![\"Save](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Save-Money-Piggy-Bank-Icon-278x300.png\"){kind=icon}
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGet a $10 Discount on Worldpackers Membership<\/span><\/h5>\nSave $10 on a year’s membership with Worldpackers with the discount code TALESOFABACKPACKER<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\nPLUS<\/strong> register with Worldpackers<\/a> by June 30th and get an\u00a0exclusive virtual guide<\/strong> to travel with peace of mind, purpose, and confidence.\u00a0 Created by experts from the Worldpackers team based on thousands of real experiences. Over 20 pages of essential content \u2014 available to you for free!<\/p>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n- \n
Helpx \u2013 For Budget Backpackers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nCheap, good range of placements in Europe, Australia and Canada.\u00a0 Not as much support as other sites like Workaway and Worldpackers.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
WWOOF \u2013 For Farm Work and Permaculture<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFocuses on organic farms in rural areas.\u00a0 Great for people who want to work outdoors and learn about farming in one particular country.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
HippoHelp (now HelpStay) \u2013 Free Work Exchange Website For Experienced Travellers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nLack of support means free work exchange sites like HippoHelp and Volunteers Base are best for experienced backpackers who have already done previous work exchanges.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t recommend them for solo female travellers.\u00a0 In fact, I wouldn\u2019t recommend Volunteers Base at all as it isn\u2019t really free as it claims to be, but more on that below!<\/p>\n
\n- \n
Trusted Housesitters \u2013 House & Pet Sitting Opportunities\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nA bit different from a work exchange in that you don\u2019t spend time \u201cworking\u201d, rather you will be living in someone\u2019s home and looking after the house and their pets while they travel.\u00a0 Trusted Housesitters<\/a> can be a great option for flexible travellers who have experience looking after animals or for more mature travellers and digital nomads.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nTrusted Housesitters Discount Code<\/span><\/h5>\nSAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nWhat is a Work Exchange & What Are the Benefits?<\/span><\/h2>\nLet\u2019s start with the basics.\u00a0 I assume that if you\u2019ve heard of Workaway<\/a>, you are familiar with the concept of work exchanges, but to be clear; a work exchange means that people offer their time and skills to do volunteer work in exchange for free accommodation and food or other benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\nIt is also known as a kind of work and travel programme, work-trade or voluntourism, although the volunteer placements are often \u2018normal\u2019 businesses looking for an extra pair of hands, not necessarily doing work to help others as you may imagine in the traditional sense of \u2018volunteering\u2019.<\/p>\n
But, still helping local businesses to survive and thrive is still a valuable contribution to them and the community, and while you can pay a lot of money to volunteer through some organisations, work exchange websites offer the chance to volunteer for free abroad \u2013 or almost free at least!<\/p>\n
The kind of work you do on a work exchange is as varied as the countries and hosts you choose.\u00a0 You might find work in hostels, on a farm, in a family home or at an NGO.\u00a0 I did several work exchanges working at hostels, as well as for a travel agency and website developer but there are lots of different options available.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another way to look at work exchanges is actually to view them as a cultural exchange.\u00a0 Volunteers still exchange skills for accommodation, but the key element is that the host and the volunteer learn more about each other\u2019s culture<\/a>.\u00a0 This often happens after the work is done, during social activities like eating meals together and getting to know one another as you would usually do in a hostel for example.<\/p>\nWork exchanges have many benefits, from saving money to learning more about the culture and getting great work experience for your resume or CV.\u00a0 You could also learn new skills, including learning a new language, and make some lifelong friends along the way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve loved doing work exchanges as I travel, and travelling slowly and spending more time in one place also helps to avoid backpacker burnout, which I can definitely tell you is a thing!\u00a0 As much as I adore travel, travelling non-stop is exhausting so I really appreciated things like being able to unpack and explore a place instead of moving on every few days.<\/p>\n
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to Travel for Free by Volunteering Abroad<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Hands](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Hands-Holding-a-Globe-1.jpg\")
Work Exchanges Offer the Chance to Explore the World<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhy I Use Work Exchange Websites<\/span><\/h2>\nOne of the best ways to find work exchanges is to use a work exchange website to browse available placements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Work Exchange sites offer a platform for individuals, families, businesses and organisations to advertise for the help they need.\u00a0 Potential volunteers sign up for these work exchange platforms to search for suitable hosts and volunteer work exchange placements in countries all over the world, and then the host and volunteer arrange the placement together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The best work exchange sites like Workaway and Worldpackers<\/a> offer more security and support while looking for placements and while you are volunteering abroad, so it is a great way to find placements quickly and safely \u2013 and how I found all of my hostel work while I was backpacking, as well as working at a stables in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Selfie](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/It-was-great-to-work-outdoors-My-Worldpackers-Review.jpg\")
Me at the Horse Stables I worked at through Worldpackers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIf you\u2019re looking for alternatives to Workaway then there may be a reason why you don\u2019t want to do a work exchange with Workaway or had a bad Workaway experience \u2013 if so, please do let me know in the comments, I\u2019d love to hear more so I can keep this article up to date!<\/p>\n
Now I\u2019ll talk about the main work exchange websites I\u2019m aware of, including five Workaway alternatives for you to choose from, then have a recap of Workaway as a reminder of what they offer.<\/p>\n
Workaway Alternatives<\/span><\/h2>\nWhile Workaway is a great work exchange website, it certainly isn\u2019t perfect, so these alternatives to Workaway may be better for you.\u00a0 Have a read and see if you\u2019d like to try any out:<\/p>\n
![\"Worldpackers](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Worldpackers-Homepage-1024x403.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Worldpackers \u2013 The Best Work Exchange Website<\/span><\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re wondering what is better than Workaway, Worldpackers<\/a> is my preferred work exchange site, and in my opinion, it is the best work exchange website out there, beating Workaway in several aspects.<\/p>\nSimilar to Workaway, Worldpackers <\/a>is free to join, and the site is easy to use and navigate. \u00a0You can sign in via Facebook for ease of access or download the Worldpackers app.\u00a0 Check out the video here for more information about how Worldpackers works<\/a>.<\/p>\nWorldpackers Membership Fee<\/span><\/h4>\nTo contact hosts and arrange placements you need to sign up to become a verified member, which costs from $59 USD for one year on a standard membership, or $49 with this discount code<\/a> for a solo membership, .\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\tGET $10 DISCOUNT NOW<\/span>
