Comparison · 14 material differences
Soho House vs The Battery
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026 Private club
Dr. Mirko Junge · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Soho House
People working in the creative industries, described by the club as "a home for the world's creatives to come together"; the application asks for occupation and interests rather…
Private club
The Battery
The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining — Soho House: Applicants under 27 qualify for Under 27 pricing; The Battery: Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old".
- Geographic restriction — Soho House: Local House membership is tied to the House nearest the member's home; Cities Without Houses is for applicants based where the group has no House; The Battery: Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club".
- Annual dues — Soho House: $6,000 a year; The Battery: Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published..
Side by side
| Soho House | The Battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1995 (Founded by restaurateur Nick Jones above his Cafe Boheme restaurant on Greek Street in London's Soho, per Wikipedia's account of the club. The corporate parent is incorporated in Delaware; operational headquarters and the original House are in London.) | 2013 (Founded by Michael and Xochi Birch, the founders of the social network Bebo, in a converted building at 717 Battery Street in San Francisco.) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | San Francisco, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Houses across the United Kingdom, continental Europe, the Middle East, North and South America and Asia; the club states Every House members reach 48 Houses in 19 countries | A single clubhouse in San Francisco, with reciprocal access to more than 70 private clubs in 23 countries through the optional Battery Alliance |
| Members | 269,606as of September 2025 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | 48 | 1 |
| Primary audience | People working in the creative industries, described by the club as "a home for the world's creatives to come together"; the application asks for occupation and interests rather than income or job title | The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band |
| Typical member | Members are drawn largely from film, television, music, art, design, fashion, media and adjacent creative businesses. The club publishes no income, net-worth or seniority test, and Wikipedia records that the club has publicly emphasised creativity over net worth and job title. | The club publishes no occupational or wealth criteria. Its own materials emphasise conversation, cultural programming and collective giving through Battery Powered rather than industry or seniority. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Applicants under 27 qualify for Under 27 pricingThe club states the discount runs "until your 30th birthday", so the age test applies at joining rather than throughout membership. There is no published upper age limit on membership itself.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Local House membership is tied to the House nearest the member's home; Cities Without Houses is for applicants based where the group has no HouseEvery House membership carries no geographic restriction.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club"Distance is expressed as a driving distance from the clubhouse.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | Yes |
| Application process | Applicants complete an online form on the club's application portal, which the club says takes around 15 minutes and requires a recent profile photograph, credit or debit card details and information about the applicant's interests and occupation. The portal also offers a pricing calculator before submission. Soho House does not publish the criteria used to assess applications, nor whether proposers or seconders are required. | The club sets out four steps: complete the online application form; obtain a nomination; attend an open house, described as "an afternoon at the club and a chance to meet both members and our team"; and then, on approval, receive a membership kit. The club states that "Membership is by introduction, and it begins with a conversation." Applicants choose between Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30 types, with The Battery Alliance available as an upgrade. |
| Selectivity | Not disclosed as a rate. Soho House told members in December 2023 that it would stop accepting new members for New York, Los Angeles and London from 2024 after complaints about crowding; CNN reported the club then had about 185,000 members and 98,000 people on its waitlist. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, waitlist size or member count. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $6,000 a yearEvery House membership, New York or Los Angeles home House, standard (non-Under-27) rate. The club's own pricing calculator returns "Quarterly cost $1,500.00 / Annual cost $6,000.00".verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | $1,000 one-time"One-off House Introduction Fee $1,000.00" for Every House and Local House membership at New York and Los Angeles. The club states it "will be converted to Members credit and can be used on food, drinks and bedrooms across the Houses".verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. The club's apply page lists membership types without prices and no figure appears in its Charter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Rolling membership billed quarterly or annually, plus a one-off House Introduction Fee | The Charter contains sections on Membership Duration and Membership Renewal; specific terms are not published, and Lifetime Membership classes exist alongside renewable membership |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Houses are open daily; the club advertises more than 2,400 member events and experiences a month | The clubhouse operates daily, with a member events calendar covering talks, tastings, music and social nights |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified | House rules ask members not to take, post or tag people in photos, and to put phones and laptops away in public areas during social hours |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Chapter-based, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Yes | Not documented |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Yes |
| Family programming | Not documented | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Soho House · The Battery