovery, explainability, and building trust in AI-driven decisions.”
- predicthq.com/legal/terms: “cache, store, download, scrape, or retain a copy of”
- predicthq.com/legal/terms: “whenever Customer displays PredictHQ Data on its website or within its app”
- predicthq.com/legal/terms: “use PredictHQ Data to train or fine tune any AI Tool”
- predicthq.com/legal/terms: “use any AI Tool to create embeddings from PredictHQ Data”
- predicthq.com/legal/terms: “unless explicit prior written authorisation is given by PredictHQ in an Order Form.”
- docs.predicthq.com/ai/mcp.md: “The PredictHQ MCP server connects AI assistants and agent-based systems directly to PredictHQ's APIs.”
- docs.predicthq.com/ai/mcp.md: “https://mcp.predicthq.com/v1/mcp”