\n\t<\/a><\/p>\nWorldpackers also have two upgraded membership options, so in addition to the \u201cSolo Trips\u201d basic membership, you can choose the Solo Pack or Solo Pack Plus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
These upgraded memberships have added benefits, including special discounts and extended WP Safeguard<\/a> with more money for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn\u2019t go as planned.\u00a0 You\u2019ll also get access to the entire Worldpackers Academy<\/a> where you can learn more about planning your travel adventures and how to earn money while travelling.\u00a0 Learn more about the package options here.<\/a><\/p>\nVolunteer Positions on Worldpackers<\/span><\/h4>\nWorldpackers started in South America, so they have a lot of opportunities there and have rapidly expanded the number of placements available in the rest of the world, with a network of over 1.5 million hosts and volunteers worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There is a wide range of volunteer opportunities available on Worldpackers <\/a>with hostels, campsites, NGOs, social projects, farms, ecovillages, restaurants, and small businesses, families, again \u2013 you name it, they\u2019ve got it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nSome of the awesome placements include:<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve used Worldpackers to volunteer and I love the site and how easy it was to find a placement and get a quick response from hosts compared to previous experiences I\u2019ve had with Workaway.\u00a0 Check out my full review of my Worldpackers experience<\/a> here to find out what I got up to.<\/p>\nWorldpackers Support & Standards<\/span><\/h4>\nWhat really makes Worldpackers stand out from other work exchange sites (including Workaway) is the level of support they offer to all members.\u00a0 They have several safety measures<\/a> in place including 24\/7 support to volunteers and hosts, through a dedicated email address on the website to get in touch, or through their app.<\/p>\nAll hosts go through a verification process before they are approved to welcome volunteers\u00a0Worldpackers are proud of the fact that a lot of their volunteers are solo female travellers \u2013 around 59% apparently \u2013 so that is good peace of mind for us ladies!<\/p>\n
Worldpackers Host Response Guarantee<\/p>\n
WP Safeguard (formerly Worldpackers Insurance)<\/span><\/h4>\nUnfortunately, sometimes things don\u2019t work out as you\u2019d hoped, and if you have to leave an exchange early because something isn\u2019t going as agreed with your host, you have WP Safeguard<\/a> included as part of your membership.<\/p>\nThis means that the Worldpackers support team will help you find a new placement and also reimburse you for emergency accommodation costs while you look for a new placement.\u00a0 For standard members, they will refund up to\u00a0 $59 USD, and if you have a \u201cpack\u201d membership that increases up to $199 for the Pack Plan and $399 USD for the Pack Plus Plan.<\/p>\n
Earn Money with Worldpackers<\/span><\/h4>\nAnother huge benefit of Worldpackers is the chance to actually earn money while you travel with Worldpackers Programs<\/a>.\u00a0 Once you have completed some work exchanges on Worldpackers you can get paid to share advice with other travellers and for creating video or blog content about your experiences.\u00a0 Not only does Worldpackers save you money on accommodation but it can pay for the rest of your travels too!<\/p>\nEcological & Social Sustainability<\/span><\/h4>\nThis is something you might not even realise is running behind the scenes, but Worldpackers Ecological & Social Sustainability Awards give prizes amounting to $20,000 to the hosts who make the biggest impact in these areas.\u00a0 The awards are voted for by Worldpackers members, and winners win between $5000 and $1000 to boost their project.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a fantastic initiative, and you can learn more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\nWorldpackers Fees<\/span><\/h4>\nI\u2019ve teamed up with Worldpackers to offer all Tales of a Backpacker readers a $10 discount<\/strong>,<\/a> which means you only need to pay $49 USD for a full year\u2019s verified membership, so what are you waiting for?!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nGet a $10 Discount on Worldpackers Membership<\/span><\/h5>\nSave $10 on a year’s membership with Worldpackers with the discount code TALESOFABACKPACKER<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\nPLUS<\/strong> register with Worldpackers<\/a> by June 30th and get an\u00a0exclusive virtual guide<\/strong> to travel with peace of mind, purpose, and confidence.\u00a0 Created by experts from the Worldpackers team based on thousands of real experiences. Over 20 pages of essential content \u2014 available to you for free!<\/p>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cost: starts from $59 USD for 1 year for a solo membership or $49 USD with this discount code<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 from $69 USD for 1 year for a couple\/joint membership or $59 USD with this discount code<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nPros: Good range of opportunities and easy to get a placement.\u00a0 Excellent support for volunteers, including WP Safeguard (formerly Worldpackers Insurance).\u00a0 Chance to earn money as you travel<\/p>\n
Cons: Fewer opportunities than Workaway, but growing quickly, so it\u2019s at least worth browsing the opportunities for free before you sign up.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tACTIVATE YOUR $10 DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a><\/p>\nWorldpackers: The Best Workaway Alternative<\/span><\/h3>\nWorkaway and Worldpackers are in my opinion the two best work exchange sites, but for me, Worldpackers just tips the scales for the excellent value of membership (with the discount), their level of support with WP Safeguard<\/a> and added extras in their community like the Worldpacker Programs<\/a> and Worldpacker Academy, so it is definitely the best alternative to Workaway.<\/p>\nI go into more detail about which I think is the best work exchange website\u00a0in this article comparing Worldpackers and Workaway<\/a>, if you would like more information about Worldpackers v Workaway.<\/p>\nHowever, If you are still struggling to decide between Workaway or Worldpackers, the deal-breaker really depends on what work exchange placements are available where you want to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have had several successful work exchanges through Workaway, but because of the sheer size of the network, hosts in popular destinations are often bombarded with requests for exchanges and you might be less likely to get a reply from them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Worldpackers, on the other hand, may have fewer placements where you want to go, but it is easier to get a response from hosts.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spoken to several people who have had trouble getting responses from prospective hosts on Workaway, and there is nothing more frustrating than paying for a service where hosts don\u2019t respond, although both Worldpackers and Workaway now have host response guarantees!\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the very least, check out the opportunities available on Worldpackers<\/a> to see what options there are for your chosen destination, and if they have placements then I\u2019d recommend signing up and applying!\u00a0 You will save a ton of money on accommodation, and you can even make your money back as you travel.<\/p>\nWorldpackers<\/a> is growing quickly, so check back frequently to see if more hosts have signed up.\u00a0 If you are looking for volunteer placements in Latin America then start with Worldpackers, as they started in Brazil and have a strong presence in the region.<\/p>\n![\"HelpX](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/HelpX-Homepage.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Helpx<\/span><\/h3>\nHelp Exchange, or HelpX<\/a> for short was originally set up in 2001 by a traveller who wanted a better system of finding cultural work exchange placements while backpacking in Australia and New Zealand.\u00a0 The website has had a revamp and isn\u2019t as old-fashioned looking as it used to be, and works in a similar way to Workaway and Worldpackers but it is missing some of the bells and whistles of these more advanced sites.\u00a0<\/p>\nYou can browse and search for listings without having to register, but to contact hosts and to read the full reviews of placements you have to upgrade to the premier membership.<\/p>\n
