Best Home Exchange Sites and Home Swap Platforms
If there is something that frequent travelers know well, it is that booking travel accommodation through rental sites is one of the biggest expenses that drain budgets the most.
But now, thanks to home exchange websites, affordable and immersive extended stays abroad are no longer impossible. These platforms allow you to soak in overseas adventures far more affordably and can open doors for frequent travelers, families, and location-independent workers to enjoy houses around the world like locals.
In this guide, we'll share with you the best home-sharing websites and platforms out there, comparing their listings, pricing, and more.
1. HomeExchange
HomeExchange has the world's largest selection of home swap listings, with over 150,000 members' homes spanning 145+ countries.
Its home swap system is through an annual membership and they provide two options for arranging home exchanges on their platform:
- You either directly coordinate simultaneous swaps with other members through a reciprocal exchange system
- You can tap into a GuestPoints system to claim properties without a direct trade
Membership cost: $220 per year
2. Noad
Noad is the fastest-growing members-only home exchange community catering to digital nomads and remote workers. Their listings are all equipped with reliable WiFi, desks, and home-office equipment, so they are perfect for location-independent professionals and remote workers.
It currently has 100+ destinations across 30+ countries and allows you to leverage your home and stay in work-ready accommodations for $0/night. The only thing you will pay for each stay is the final cleaning.
Home swaps are arranged through Noad's credits-based booking system and nights are booked for 1 Credit + $0 per night as needed.
Membership cost: Starting at $150/year
3. People Like Us
People Like Us is another fast-growing platform with thousands of members and listings in over 100 countries. Although it's one of the newest, this home exchange website has quickly become one of the most trusted and well-known. It's not a case in fact that if you look for reviews about them online, you'll find an incredible amount of great customer reviews from one of the friendliest community members.
Similar to many other home swap platforms, People Like Us is a subscription-based service and it offers 4 different home exchange types:
- Simultaneous: the most common, where you and another member trade homes for the same dates
- Non-simultaneous: you trade homes, but not on the same dates. This is flexible if you're unsure about your travel plans
- Non-reciprocal: only one member exchanges using People Like Us Globes. A Globe is a one-way exchange worth one stay at another member's place and it's been thought for people who live in less-touristy areas
- Hospitality: you stay at someone's home while they're still there (you don't get the whole place to yourself)
Membership cost: $149 per year (Free trial for 30 days)
4. Swaphouse
Up next on our list, we have Swaphouse, a completely free home exchange platform with hundreds of WFH-friendly listings across all continents that make travel accessible for remote workers and digital nomads. This platform enables location-independent workers to embark on "workations" while exploring different places and enjoying the comforts and functionality of a remote work friendly home. All, without spending a single dollar!
Exchanges are facilitated through a match-based system, almost like a dating app. Members can access their "Explore" section to discover all the available listings and, if they see a home they would like to stay in, they can just hit the "heart" button. If other members also like your home, then you have a "match," and you are ready to agree on a home swap with the other homeowner. And the beauty of it, is that it's completely free. No memberships or fees to pay!
Membership cost: FREE!
5. Kindred
Kindred is another popular members-only home swap website with 50,000 homes in 100 cities, although the large majority are in North America and Europe. Platform members are thoroughly vetted, so you need to be accepted to be part of this home-sharing community.
There are no membership fees to be paid for Kindred, and home trades are on a credits-based system, which means that for every night you spend (or earn) 1 Credit. The only thing you pay is a cleaning and service fee per trip. Every member also starts with 5 free credits which equals 5 nights you can rent even without hosting yourself.
They have a pretty cool mobile app for iOS and Android and plenty of safety features like meeting members over video before trip approval and $100,000 host coverage included per stay, among others.
Membership cost: Starting at $150/year
6. HomeLink
HomeLink is a 70+ year-old exchange platform with listings in more than 58 countries worldwide. Their extensive portfolio of home swap listings includes mountain retreats, beachside cottages, and other vacation properties, although it must be said that most of them are in Europe and the US.
