Is Couchsurfing Free? My Honest Couchsurfing Review (2024)
For nearly 2 decades, Couchsurfing has served as a beloved platform to find cheap housing for solo travelers, budget travelers, backpackers, and vagabonds. However, like most companies, the housing platform has changed over the years. As such, you may be wondering: Is Couchsurfing free? Is it still worth using? Within this post, I’ll dive into my recent Couchsurfing experiences, providing a complete and brutally honest review. This way, you can decide whether or not couchsurfing is worth it for you in 2024!
Is Couchsurfing Free?
I’ll cut to the chase, Couchsurfing is NOT free…but it’s pretty dang close to free! What happens is you pay to access the Couchsurfing platform via a membership. After you have paid this initial membership fee, you are then able couchsurf for free! For example, let’s say I buy a monthly membership for an upcoming weekend trip to Paris. Aside from that first fee to connect with hosts and other travelers, I won’t have to pay another cent to stay with a local who lives in Paris!
Similarly, let’s say I’m doing a month-long trip through Europe and planning on visiting Nice, Monaco, Milan, and Switzerland. Each of the previously mentioned destinations isn’t exactly cheap, so I want to do Couchsurfing to save money. All I have to do is pay the platform fee, and then I’ll have the opportunity to stay at a resident’s place for basically free!
Whether you opt to couchsurf once or multiple times, it doesn’t matter. You’ll still pay the same fee which, in my opinion, is one of the beauties of Couchsurfing!
Couchsurfing Price
So in a sense, Couchsurfing is free in that you don’t pay the hosts to stay on their couches. You just have to pay a small fee to access the trusted network and its hosts. And if you’re curious, Couchsurfing prices are as follows. The annual fee ends up costing about $1.25 USD // ~€1.15 // £1 per month, which is more than 50% off the monthly cost 👀
- Monthly cost: $3 USD // ~€2.75 // ~£2.5
- Annual cost: $14.99 USD // ~ €13.75 // ~£12)
Don’t have time to read? You can watch my little Youtube Video that gives a shorter version of my experience Couchsurfing!
How Does Couchsurfing Work?
For those who have never used the platform before, Couchsurfing is a network that connects travelers looking for *free* housing with locals who are willing to host these travelers for short periods. As the name suggests, you’ll normally be offered a place to sleep on your host’s couch. That said, some of my friends have been offered pretty nice guest rooms.
The most obvious benefit is that you can save tons of money on housing, but there are quite a few other perks that you likely wouldn’t think of until you do it — more on that in the next section 😉 For now, here is exactly how Couchsurfing works.
When you first go to the Couchsurfing website, you’ll be prompted to make an account, providing your basic info (name, email, birthday, gender, and where you currently live). From there, it’ll show you the two membership options. You can either opt to pay $3 USD per month or you can pay an annual fee of $14.99 USD. After paying the fee, you’ll be considered a Couchsurfing member and granted access to everything the platform offers.
For those seeking housing, you’ll create a trip by selecting your desired location and your travel dates. Then, you’ll be able to see all the profiles of people available to host. Everyone has profiles with pictures, information about their interests, languages they speak, where they’re from, etc.
If you see someone who matches your requirements, you can send personalized requests for housing through the Couchsurfing messaging center. The host may or may not respond, so it’s a bit of trial and error. And, if you aren’t looking for cheap housing and perhaps want to connect with other like-minded travelers, you can sign up as a host as well!
My Honest Couchsurfing Review
Alright, so you may be wondering what it’s like to stay with a local aka stranger for free… I know I certainly was a little curious and anxious before I first tried out Couchsurfing… So, to help give you a first-hand perspective, especially from someone who is a small, very kidnappable, female of color…here’s my experience with Couchsurfing! Oh and, since I haven’t hosted someone through the platform yet, I’ll be just speaking from my experiences as a couch surfer!
What are the Advantages of Couchsurfing?
Based on my experiences, I believe there are 5 main advantages of Couchsurfing, each of which I’ll explain in detail below!