Premier Membership is cheap though, at \u20ac20 (about $22.50 USD) for 2 years, although with fewer of the benefits of the top Workaway alternatives. There is a contact us form on the website which says they\u2019ll try and get back to you within 3 days, so the level of support doesn\u2019t come anywhere near that of Worldpackers or Workaway.<\/p>\n
This site seems to focus primarily on Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Europe, although there are listings in other parts of the world too.<\/p>\n
Once you have searched for a location you see when the profile was last updated \u2013 some seem quite out of date (as the website has been going for a long time) but it is always worth contacting them.\u00a0 In search results, the profiles which have been updated most recently show up first.<\/p>\n
Cost: $22.50 for 2 years<\/p>\n
Pros: Cheap.\u00a0 A wide range of opportunities in Europe, Australia, Canada.<\/p>\n
Cons: Old website, not easy to see information at a glance.\u00a0 Not many international placements outside their focus area.<\/p>\n
![\"WWOOF](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/WWOOF-Homepage-1024x506.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
WWOOF<\/span><\/h3>\nWWOOF <\/a>or World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms does what it says on the tin \u2013 working in a similar way to the above sites but solely for placements on organic farms. The farms offer excellent opportunities to experience rural areas of your chosen countries, but by their nature tend to be more isolated from city centres and offer more basic accommodations than you expect to find in hostels where tourists are.<\/p>\nMost countries have their own WWOOF network, and you have to pay for registration for each country network you want to join, which vary in cost between around $20 \u2013 $30 per country up to $50 USD.\u00a0 If there isn\u2019t a specific WWOOF organisation in the country you\u2019re looking for, there are also WWOOF Independents, which are clubbed together on their own website.\u00a0<\/p>\n
WWOOFer membership for WWOOF Independents is currently \u20ac35 for a single membership or \u20ac55\u00a0for joint membership<\/strong> for one year which is around $40 for one person or around $60 for two people.\u00a0 There are currently 1020 Organic growers & farmers on WWOOF Independents.<\/p>\nCost: $20-$50 per country.<\/p>\n
Pros: Organic, so great for people wanting to learn more about permaculture and farming<\/p>\n
Cons: Payment is per country, so if you are travelling around several countries, it can be expensive.\u00a0 Only farming opportunities, so no other work experience available.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/HelpStay-Screenshot-1024x516.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
HelpStay Review<\/span><\/h3>\nHelpStay<\/a> is another site similar to Workaway and Worldpackers, but much smaller.\u00a0 They currently have over 1500 hosts, projects and families offering work exchange placements on the site, which is a lot fewer than the other larger sites.\u00a0<\/p>\nHowever, the cost isn\u2019t much lower than those, so considering you get a lot less for your money I don\u2019t see HelpStay as being particularly good value.\u00a0 I think it has potential for the future if it grows significantly, and having recently taken over HippoHelp (see below for details) they may have big plans for growth that haven\u2019t yet come to fruition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you\u2019d like to take a look you can browse available opportunities for free, and then you\u2019ll need to sign up for a paid membership in order to contact any of the hosts, and to access added functionality like saving favourites.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cost: HelpStay membership currently costs \u20ac42.99 (approximately $48 USD) for a solo membership and \u20ac51.99 (approximately $58 USD) for a couples or friends membership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Trusted](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Trusted-HouseSitters-homepage-screenshot.jpg\")
Trusted HouseSitters homepage \u2013 Another alternative to Workaway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTrusted Housesitters<\/span><\/h3>\nI originally hadn\u2019t included housesitting in my comparison of Workaway alternatives, but housesitting is a kind of exchange of \u201cwork\u201d for accommodation in that you would be caring for someone\u2019s home and their beloved pets in exchange for staying at their house for free so I wanted to give you the option of doing something slightly different.<\/p>\n
Trusted Housesitters<\/a> is the best-known house-sitting website, with the best security measures for both homeowners and potential sitters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nTrusted Housesitters Discount Code<\/span><\/h5>\nSAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nHousesitting doesn\u2019t have some of the same benefits of traditional work exchanges as you will be on your own in the host\u2019s home, not interacting with them \u2013 but you will be able to feel at home in the destination and for long stays in particular, you can really feel part of the local community if you get out and meet people while you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n
The main benefit of house sitting is that it isn\u2019t really working at all \u2013 you just need to keep the house clean and tidy and care for any animals.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean you get free reign to do whatever you want though \u2013 it is a big responsibility to look after someone\u2019s pets so you need to know what you are doing and take care of them properly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some animals will need feeding or exercising at specific times of day and you need to make sure they are safe and well in your care, and know what to do if they get sick or injured.\u00a0 The last house sit I did I had to take the cat to the vet and learn how to put drops in their eyes \u2013 not an easy task but I managed it!<\/p>\n
Housesitting can be competitive, with hosts usually preferring to take experienced sitters over beginners with no reviews.\u00a0 It is more expensive than the other work exchange sites, so it might not work for budget backpackers, but it is still excellent value, even if you only do one house-sit in a year!<\/p>\n
I have done some housesitting and cat-sitting for friends and am starting to do some pet-sitting through Trusted Housesitters too.\u00a0 Check out my full review here<\/a>!\u00a0 >>>Learn more about Trusted Housesitters here<\/a><\/p>\nCost: from \u00a399 \/ $129 for a basic Sitter membership which lasts for 1 year, with upgraded options including added extras like calls with vets, instant alerts on search results and more.\u00a0 SAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\nPros: not real \u201cwork\u201d so more free time, stay in someone\u2019s home so it can be very nice accommodation<\/p>\n
Cons: more expensive membership than traditional work exchanges, can be competitive.\u00a0 Usually you need to know about animal care and be responsible for someone\u2019s pets.<\/p>\n
Are There Free Workaway Alternatives?<\/span><\/h3>\nNot any more!\u00a0 It costs money to run a website properly, and even work exchange sites that were free in the past have started to charge a fee, even if it\u2019s a small one.\u00a0 However, for a whole year\u2019s access to thousands of work exchange placements around the world, I don\u2019t think any of the work exchange sites above are expensive for what you get.<\/p>\n![\"Old](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/HippoHelp-Homepage-1024x495.jpg\")
