Lunchclub: Pros and Cons

The biggest pro: it chose the match and booked the call

Lunchclub picked the person, booked the call and sent you into a video meeting, so you did not have to search for anyone. The 2020 sign-up asked for your objectives, interests and meeting times, and an invitation from that year called the service "a free service." ^{[9] [10]}

That worked for some people. Nine of 25 user reports describe useful or enjoyable meetings, from 2020 to 2024. A February 2024 reviewer recommended it for people outside large hubs who lack an established network, and said matches still wrote to them a year later. That review carries a referral link the author received. ^{[2] [11]}

The biggest con: there is little sign it still runs

The App Store version has been 2.3.8 since 3 March 2022, and the newest Trustpilot review is from February 2024. Fortune reported in November 2025 that the founders moved into Lighter, a perpetual futures exchange. Fortune does not say whether the networking service stopped. ^{[1] [3] [7] [8]}

Even before that, a booked call was not a sure thing. Five of 25 user reports describe a match who did not show or cancelled late, from 2020 to 2023. One Blind poster said a match cancelled about 15 minutes before a confirmed call, with no reason given. ^{[12] [2] [3] [13] [10]}

For people booked into calls, a missed slot costs the whole hour

Calls ran 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the account, and a 2023 commenter reported three random 45-minute calls a week. The schedule was set for you, so a match who stopped responding left a blocked slot with nothing to do in it. ^{[14] [12] [10] [11]}

Support did not help much. Three of 25 user reports say support did not reply or was slow, from 2023 to about two years before this guide. A 2023 App Store reviewer asked for confirmation deadlines and suspension for repeat no-shows. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

For people who want a particular person, you cannot choose

Three of 25 user reports, all from Product Hunt, say the location filter was removed or disabled, and that members could not pick matches by field or by person. Those reviews carry relative dates, about two to four years old. One of the reviewers runs a competing matching product, so that view comes from a rival. ^[4]

If your goal is a named field or a specific person, Lunchclub's matching works against you. A 2020 Blind poster who wanted career contacts at other companies called the experience "hit or miss." ^[12]

For your calendar and data, the defaults decide it

The privacy policy, effective 1 January 2017, says the service reads calendar data from a connected Google account by default, to connect people, and accesses contacts only with permission. Data is not rented or sold to third parties without consent. It sets no period for keeping data after an account closes, only a "commercially reasonable time." ^[6]

One 2023 member found recurring meetings they had not chosen, and pausing did not stop new matches. A December 2022 reviewer's account was closed two days after sign-up because matching found nothing relevant. ^[2]

A growing con: the app stopped changing and the complaints moved

Missed calls dominated complaints from 2020 to 2023. After that, the complaints were about getting in and getting help. A 2023 Trustpilot reviewer called email support slow and the video platform unreliable, and a Product Hunt reviewer said the service "has since stagnated." The last App Store update came in March 2022. ^{[3] [4] [1]}

Which matter most for you

If you need a call in the next month, skip it. The service appears to have stopped, and the newest cited user report is from February 2024. See the status page, then choose a service you can test today on the alternatives page. ^{[1] [3]}

If you have no established network outside a large city, the pros were real. The 2024 reviewer's case rests on that. Test sign-in first. If the code never arrives, the pros do not apply to you. ^[11]

If you want a specific person or field, it is the wrong tool. The matching rules and the removed location filter mean you cannot pick the match yourself. ^[4]

If you care about your calendar and contacts, the default read is the deciding con. Share contacts only if you must, and ask support in writing how to delete your data, because the policy lists no steps. ^[6]