1. Low-Cost Housing
The first and most obvious advantage of Couchsurfing is receiving low-cost housing that’s nearly free. I’m fairly positive this is the biggest reason that most people are attracted to the platform, and I was no different. For context, I most recently used Couchsurfing for my trip to Oslo, Norway. It’s no secret that any part of the Scandinavian region, such as Stockholm, Copenhagen, and the Norwegian capital, is comparatively expensive to the rest of Europe.
When I was trying to lock down my housing, hostels in Oslo displayed prices of $55-70 USD per night. This was more than double the price I paid at my hostel in Stockholm and just way out of my budget. Thus, I decided Couchsurfing was my best option. Doing the math, with Couchsurfing, I saved more than $180 on 3 nights of housing. So, the saving money bit is 100% a major benefit.
2. Connect With Like-Minded Travelers
The second advantage of Couchsurfing is being able to connect with like-minded people from around the globe. Now, I’m a huge advocate for talking to locals whenever you travel, but it can be intimidating, especially if there’s a language barrier.
Other times, when I’m solo traveling, I feel like I don’t have the energy to try to connect with strangers because I’m so focused on ✨surviving✨. But, with Couchsurfing, you can eliminate a lot of the stress. For instance, you can stay with someone who speaks the same language as you.
Furthermore, with both you and your host being on Couchsurfing, there’s likely a mutual feeling that you’re there to meet fellow travelers and connect. This fosters a much more welcoming environment where you can (hopefully) form a new friendship! No need to stress about someone having a bad day or putting yourself out there. 😅
3. Immerse Yourself in the Local Culture
In a similar vein, Couchsurfing provides you the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the local culture. Seriously, having access to someone who actually lives in the area and who may have even been born in the city makes a whole world of difference. You gain a deeper look into the local culture not just by staying in their home, but also by getting to observe their daily life.
Speaking from my personal experience, it was nothing short of wonderful. My host was simply amazing and went above and beyond to ensure my stay in Norway was the best. Each day, we ate a light breakfast and home-cooked dinner together. So I got to save quite a bit of money by having to spend $25 USD for a meal in Oslo, and I got to try authentic Norwegian food!
After dinner, we would chat for hours about the differences in our cultures, whether it was the TV shows we watched, common pastimes, the economy, or current events. I am pretty sure my host and I discussed practically every topic under the sun — which is so much more than can be said for any of my past dates. 😂 So, I’d say that being able to immerse yourself in the local culture, exchange stories, and connect with a local is a massive advantage of Couchsurfing!
4. Exploring More
If you’re really lucky, your host may even offer to give you a little tour and show you around! My host did this and it was straight-up magical. Never in a million years would I have discovered the places he took me to on my own because we drove deep into the mountains, around the local islands, and all over the city. We easily covered 3 – 4 days’ worth of exploration in a single evening because of his local knowledge and car. Not to mention, he was regaling me with the history of the area, famous people, and local traditions!
Of course, not all hosts may be this generous. If they aren’t able to show you around, you should still utilize this fantastic opportunity to ask your host for tips and recommendations on what to see, what to avoid, and the true hidden gems of the city! Get the valuable inside scoop on your destination because who better to give you advice than someone who lives in the city!?
5. Couchsurfing Is Well-Established
Alright, the fifth but not the final advantage of Couchsurfing is that it’s a well-established platform. As I mentioned in the very beginning, this awesome network has been around since 2004. Over the years, this platform has grown to over 14 million people in more than 200,000 cities around the globe. This means that there’s a high likelihood you’ll be able to find hosts and fellow travelers easily, no matter which city or country you’re exploring.
It also means that they are better equipped to handle any bad experiences with Couchsurfing. For instance, their customer service is much better than other alternatives and they actually moderate the platform a bit, which I find comforting.
Therefore, you can rest assured knowing this is a relatively well-oiled machine instead of a newer operation that’s still figuring stuff out! Again these are just some of the advantages of Couchsurfing I experienced, so take everything with a grain of salt.
What Are the Disadvantages of Couchsurfing?