Old HippoHelp Homepage\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHippohelp Review \u2013 Closed Down on 31 December 2024<\/span><\/h4>\nHippohelp used to be completely free to join, for both hosts and volunteers but had implemented a fee due to their own rising costs, and I received an email in December 2024 explaining they would be shutting the site down completely as of the end of 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Helpstay<\/a> has acquired the domain and trademark so could potentially relaunch Hippohelp in the future.\u00a0 For the time being, the Hippohelp domain is still live, but when you click to search for stays it redirects you to the Helpstay platform.\u00a0 Hippohelp has not sold any user-related data as part of the agreement and said they would delete everything on 31st December 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\nAs a free Workaway alternative, Hippohelp emphasised social and cultural exchanges as the key to their work exchange programmes and could have been a good way to \u2018test\u2019 out volunteering before you sign up and pay for sites like Workaway and Worldpackers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, as with any free site, there was more of an element of risk involved as there is no screening process, and if something went wrong there wasn\u2019t a support team to help you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having browsed a few of the placements on Hippohelp in the UK for example, I found that they were often individuals looking for help around the house, and most didn\u2019t have any previous reviews.\u00a0 As a solo female traveller that would be a big no-no for me, but there may have been more suitable options I haven\u2019t found.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We will see what happens in the future with Hippohelp and Helpstay!<\/p>\n
Cost: Was Free \u2013 Now a membership fee with Helpstay<\/a><\/p>\nPros: Good to get a taster if you are a confident traveller and don\u2019t expect to have problems<\/p>\n
Cons: Not as much screening of hosts or support if you do need help\u00a0<\/p>\n
Volunteers Base Review<\/span><\/h4>\nI had previously been unimpressed by Volunteers Base as I didn\u2019t like the lack of transparency on their website regarding the cost of creating an account.\u00a0 They used to say they were a free work exchange site and so seemed to be a free Workaway alternative, but then there was a fee to have your ID verified to become a member.<\/p>\n
However, they have now made it a bit clearer on the site that Volunteers Base is a \u201cnot-for-profit alternative\u201d to traditional volunteering networks, but there is a donation-based proof of identity required to register and contact hosts.<\/p>\n
If you click on the volunteers page for more information they explain that due to an increase in spam messages, they had to implement an identity verification. There is no minimum or maximum donation amount, so it\u2019s up to you what you want to donate.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"Volunteers](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Volunteers-Base-Homepage.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t![\"Volunteers](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/VolunteersBase-ID-Verification.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\nFor a free volunteering website, I suppose you can\u2019t expect as much functionality as the paid options, but I found VolunteersBase quite hard to use.\u00a0 There are no search filters to narrow down what you are looking for, just by country or a search bar, and there is no way to filter hosts who have reviews.<\/p>\n
Each host writes their own description of what they are looking for and what is required so there isn\u2019t any consistency between the information provided.\u00a0 There is also very limited information about the host unless they choose to write something about themselves in the job description, there isn\u2019t a host profile to look at.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s nice that it is free, but personally, I would rather pay a bit more money to be able to use the platform properly.\u00a0 I am a member but I haven\u2019t done any volunteer placements for this reason.<\/p>\n
Cost: Compulsory \u201cdonation\u201d of your choice, no minimum or maximum fee.<\/p>\n
Pros: Good to get a taster if you are a confident traveller and don\u2019t expect to have problems<\/p>\n
Cons: Not as much screening of hosts or support if you do need help.\u00a0 User interface isn\u2019t as clear or easy to use as other paid sites like Worldpackers or Workaway and it\u2019s harder to search to exactly what you\u2019re looking for with no filters to narrow your search.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
Workaway Review<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Workaway-Homepage-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Now you know about the alternatives to Workaway, let\u2019s talk more about the site itself. \u00a0Workaway<\/a> is the largest and best-known work exchange site.\u00a0 They have placements all over the world with hosts who advertise volunteer exchange positions in hostels, on farms, in private homes \u2013 pretty much everywhere you can imagine \u2013 that travellers can search and apply for.<\/p>\nThere is a registration fee, but then every work exchange is free of charge.\u00a0 The hosts will provide accommodation and usually some meals but check each individual listing for details.\u00a0 The site is easy to use, and reviews are provided for hosts and travellers so you can see what other people thought about their experience.<\/p>\n
![\"Workaway](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Workaway-Host-Examples-1024x412.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
You can also set up a joint account if you are travelling as a couple, or link two individual accounts if you are travelling together for a limited time.\u00a0 The site is easy to navigate and simple to use.<\/p>\n
As of 1st January 2025, the fee to join Workaway<\/a> costs from $59 USD per year for a solo membership, or $69 USD for a couple\/joint membership. If you use this link to sign up you\u2019ll also get three months extra free on your membership.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nIf you are travelling with kids you can now add children under 18 to your Workaway account, either as a single parent with a solo membership or as a couple with a joint membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You will need to let potential hosts know that you are travelling with children as some hosts will not have suitable accommodation for kids.\u00a0 There is a filter in the search to only look for placements that can host families.<\/p>\n
Another recent improvement in safety is the emergency help (possibly inspired by Worldpackers who have a similar policy) which means that if there is an emergency situation \u201cwhere the host has failed to fulfil their accommodation commitments\u201d then Workaway will \u201cassist in finding a new host in the local area or compensate up to 3 nights of accommodation in a nearby hostel\u201d.<\/p>\n
Workaway Reviews<\/span><\/h3>\nI\u2019ve written my own complete review of Workaway<\/a> where I go into more detail about this and my own personal Workaway experiences, but one major issue I have with Workaway is their review system.\u00a0<\/p>\nWhile most Workaway reviews posted by volunteers and hosts are positive, there is a major flaw as you can leave a review for anyone at any time,\u00a0 whether you have even met them or not \u2013\u00a0 which surely leaves the system open to abuse.<\/p>\n
Even if everyone leaves a genuine review, because hosts have the chance to read your review before they write one in return, they can leave you a \u201crevenge\u201d review if you say something about them that they don\u2019t like.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the experience might have been mutually poor from both sides, it is hard to be honest about a bad experience when you don\u2019t want to risk getting a negative review that could affect your chance of getting future Workaway placements, or even get you kicked off the site.<\/p>\n
I have also heard from other users when they have decided to leave a bad review for a host that their negative reviews have not been published by Workaway or have been edited before publishing.\u00a0 It is true that all reviews are screened by Workaway, and that Workaway hides the details of most 1* star reviews, as you can see below.<\/p>\n![\"Workaway](\"https:\/\/talesofabackpacker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Workaway-Negative-Feedback.jpg\")
