Compare/Head to head

Boardy vs Happenstance

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Boardy

Free Free tier

Boardy is an AI networking agent that learns what you need through a conversation, then introduces you to someone from its network once both sides opt in and books the meeting. Founders use it for investors and customers, and recruiters and hiring managers can use it to meet candidates and referrals. It is free to use today, per its terms.

Where Boardy fits

  • Startup founders hiring their first key people
  • Recruiters building relationships with founders and hiring managers
  • Anyone looking for warm intros to investors or customers

Happenstance searches the people you already know. Free is forever (chat limits, unlimited Sidedoor and connected accounts). Pro is $24/mo billed yearly.

Where Happenstance fits

  • Founders and recruiters who want warm intros from email and calendar history
  • Teams that will pool networks in a Happenstance group
  • Operators who need CSV export of people from chat (Pro)
  • Anyone who will not pay SeekOut prices just to ask 'who do you know at X'

At a glance

DetailBoardyHappenstance
Starting priceFree$24/mo
Free tier✓Yes–No
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underPersonal brand, Lead generationEmployee referrals, Sourcing

Where they pull apart

Boardy

Stands out: Matches come from what people have told Boardy in conversation rather than from a scraped profile database, and every intro is double opt-in. It reports 253,000+ introductions made and a 17 hour average time to match.

Watch out: You do not control who is in the network or search it directly, so results depend on who Boardy has spoken with, and its network skews to startups and investors. It is not a sourcing database or outreach tool, and there are no outside reviews to check.

Not the right fit for

  • High volume candidate sourcing
  • Teams that need a searchable database, exports or an API

Happenstance

Stands out: It is network search, not Boolean sourcing. Connect Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, then ask in plain English who you know and why the path exists.

Watch out: Pro's $24/mo is the annual rate. API and MCP use separate credits on top of the seat. This will not find strangers outside your (and your friends'/groups') connected graphs.

Not the right fit for

  • Sourcers who need a 800M stranger graph and cold contact data
  • Buyers who want unlimited chat and MCP included in the $24 seat

Pros and cons

Boardy

  • Free to use
  • Double opt-in intros, so the other side wants the meeting
  • Handles scheduling end to end
  • No control over or search of the network
  • Network leans to startups and investors
  • No API, exports or ATS integration

Happenstance

  • Free forever for Sidedoor, connected accounts, friends, and groups
  • Pro at $24/mo billed yearly, with CSV export
  • Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, Calendar, Contacts, Twitter, Instagram as sources
  • Only as strong as the networks you connect. No cold 800M file
  • API and MCP burn separate credits
  • Chat is capped on Free. Heavy users need Pro

What each one costs

Boardy

Free

Boardy's terms state that the service is currently free to use, and that users will be told in advance if fees are introduced. Boardy Pro, which adds priority intros and deeper context, is unlocked by asking Boardy to connect your Google Calendar, with no price shown. The one listed charge is $100/mo for email scheduling, and it applies only to users who take a one-off $100 promotional payout. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 15 Oct 2026

Happenstance

$24/mo

Free is $0 forever (limited chat, unlimited Sidedoor, connected accounts, friends, and groups). Pro is $24/mo billed yearly, with higher chat limits and CSV export. Team is $24/seat. API and MCP use separate credits. No credit card for Free. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Boardy or Happenstance for free?
Boardy carries a free tier on our listing.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 15 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?