Like every business, Couchsurfing isn’t perfect. Below, I’ll delve into what I believe are the 3 disadvantages of Couchsurfing. The first downside of Couchsurfing is that there’s no 100% guarantee that you’ll find someone to stay with or have a great experience.
I know I just talked about the platform being pretty robust with 14 million people in the network, but the truth is sh*t happens. Even if you confirm housing with a host, they could cancel at the last minute or you could end up having a personality clash. There’s always going to be at least a small degree of risk associated with Couchsurfing… and this risk isn’t as prevalent when you opt to stay in a hotel or hostel.
Second, there is an issue of unwarranted messages. In my experience, I’ve gotten a couple of unwarranted messages from people, and it can be a bit off-putting, especially as a solo female traveler. Unfortunately, it’s just the reality of being on this platform as a woman. But, it highlights the importance of being diligent and reading through reviews before requesting to stay on someone’s couch.
Last, but certainly not least, is that there are significantly fewer female hosts on the platform. For my fellow solo female travelers, I know we tend to prefer staying with other women as we typically feel safer. However, in my experience with Couchsurfing, there have always been significantly fewer female hosts. This can make it harder to find someone you trust and feel comfortable staying with.
Is Couchsurfing Worth It?
After reading about the disadvantages of Couchsurfing, you may be wondering if Couchsurfing is still worth it… My take is 100% yes. I think we can all agree that the cost of housing accommodations is usually one of the biggest expenses when traveling. Okay, maybe not in Southeast Asia or places in South America, but definitely for housing in Europe and the United States, it’s pricey.
If you’re trying to see and experience the world around you on a budget, Couchsurfing is an almost free way to connect with others! Unless you know someone at your destination, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll find housing opportunities this cheap. A frequent traveler could easily save thousands of dollars in a month.
Sure, you may not have the most amazing experience every time. A couch could be uncomfortable, a host might not be a personality fit, or there could be communication issues, but I’d be willing to bet you’ll have way more good experiences than bad ones. Add in all the other advantages I mentioned, and it makes paying $3 or $15 seem like a heck of a deal for all the potential upside. So, if you want my biased, yet justified opinion, I think Couchsurfing is worth it!
Useful Couchsurfing Tips
And to help you have a positive experience with the platform, here are some useful Couchsurfing tips to start you off on the right foot!
- Make a Personable Profile: If it’s your first time using the platform, let your personality shine through on your profile. Give lots of details and add lots of pictures of yourself. In my profile, I described my hobbies, favorite books, favorite movies, places I dreamed of traveling to, etc.
You want to give specific yet unidentifiable details. This is also a great practice if you don’t want to pay for the background check/premium account verification. By having a detailed profile, you make yourself more trustworthy and show your potential hosts that you’re not a robot or weirdo. Plus, it helps you find a better host since you’re providing more opportunities to find common ground.
- Be Diligent with Reviews: Within each potential host’s profile, you can see the number of people they’ve hosted and read reviews left by previous couchsurfers. Make sure to read 5-6 of the most recent reviews so you can get a sense of what to expect. I did this because I couldn’t find any female hosts and knew I would only be comfortable staying with a male host if I saw that he had hosted lots of girls in the past without any issues.
- Plan Early: Since there’s no promise of finding a host, increase your odds by planning/requesting early. The more notice you give your potential host, the better chance they’ll accept your request since they can plan their schedule accordingly.
🛋️ PRO TIP: Take advantage of the Couchsurfing hangouts to meet other travelers! I even recommend messaging other travelers looking for housing at your destination during the same time frame you’re visiting. This way you can meet up and explore together!
Is Couchsurfing Safe?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns that you and your parents might have about the platform. And while there’s no way of guaranteeing that nothing bad will ever happen, my genuine opinion is yes — Couchsurfing is safe. But, of course, you should always exercise certain safety precautions…
Aside from what’s mentioned above for a successful and positive Couchsurfing experience *ahem read the reviews/references thoroughly*… Here are some things to keep in mind regarding safety. First, trust your instinct. If you feel something or someone is off, don’t feel bad, and don’t be afraid to turn down a host or change your plans at the last minute. Your safety is of the utmost importance.