Example of Workaway Negative Feedback (Name Hidden for Privacy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn their feedback policy<\/a>, Workaway say that is because they don\u2019t publish abusive reviews \u201cif there are abusive, derogatory or offensive comments, the text will either be redacted or kept confidential\u201d, but without having all the information it is hard to know exactly what happened, whether it was the host or the Workawayer that was in the wrong, and so whether to have trust in the host and apply for the placement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nWorkaway Hosts<\/span><\/h3>\nGetting a response from potential Workaway hosts is also more difficult, and I\u2019ve sent several personalised messages to potential hosts who never reply.\u00a0 This could be because there are now so many people signed up to Workaway that hosts are bombarded with messages and can\u2019t cope with so many applications.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve also heard that people had trouble getting to speak to their support team if something goes wrong.\u00a0 It says that paid members get access to 24\/7 support but I couldn\u2019t find a phone number anywhere on their website, just a contact form to fill in so you need instant help for any reason it looks like you would have to wait.<\/p>\n
On my account there is a little chat box that appears to be an instant messenger but they are always \u201caway\u201d so if I did need to contact someone urgently I would have to wait!\u00a0 Having said that, this support is still relatively good compared to the other Workaway alternatives I\u2019ve mentioned above \u2013 with the exception of Worldpackers<\/a> which goes above and beyond all of the others.<\/p>\nWorkaway Cost<\/span><\/h3>\n
PLUS<\/strong> register with Worldpackers<\/a> by June 30th and get an\u00a0exclusive virtual guide<\/strong> to travel with peace of mind, purpose, and confidence.\u00a0 Created by experts from the Worldpackers team based on thousands of real experiences. Over 20 pages of essential content \u2014 available to you for free!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Cheap, good range of placements in Europe, Australia and Canada.\u00a0 Not as much support as other sites like Workaway and Worldpackers.<\/p>\n Focuses on organic farms in rural areas.\u00a0 Great for people who want to work outdoors and learn about farming in one particular country.<\/p>\n Lack of support means free work exchange sites like HippoHelp and Volunteers Base are best for experienced backpackers who have already done previous work exchanges.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t recommend them for solo female travellers.\u00a0 In fact, I wouldn\u2019t recommend Volunteers Base at all as it isn\u2019t really free as it claims to be, but more on that below!<\/p>\n A bit different from a work exchange in that you don\u2019t spend time \u201cworking\u201d, rather you will be living in someone\u2019s home and looking after the house and their pets while they travel.\u00a0 Trusted Housesitters<\/a> can be a great option for flexible travellers who have experience looking after animals or for more mature travellers and digital nomads.\u00a0<\/p>\n SAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with the basics.\u00a0 I assume that if you\u2019ve heard of Workaway<\/a>, you are familiar with the concept of work exchanges, but to be clear; a work exchange means that people offer their time and skills to do volunteer work in exchange for free accommodation and food or other benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n It is also known as a kind of work and travel programme, work-trade or voluntourism, although the volunteer placements are often \u2018normal\u2019 businesses looking for an extra pair of hands, not necessarily doing work to help others as you may imagine in the traditional sense of \u2018volunteering\u2019.<\/p>\n But, still helping local businesses to survive and thrive is still a valuable contribution to them and the community, and while you can pay a lot of money to volunteer through some organisations, work exchange websites offer the chance to volunteer for free abroad \u2013 or almost free at least!<\/p>\n The kind of work you do on a work exchange is as varied as the countries and hosts you choose.\u00a0 You might find work in hostels, on a farm, in a family home or at an NGO.\u00a0 I did several work exchanges working at hostels, as well as for a travel agency and website developer but there are lots of different options available.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another way to look at work exchanges is actually to view them as a cultural exchange.\u00a0 Volunteers still exchange skills for accommodation, but the key element is that the host and the volunteer learn more about each other\u2019s culture<\/a>.\u00a0 This often happens after the work is done, during social activities like eating meals together and getting to know one another as you would usually do in a hostel for example.<\/p>\n Work exchanges have many benefits, from saving money to learning more about the culture and getting great work experience for your resume or CV.\u00a0 You could also learn new skills, including learning a new language, and make some lifelong friends along the way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve loved doing work exchanges as I travel, and travelling slowly and spending more time in one place also helps to avoid backpacker burnout, which I can definitely tell you is a thing!\u00a0 As much as I adore travel, travelling non-stop is exhausting so I really appreciated things like being able to unpack and explore a place instead of moving on every few days.<\/p>\n YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to Travel for Free by Volunteering Abroad<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n One of the best ways to find work exchanges is to use a work exchange website to browse available placements.\u00a0<\/p>\n Work Exchange sites offer a platform for individuals, families, businesses and organisations to advertise for the help they need.\u00a0 Potential volunteers sign up for these work exchange platforms to search for suitable hosts and volunteer work exchange placements in countries all over the world, and then the host and volunteer arrange the placement together.\u00a0<\/p>\n The best work exchange sites like Workaway and Worldpackers<\/a> offer more security and support while looking for placements and while you are volunteering abroad, so it is a great way to find placements quickly and safely \u2013 and how I found all of my hostel work while I was backpacking, as well as working at a stables in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for alternatives to Workaway then there may be a reason why you don\u2019t want to do a work exchange with Workaway or had a bad Workaway experience \u2013 if so, please do let me know in the comments, I\u2019d love to hear more so I can keep this article up to date!<\/p>\n Now I\u2019ll talk about the main work exchange websites I\u2019m aware of, including five Workaway alternatives for you to choose from, then have a recap of Workaway as a reminder of what they offer.<\/p>\n While Workaway is a great work exchange website, it certainly isn\u2019t perfect, so these alternatives to Workaway may be better for you.\u00a0 Have a read and see if you\u2019d like to try any out:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering what is better than Workaway, Worldpackers<\/a> is my preferred work exchange site, and in my opinion, it is the best work exchange website out there, beating Workaway in several aspects.<\/p>\n Similar to Workaway, Worldpackers <\/a>is free to join, and the site is easy to use and navigate. \u00a0You can sign in via Facebook for ease of access or download the Worldpackers app.\u00a0 Check out the video here for more information about how Worldpackers works<\/a>.<\/p>\n To contact hosts and arrange placements you need to sign up to become a verified member, which costs from $59 USD for one year on a standard membership, or $49 with this discount code<\/a> for a solo membership, .\u00a0<\/p>\n Worldpackers also have two upgraded membership options, so in addition to the \u201cSolo Trips\u201d basic membership, you can choose the Solo Pack or Solo Pack Plus.\u00a0<\/p>\n These upgraded memberships have added benefits, including special discounts and extended WP Safeguard<\/a> with more money for emergency accommodation if your volunteering experience doesn\u2019t go as planned.\u00a0 You\u2019ll also get access to the entire Worldpackers Academy<\/a> where you can learn more about planning your travel adventures and how to earn money while travelling.