Comparison · 15 material differences
Soho House vs The Groucho Club
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 Groucho Club
Not stated in the club's own words on its public pages. Wikipedia records that the club favours applicants from creative media and the arts, the constituency it was founded to…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: Soho House: Applicants under 27 qualify for Under 27 pricing; The Groucho Club: Under 35 rate band, described as "Age 35 and Under".
- 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 Groucho Club: Country and Overseas rates require the member to live outside London.
- Industry restriction: Soho House: No published industry restriction; The Groucho Club: Applicants from creative media and the arts are favoured.
- Annual dues: Soho House: $6,000 a year; The Groucho Club: £1,500 a year.
Side by side
| Soho House | The Groucho Club | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.) | 1985 (Opened on 5 May 1985 at 45 Dean Street, Soho; named after Groucho Marx's remark about not wanting to belong to a club that would have him as a member) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | London, United Kingdom |
| 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 | One clubhouse at 45 Dean Street, Soho, London; a second site at Bretton Hall in Yorkshire was announced in March 2024 |
| 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 | Not stated in the club's own words on its public pages. Wikipedia records that the club favours applicants from creative media and the arts, the constituency it was founded to serve. |
| 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. | Historically writers, publishers, broadcasters, musicians and artists. The club publishes no occupational test on its public pages. |
| 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 35 rate band, described as "Age 35 and Under"Members aged 36 and over pay the London rateverified 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 ↗ | Country and Overseas rates require the member to live outside LondonThe portal labels the band "COUNTRY | OVERSEAS (Must live outside of London)"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Applicants from creative media and the arts are favouredRecorded by Wikipedia; not stated by the club on its public pagesverified 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's homepage offers "Apply for Membership" and "Register Interest" routes; the application portal at apply.thegrouchoclub.com asks the applicant to select one of four rate bands and proceed. Wikipedia records a requirement for two existing members to propose an applicant. The club publishes no committee, interview or timescale detail. |
| 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 |
| 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 ↗ | £1,500 a yearLondon membership (age 36 and over): "Annual Rate: £1,500", or £125 per monthverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | Prices are taken from Soho House's own public pricing calculator on 2026-09-06 and vary by home House, membership type and age band; the figures above are the New York, Los Angeles and London cases. Local supplements at some Houses and Soho Works access are billed separately. | £73–125 a monthMonthly payment option across the four bands, from £73.33 (Under 35 and Overseas) to £125 (London)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; no joining fee appears on the club's application portalverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Rolling membership billed quarterly or annually, plus a one-off House Introduction Fee | Annual, with a monthly payment option |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Houses are open daily; the club advertises more than 2,400 member events and experiences a month | Clubhouse open daily; member events and private event hire |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified | Under conditions agreed with the Metropolitan Police in December 2024 the club tightened procedures on the admission of members and guests and the recording of who is on the premises |
| 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 | No |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | No |
| Family programming | Not documented | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | No |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Soho House · The Groucho Club