Our breakdown of how Groove compares to social focus alternatives
When you should use Groove, Caveday, Focusmate, accountability groups and more
Carving your own wavy career path has so many upsides: freedom, following the values you truly care about, shaping your life in a way that’s unique to you, flexible schedules, work-from-anywhere… but we have to admit it can also be pretty lonely and hard to stay focused when you’re doing it all by yourself.
There’s a new rise of what we like to call “human infrastructure” — helping you not only figure out payment processing, invoicing and doc organization as a solo worker, but also helping you thrive with human connection, support and motivation.
It’s a relatively new category, at least digitally, so we’re here to break down how Groove compares to other options.
Note: We think each option has its benefits and downsides, including Groove, so choose which resonates best with you!
Caveday
caveday.org
“Get more done in less time. In The Cave. Facilitated work sessions in a community that keeps you focused and accountable.”
Length of session: 1 hour or 3 hours
Frequency: Scheduled, usually every 1–2 hours
Number of people per session: Dozens, around 50+. Each session will have a small breakout room to share goals.
Facilitated? Yes
Platform: Zoom
Video/Sound: Users are invited to keep their camera on, although it’s not required. Sound off.
Control of connections: No control, all Caves are public to members
What We’re Excited About: Caveday is a great brand. They’ve been in productivity for a long time, and they’re done a ton of research to support the space.
Who It’s For: If your main goal is to optimize for heads-down focus, Caveday is for you.
Cost: $30–40/month
Flow Club
“Feel good getting work done. Join committed folks in virtual co-working sessions designed to drop you into flow.”
Length of session: 60, 90 or 120 minutes
Frequency: Scheduled, but can hop in one last minute.
Number of people per session: Up to 8 participants and host
Facilitated? Yes
Platform: Flow Club desktop app
Video/Sound: Cameras on entire session. Sound off.
Control of connections: No control, you select which session and anyone else can join.
What We’re Excited About: Flow Club is sleek and slick and we love their emphasis on Flow State.
Who It’s For: If you’re the kind of person that has an alarm set for the latest tech drops, you’ll feel right at home in Flow Club.
Cost: $33–40/month
Focusmate
“Distraction-free productivity. Focusmate virtual coworking helps you get things done.”
Length of session: 25 minutes or 50 minutes, with a few minutes at the beginning and end to share goals and regroup
Frequency: Scheduled, every 15 minutes
Number of people per session: 2, including you
Facilitated? No, self-run by you and the other Focusmate partner
Platform: Focusmate web app
Video/Sound: Cameras on, sound on entire session
Control of connections: No control, you’re matched with a partner by Focusmate. But if you find a focusmate that you like, you can schedule time to work together.
What We’re Excited About: Focusmate pairs you with an accountability partner so you can exclusively spend your mental energy on your work.
Who It’s For: If you really struggle with procrastination and prefer 1:1 body doubling, Focusmate is your best bet for productivity.
Cost: Free for up to 3 sessions per week, then $5/month for unlimited
Groove
Get sh*t done, the fun way. On-demand motivation and accountability for dreamer, doers, movers and shakers. Ditch distraction and find focus (for free 🙌)
Length of session: 50 minutes, with a few minutes at the beginning and end to share goals and regroup
Frequency: On demand, can start one any time. Global, but usually busiest during typical working hours in the UK and US.
Number of people per session: 2–4 people, including you
Facilitated? Nope, the structure of Groove app teaches you how to lead your own focus session
Platform: Groove’s mobile app
Video/Sound: On during initial hello and regroup, off during the 50 minute focus session
Control of connections: Groove’s Orbits feature allows you to naturally grow your community and who you Groove with. Can also do private Grooves with only people you know.
What We’re Excited About: Groove’s on-demand social focus sessions make it a great place to get sh*t done while having fun. Here, it’s just as much about connecting with others in bite-sized doses throughout your day as it is about working towards your goals and striving for “purposeful productivity.”
Who It’s For: Groove is for people who want to focus and get work done, but simultaneously build a community of really great “coworkers” you connect with regularly.
Cost: Free ✨
WorkFrom
“Our drop-in online coworking rooms are open 24 hours a day. People come and go. If you want more people in a room you can invite your friends, teammates, and community members to join by sending them the URL of the room.”
Length of session: 25 minute or create-your-own
Frequency: The general coworking rooms are drop-in
Number of people per session: Varies, could be you alone or with others
Facilitated? There are self-guided rooms, and hosted ones
Platform: WorkFrom website
Video/Sound: Cameras and sound on
Control of connections: No control, you select which room and anyone else can join.
What We’re Excited About: Workfrom is full of resources to help make work easier.
Who It’s For: For folks who love coffee shops and would like Zoom to be more conducive to virtual coworking, WorkFrom is for you!
Cost: Free to drop in, then $35/month for virtual coworking club that offers guided focus and productivity sessions for members
Other accountability and connection options:
Arranging your own accountability group
Of course, you don’t need any specific platform to organize your own accountability group! Here’s how Groove differs:
- Accountability groups usually commit to doing a habit or working on a larger goal over a period of time, vs. a 50 minute sprint Groove session where you can work on anything you want.
- Accountability groups require someone to organize the group and keep it on task. Groove offers easy, low lift social connection — no planning or organizing required.
- Accountability groups require you to find the people who will be in your group. On Groove, you get matched with other welcoming, interesting people at the click of a button.
Lunchclub
“Your network is waiting for you. We facilitate casual conversations that lead to not-so-casual professional impact. Powered by AI.”
Our notes: Lunchclub became quite popular during the pandemic, when in-person networking and coffee dates became a whole heck of a lot harder to do. It focused on longer 30 minute discussions.
Where Lunchclub is like a 30 minute virtual coffee date, Groove is like a 3–5 minute coffee date + 50 minutes of focused work.
Like Groove:
- Lunchclub helps you easily meet like-minded people on a similar career path
Unlike Groove:
- You don’t get work done together on Lunchclub — instead, you have a longer conversation.
- On Lunchclub, there’s no clear ongoing way to easily connect and bump into each other again after your initial session.
Cohort Learning
An alternative to traditional higher education, online cohort learning has become popular due to programs like On Deck, Reforge, Coa, General Assembly and many more.
Like Groove:
- These cohort-based learning programs help you easily meet like-minded people on a similar career path
Unlike Groove:
- In a Groove, you don’t need to have the goal to learn new skills. You can use Grooves to set aside time for learning or upskilling, but that’s up to you.
- Cohort learning usually meets at a set time each week. Groove is on-demand.
- After the cohort ends, you may stay connected via a group chat or platform, but there’s no ongoing social interaction or clear next steps for staying connected.
Slack, Facebook or Whatsapp Group
There are a million and one networking groups out there, specific to your career or place in life. These groups are great for asking advice, networking, and hearing about new jobs, but don’t aren’t usually based around social connection beyond written chat.
To sum up, every pot has its lid, and usually a mix and match approach can help meet all your needs. We’re big fans of anyone out there trying to help others thrive.
If there’s a platform we’re missing or features you’d like to know about, just let us know in the comments or at hello@grooveapp.io.
Looking for more Groovy Content? Check these out:
- How to use Groove for your accountability group
- Authentic Human Connection Powers Our Best Work (and Lives)
- Or, if you’re ready to ditch distraction, find focus, and conquer your to-do list get in the Groove ➡️ groove.ooo