\u00a0 Learn more about the package options here.<\/a><\/p>\n Worldpackers started in South America, so they have a lot of opportunities there and have rapidly expanded the number of placements available in the rest of the world, with a network of over 1.5 million hosts and volunteers worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is a wide range of volunteer opportunities available on Worldpackers <\/a>with hostels, campsites, NGOs, social projects, farms, ecovillages, restaurants, and small businesses, families, again \u2013 you name it, they\u2019ve got it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Some of the awesome placements include:<\/p>\n I\u2019ve used Worldpackers to volunteer and I love the site and how easy it was to find a placement and get a quick response from hosts compared to previous experiences I\u2019ve had with Workaway.\u00a0 Check out my full review of my Worldpackers experience<\/a> here to find out what I got up to.<\/p>\n What really makes Worldpackers stand out from other work exchange sites (including Workaway) is the level of support they offer to all members.\u00a0 They have several safety measures<\/a> in place including 24\/7 support to volunteers and hosts, through a dedicated email address on the website to get in touch, or through their app.<\/p>\n All hosts go through a verification process before they are approved to welcome volunteers\u00a0Worldpackers are proud of the fact that a lot of their volunteers are solo female travellers \u2013 around 59% apparently \u2013 so that is good peace of mind for us ladies!<\/p>\n Worldpackers Host Response Guarantee<\/p>\n Unfortunately, sometimes things don\u2019t work out as you\u2019d hoped, and if you have to leave an exchange early because something isn\u2019t going as agreed with your host, you have WP Safeguard<\/a> included as part of your membership.<\/p>\n This means that the Worldpackers support team will help you find a new placement and also reimburse you for emergency accommodation costs while you look for a new placement.\u00a0 For standard members, they will refund up to\u00a0 $59 USD, and if you have a \u201cpack\u201d membership that increases up to $199 for the Pack Plan and $399 USD for the Pack Plus Plan.<\/p>\n Another huge benefit of Worldpackers is the chance to actually earn money while you travel with Worldpackers Programs<\/a>.\u00a0 Once you have completed some work exchanges on Worldpackers you can get paid to share advice with other travellers and for creating video or blog content about your experiences.\u00a0 Not only does Worldpackers save you money on accommodation but it can pay for the rest of your travels too!<\/p>\n This is something you might not even realise is running behind the scenes, but Worldpackers Ecological & Social Sustainability Awards give prizes amounting to $20,000 to the hosts who make the biggest impact in these areas.\u00a0 The awards are voted for by Worldpackers members, and winners win between $5000 and $1000 to boost their project.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a fantastic initiative, and you can learn more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve teamed up with Worldpackers to offer all Tales of a Backpacker readers a $10 discount<\/strong>,<\/a> which means you only need to pay $49 USD for a full year\u2019s verified membership, so what are you waiting for?!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Save $10 on a year’s membership with Worldpackers with the discount code TALESOFABACKPACKER<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n PLUS<\/strong> register with Worldpackers<\/a> by June 30th and get an\u00a0exclusive virtual guide<\/strong> to travel with peace of mind, purpose, and confidence.\u00a0 Created by experts from the Worldpackers team based on thousands of real experiences. Over 20 pages of essential content \u2014 available to you for free!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Cost: starts from $59 USD for 1 year for a solo membership or $49 USD with this discount code<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 from $69 USD for 1 year for a couple\/joint membership or $59 USD with this discount code<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Pros: Good range of opportunities and easy to get a placement.\u00a0 Excellent support for volunteers, including WP Safeguard (formerly Worldpackers Insurance).\u00a0 Chance to earn money as you travel<\/p>\n Cons: Fewer opportunities than Workaway, but growing quickly, so it\u2019s at least worth browsing the opportunities for free before you sign up.<\/p>\n Workaway and Worldpackers are in my opinion the two best work exchange sites, but for me, Worldpackers just tips the scales for the excellent value of membership (with the discount), their level of support with WP Safeguard<\/a> and added extras in their community like the Worldpacker Programs<\/a> and Worldpacker Academy, so it is definitely the best alternative to Workaway.<\/p>\n I go into more detail about which I think is the best work exchange website\u00a0in this article comparing Worldpackers and Workaway<\/a>, if you would like more information about Worldpackers v Workaway.<\/p>\n However, If you are still struggling to decide between Workaway or Worldpackers, the deal-breaker really depends on what work exchange placements are available where you want to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n I have had several successful work exchanges through Workaway, but because of the sheer size of the network, hosts in popular destinations are often bombarded with requests for exchanges and you might be less likely to get a reply from them.\u00a0<\/p>\n Worldpackers, on the other hand, may have fewer placements where you want to go, but it is easier to get a response from hosts.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spoken to several people who have had trouble getting responses from prospective hosts on Workaway, and there is nothing more frustrating than paying for a service where hosts don\u2019t respond, although both Worldpackers and Workaway now have host response guarantees!\u00a0<\/p>\n At the very least, check out the opportunities available on Worldpackers<\/a> to see what options there are for your chosen destination, and if they have placements then I\u2019d recommend signing up and applying!\u00a0 You will save a ton of money on accommodation, and you can even make your money back as you travel.<\/p>\n Worldpackers<\/a> is growing quickly, so check back frequently to see if more hosts have signed up.\u00a0 If you are looking for volunteer placements in Latin America then start with Worldpackers, as they started in Brazil and have a strong presence in the region.<\/p>\n Help Exchange, or HelpX<\/a> for short was originally set up in 2001 by a traveller who wanted a better system of finding cultural work exchange placements while backpacking in Australia and New Zealand.\u00a0 The website has had a revamp and isn\u2019t as old-fashioned looking as it used to be, and works in a similar way to Workaway and Worldpackers but it is missing some of the bells and whistles of these more advanced sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can browse and search for listings without having to register, but to contact hosts and to read the full reviews of placements you have to upgrade to the premier membership.<\/p>\n Premier Membership is cheap though, at \u20ac20 (about $22.50 USD) for 2 years, although with fewer of the benefits of the top Workaway alternatives. There is a contact us form on the website which says they\u2019ll try and get back to you within 3 days, so the level of support doesn\u2019t come anywhere near that of Worldpackers or Workaway.<\/p>\n This site seems to focus primarily on Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Europe, although there are listings in other parts of the world too.<\/p>\n Once you have searched for a location you see when the profile was last updated \u2013 some seem quite out of date (as the website has been going for a long time) but it is always worth contacting them.\u00a0 In search results, the profiles which have been updated most recently show up first.<\/p>\n Cost: $22.50 for 2 years<\/p>\n Pros: Cheap.\u00a0 A wide range of opportunities in Europe, Australia, Canada.<\/p>\n Cons: Old website, not easy to see information at a glance.