Home exchanges on HomeLink can be done directly through a secure message system that allows the coordination of simultaneous and non-simultaneous home trades.
With their annual membership, Homelink members have unlimited exchanges and listings and can also benefit from HomeLink's support for the duration of their membership.
Membership cost: $118 per year (Free Trial for 30 days)
7. Intervac Home Exchange
With a global inventor of over 13,000 listings across 80 countries, Intervac Home Exchange is one of the longest-running home swap platforms out there (since 1953!). It's particularly popular in Europe, where the vast majority of their listings are.
The site facilitates home exchanges through a direct swap system in which you can agree to stay in other members' homes both simultanously and non-simultanously without directly exchanging money.
Their annual membership unlocks features like unlimited exchange agreements, personal exchange coordinators, wish lists, custom alerts and reviews to handpick ideal listings for you. They also offer a free 21-day trial membership to see if you like the platform.
Membership cost: $130/year
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Home Exchange and Home Swap Websites?
Home exchange websites (also called home swap sites) allow you to stay in someone else's home while they stay in yours, at a fraction of the cost of a standard accommodation like a hotel room or an Airbnb.
Unlike typical rental sites, home swap platforms offer some unique advantages:
- You save money: with no accommodation fees, you can splurge on food, activities, or shopping at your destination.
- You go truly local: you get to experience the culture and neighborhood by staying in a local's home so you'll feel more like a local rather than a tourist.
- You travel more sustainably: rather than demanding new rooms and resources, home swaps repurpose existing homes leading to less waste.
But which are the best home exchange sites out there? Let's have a look at them one by one.
How Do I Choose the Best Home Exchange Websites?
Now that we have shared with you the top home exchange sites, you are probably wondering where you should start your home swap journey with all these different options. We recommend considering these key factors:
Listings
Choose home swap site that match your travel style and goals, and offer homes that suit your needs. For example, if you are looking for a family-friendly site, you may want to check HomeExchange which has collections of homes that are suitable for children and pets but if you are a remote worker and you need a home-office setting, perhaps platforms like Noad and Swaphouse will be more suitable for you.
Verification Processes
You should always prioritize rigorous screenings and vetting processes that authenticate members through address checks and identity verification. For example, the home-exchange site Noad verifies members thoroughly by using industry-leading 3rd party services and checking. Their identity is protected against short-term rental flag lists and the sex offender registry, as well as through public databases. Kindred is also amazing here, as it has a ton of safety features.
Membership fees
Look for reasonable, transparent pricing and flexibility around payment options, cancellations, etc. Compare pricing against site features offered like robust search filters and travel coordinators who expertly arrange exchanges. The cheapest option might not always offer the strongest safety and security policies, so sometimes it's better to pay a bit more for your membership to get covered against issues such as cancellations or, worse, damages to your house. Also, consider that platforms that don't have membership fees might not be suitable for short-term stays as you would probably pay a service fee for it.
Is Home Exchange Safe?
Although you may question whether it's secure to temporarily live in strangers' homes, most top platforms have verification processes and review systems in place. So, as long as you use a reputable home exchange site or platform, you and your home are absolutely safe.
All the home swap websites we have mentioned in this guide provide various security measures, such as:
- Identity Checks: Top home exchange sites verify the identity and address of their members and also check the quality and availability of their homes
- Reviews and Ratings: Platforms allow their members to leave feedback and ratings for their hosts or guests and also display the number of exchanges they have completed.
- Financial Coverage: Most reputable sites or platforms offer insurance and guarantees to protect their members from damages, cancellations, or disputes. They also provide customer support and assistance in case of any issues or emergencies
So, every time you are evaluating joining a new home exchange website, make sure those three factors are covered.
Other accommodation types you might be interested in:
Luca Mussari
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Ready to Exchange Your Home?
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