Second, keep all communication on the Couchsurfing platform or a mobile app. I initiated all conversations through the platform and only gave my WhatsApp number to them after chatting for several days.
Thirdly, have a plan B. In this day and age, where the world is constantly on fire… OK — maybe it’s largely just America 😔, having a backup plan is a necessity. Identify an alternate hotel or hostel that you can stay in if Couchsurfing plans fall through.
Finally, in the event something happens or you feel unsafe, extricate yourself from the situation and then report it to the Couchsurfing team.
Couchsurfing Alternatives
In terms of alternatives to Couchsurfing, the most well-known one is BeWelcome. This platform has been around for quite some time (2007) and works similarly to Couchsurfing, except it is completely free. I’ll admit, I personally haven’t used it, so I can’t speak about it. But, it’s another option if you want free housing accommodations while traveling.
What I can speak on is Facebook travel groups! I know what you’re likely thinking, “Kristin, isn’t Facebook dead? Don’t only old people use it?” First of all, Facebook is alive and well — losing value in stock price, but otherwise fine. Secondly, there are so many awesome and useful travel Facebook groups that make a fantastic, free Couchsurfing alternative.
For example, I am part of the Yes Travel Fam, which is a fan-based community for the YouTube channel, Yes Theory. I’ve gotten free housing and done so many hangouts with people I’ve met in that Facebook Group.
Plus, what’s nice is that you can find Facebook travel groups for nearly every country. So, don’t be afraid to post that you’re visiting a city and looking for someone to explore with or grab a coffee with. And if you need housing, just be transparent and specific about your personality/interests. There’s a decent chance you can find someone to host you!
Couchsurfing: FAQ
While I can’t guarantee Couchsurfing is always safe for females, I will say that lots of solo female travelers use the platform, myself included. My advice is to just remember to do your due diligence by reading through your potential host’s references and make up a backup plan! And, of course, use common sense by being aware of your surroundings & not doing anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Yes, thousands upon thousands of people use Couchsurfing in Europe. It’s like hostels, they are more widely used in Europe than in America, so it’s pretty common to see people Couchsurfing in Europe.
There is no specific rule for the maximum stay on Couchsurfing. The maximum stay will depend entirely on a case-by-case basis according to your host. For instance, my host said he never hosts anyone for more than 3 nights.
Yes, you can cancel Couchsurfing after one month. This is what I did since I was at the end of my trip and wouldn’t need it anymore. But, if you’re planning on traveling more than twice a year, I consider the year membership since it’s so cheap and it’ll give you ample time to find a host.
No, Couchsurfing hosts do not make money off of guests. Everything offered on Couchsurfing should be free aside from the initial platform fee. And if a host tries to charge you, I suggest reporting them as it’s against Couchsurfing’s rules to charge couchsurfers.
Personally, I think it’s pointless to compare Airbnb vs Couchsurfing because they fill different markets and have completely separate target consumers. If you’re mega-broke, Couchsurfing is better because it’s practically free. Meanwhile, if you have a larger budget and want a proper bed, Airbnb is probably the better choice. And what’s better than Airbnb… VRBO. 😉
Wrap-Up: Is Couchsurfing Free? (2024)
To recap, Couchsurfing is not free… but it might as well be. You pay a relatively meager monthly or annual fee and then can obtain as much housing as you would like through the platform for as long as your membership is active. Thus, despite the platform’s imperfections, I find Couchsurfing to be worth it. You have the opportunity to not only save tons of money on housing accommodations but also to meet amazing people from all over the world and authentically experience the local culture!
So, if you’re on a budget, consider Couchsurfing! And if you’re not, you can book a hotel and then always use Couchsurfing to find locals to meet up with and befriend. Either way, I hope this post has been insightful and you’ve gained a better understanding of how Couchsurfing works to make travel more affordable!
Travel Tips
- 🧳 Curious about my other favorite travel resources? See a comprehensive list here!
- ✈️ Worried about flying? Check out my first-time flyers guide on how to be prepared when flying. It includes 41 travel tips and bits on what to expect!