\u00a0 Not many international placements outside their focus area.<\/p>\n WWOOF <\/a>or World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms does what it says on the tin \u2013 working in a similar way to the above sites but solely for placements on organic farms. The farms offer excellent opportunities to experience rural areas of your chosen countries, but by their nature tend to be more isolated from city centres and offer more basic accommodations than you expect to find in hostels where tourists are.<\/p>\n Most countries have their own WWOOF network, and you have to pay for registration for each country network you want to join, which vary in cost between around $20 \u2013 $30 per country up to $50 USD.\u00a0 If there isn\u2019t a specific WWOOF organisation in the country you\u2019re looking for, there are also WWOOF Independents, which are clubbed together on their own website.\u00a0<\/p>\n WWOOFer membership for WWOOF Independents is currently \u20ac35 for a single membership or \u20ac55\u00a0for joint membership<\/strong> for one year which is around $40 for one person or around $60 for two people.\u00a0 There are currently 1020 Organic growers & farmers on WWOOF Independents.<\/p>\n Cost: $20-$50 per country.<\/p>\n Pros: Organic, so great for people wanting to learn more about permaculture and farming<\/p>\n Cons: Payment is per country, so if you are travelling around several countries, it can be expensive.\u00a0 Only farming opportunities, so no other work experience available.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n HelpStay<\/a> is another site similar to Workaway and Worldpackers, but much smaller.\u00a0 They currently have over 1500 hosts, projects and families offering work exchange placements on the site, which is a lot fewer than the other larger sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the cost isn\u2019t much lower than those, so considering you get a lot less for your money I don\u2019t see HelpStay as being particularly good value.\u00a0 I think it has potential for the future if it grows significantly, and having recently taken over HippoHelp (see below for details) they may have big plans for growth that haven\u2019t yet come to fruition.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to take a look you can browse available opportunities for free, and then you\u2019ll need to sign up for a paid membership in order to contact any of the hosts, and to access added functionality like saving favourites.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cost: HelpStay membership currently costs \u20ac42.99 (approximately $48 USD) for a solo membership and \u20ac51.99 (approximately $58 USD) for a couples or friends membership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I originally hadn\u2019t included housesitting in my comparison of Workaway alternatives, but housesitting is a kind of exchange of \u201cwork\u201d for accommodation in that you would be caring for someone\u2019s home and their beloved pets in exchange for staying at their house for free so I wanted to give you the option of doing something slightly different.<\/p>\n Trusted Housesitters<\/a> is the best-known house-sitting website, with the best security measures for both homeowners and potential sitters.<\/p>\n SAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Housesitting doesn\u2019t have some of the same benefits of traditional work exchanges as you will be on your own in the host\u2019s home, not interacting with them \u2013 but you will be able to feel at home in the destination and for long stays in particular, you can really feel part of the local community if you get out and meet people while you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n The main benefit of house sitting is that it isn\u2019t really working at all \u2013 you just need to keep the house clean and tidy and care for any animals.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean you get free reign to do whatever you want though \u2013 it is a big responsibility to look after someone\u2019s pets so you need to know what you are doing and take care of them properly.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some animals will need feeding or exercising at specific times of day and you need to make sure they are safe and well in your care, and know what to do if they get sick or injured.\u00a0 The last house sit I did I had to take the cat to the vet and learn how to put drops in their eyes \u2013 not an easy task but I managed it!<\/p>\n Housesitting can be competitive, with hosts usually preferring to take experienced sitters over beginners with no reviews.\u00a0 It is more expensive than the other work exchange sites, so it might not work for budget backpackers, but it is still excellent value, even if you only do one house-sit in a year!<\/p>\n I have done some housesitting and cat-sitting for friends and am starting to do some pet-sitting through Trusted Housesitters too.\u00a0 Check out my full review here<\/a>!\u00a0 >>>Learn more about Trusted Housesitters here<\/a><\/p>\n Cost: from \u00a399 \/ $129 for a basic Sitter membership which lasts for 1 year, with upgraded options including added extras like calls with vets, instant alerts on search results and more.\u00a0 SAVE 25% on Trusted Housesitters Membership with the code TALES25\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Pros: not real \u201cwork\u201d so more free time, stay in someone\u2019s home so it can be very nice accommodation<\/p>\n Cons: more expensive membership than traditional work exchanges, can be competitive.\u00a0 Usually you need to know about animal care and be responsible for someone\u2019s pets.<\/p>\n Not any more!\u00a0 It costs money to run a website properly, and even work exchange sites that were free in the past have started to charge a fee, even if it\u2019s a small one.\u00a0 However, for a whole year\u2019s access to thousands of work exchange placements around the world, I don\u2019t think any of the work exchange sites above are expensive for what you get.<\/p>\n Hippohelp used to be completely free to join, for both hosts and volunteers but had implemented a fee due to their own rising costs, and I received an email in December 2024 explaining they would be shutting the site down completely as of the end of 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Helpstay<\/a> has acquired the domain and trademark so could potentially relaunch Hippohelp in the future.\u00a0 For the time being, the Hippohelp domain is still live, but when you click to search for stays it redirects you to the Helpstay platform.\u00a0 Hippohelp has not sold any user-related data as part of the agreement and said they would delete everything on 31st December 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a free Workaway alternative, Hippohelp emphasised social and cultural exchanges as the key to their work exchange programmes and could have been a good way to \u2018test\u2019 out volunteering before you sign up and pay for sites like Workaway and Worldpackers.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, as with any free site, there was more of an element of risk involved as there is no screening process, and if something went wrong there wasn\u2019t a support team to help you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Having browsed a few of the placements on Hippohelp in the UK for example, I found that they were often individuals looking for help around the house, and most didn\u2019t have any previous reviews.\u00a0 As a solo female traveller that would be a big no-no for me, but there may have been more suitable options I haven\u2019t found.\u00a0<\/p>\n We will see what happens in the future with Hippohelp and Helpstay!<\/p>\n Cost: Was Free \u2013 Now a membership fee with Helpstay<\/a><\/p>\n Pros: Good to get a taster if you are a confident traveller and don\u2019t expect to have problems<\/p>\n Cons: Not as much screening of hosts or support if you do need help\u00a0<\/p>\n I had previously been unimpressed by Volunteers Base as I didn\u2019t like the lack of transparency on their website regarding the cost of creating an account.\u00a0 They used to say they were a free work exchange site and so seemed to be a free Workaway alternative, but then there was a fee to have your ID verified to become a member.<\/p>\n However, they have now made it a bit clearer on the site that Volunteers Base is a \u201cnot-for-profit alternative\u201d to traditional volunteering networks, but there is a donation-based proof of identity required to register and contact hosts.<\/p>\n If you click on the volunteers page for more information they explain that due to an increase in spam messages, they had to implement an identity verification. There is no minimum or maximum donation amount, so it\u2019s up to you what you want to donate.<\/p>\n For a free volunteering website, I suppose you can\u2019t expect as much functionality as the paid options, but I found VolunteersBase quite hard to use.\u00a0 There are no search filters to narrow down what you are looking for, just by country or a search bar, and there is no way to filter hosts who have reviews.<\/p>\n Each host writes their own description of what they are looking for and what is required so there isn\u2019t any consistency between the information provided.\u00a0 There is also very limited information about the host unless they choose to write something about themselves in the job description, there isn\u2019t a host profile to look at.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s nice that it is free, but personally, I would rather pay a bit more money to be able to use the platform properly.\u00a0 I am a member but I haven\u2019t done any volunteer placements for this reason.<\/p>\n Cost: Compulsory \u201cdonation\u201d of your choice, no minimum or maximum fee.<\/p>\n Pros: Good to get a taster if you are a confident traveller and don\u2019t expect to have problems<\/p>\n Cons: Not as much screening of hosts or support if you do need help.\u00a0 User interface isn\u2019t as clear or easy to use as other paid sites like Worldpackers or Workaway and it\u2019s harder to search to exactly what you\u2019re looking for with no filters to narrow your search.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n Now you know about the alternatives to Workaway, let\u2019s talk more about the site itself. \u00a0Workaway<\/a> is the largest and best-known work exchange site.\u00a0 They have placements all over the world with hosts who advertise volunteer exchange positions in hostels, on farms, in private homes \u2013 pretty much everywhere you can imagine \u2013 that travellers can search and apply for.<\/p>\n There is a registration fee, but then every work exchange is free of charge.\u00a0 The hosts will provide accommodation and usually some meals but check each individual listing for details.\u00a0 The site is easy to use, and reviews are provided for hosts and travellers so you can see what other people thought about their experience.<\/p>\n You can also set up a joint account if you are travelling as a couple, or link two individual accounts if you are travelling together for a limited time.\u00a0 The site is easy to navigate and simple to use.<\/p>\n As of 1st January 2025, the fee to join Workaway<\/a> costs from $59 USD per year for a solo membership, or $69 USD for a couple\/joint membership. If you use this link to sign up you\u2019ll also get three months extra free on your membership.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n If you are travelling with kids you can now add children under 18 to your Workaway account, either as a single parent with a solo membership or as a couple with a joint membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n You will need to let potential hosts know that you are travelling with children as some hosts will not have suitable accommodation for kids.\u00a0 There is a filter in the search to only look for placements that can host families.<\/p>\n Another recent improvement in safety is the emergency help (possibly inspired by Worldpackers who have a similar policy) which means that if there is an emergency situation \u201cwhere the host has failed to fulfil their accommodation commitments\u201d then Workaway will \u201cassist in finding a new host in the local area or compensate up to 3 nights of accommodation in a nearby hostel\u201d.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve written my own complete review of Workaway<\/a> where I go into more detail about this and my own personal Workaway experiences, but one major issue I have with Workaway is their review system.\u00a0<\/p>\n While most Workaway reviews posted by volunteers and hosts are positive, there is a major flaw as you can leave a review for anyone at any time,\u00a0 whether you have even met them or not \u2013\u00a0 which surely leaves the system open to abuse.<\/p>\n Even if everyone leaves a genuine review, because hosts have the chance to read your review before they write one in return, they can leave you a \u201crevenge\u201d review if you say something about them that they don\u2019t like.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the experience might have been mutually poor from both sides, it is hard to be honest about a bad experience when you don\u2019t want to risk getting a negative review that could affect your chance of getting future Workaway placements, or even get you kicked off the site.<\/p>\n I have also heard from other users when they have decided to leave a bad review for a host that their negative reviews have not been published by Workaway or have been edited before publishing.\u00a0 It is true that all reviews are screened by Workaway, and that Workaway hides the details of most 1* star reviews, as you can see below.<\/p>\n In their feedback policy<\/a>, Workaway say that is because they don\u2019t publish abusive reviews \u201cif there are abusive, derogatory or offensive comments, the text will either be redacted or kept confidential\u201d, but without having all the information it is hard to know exactly what happened, whether it was the host or the Workawayer that was in the wrong, and so whether to have trust in the host and apply for the placement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Getting a response from potential Workaway hosts is also more difficult, and I\u2019ve sent several personalised messages to potential hosts who never reply.\u00a0 This could be because there are now so many people signed up to Workaway that hosts are bombarded with messages and can\u2019t cope with so many applications.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also heard that people had trouble getting to speak to their support team if something goes wrong.\u00a0 It says that paid members get access to 24\/7 support but I couldn\u2019t find a phone number anywhere on their website, just a contact form to fill in so you need instant help for any reason it looks like you would have to wait.<\/p>\n On my account there is a little chat box that appears to be an instant messenger but they are always \u201caway\u201d so if I did need to contact someone urgently I would have to wait!\u00a0 Having said that, this support is still relatively good compared to the other Workaway alternatives I\u2019ve mentioned above \u2013 with the exception of Worldpackers<\/a> which goes above and beyond all of the others.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n
Helpx \u2013 For Budget Backpackers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n
WWOOF \u2013 For Farm Work and Permaculture<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n
HippoHelp (now HelpStay) \u2013 Free Work Exchange Website For Experienced Travellers<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n
Trusted Housesitters \u2013 House & Pet Sitting Opportunities\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTrusted Housesitters Discount Code<\/span><\/h5>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nWhat is a Work Exchange & What Are the Benefits?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Why I Use Work Exchange Websites<\/span><\/h2>\n
Workaway Alternatives<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWorldpackers \u2013 The Best Work Exchange Website<\/span><\/h3>\n
Worldpackers Membership Fee<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n\t\tGET $10 DISCOUNT NOW<\/span>
\n\t<\/a><\/p>\nVolunteer Positions on Worldpackers<\/span><\/h4>\n
Worldpackers Support & Standards<\/span><\/h4>\n
WP Safeguard (formerly Worldpackers Insurance)<\/span><\/h4>\n
Earn Money with Worldpackers<\/span><\/h4>\n
Ecological & Social Sustainability<\/span><\/h4>\n
Worldpackers Fees<\/span><\/h4>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGet a $10 Discount on Worldpackers Membership<\/span><\/h5>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
\n\t\tACTIVATE YOUR $10 DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a><\/p>\nWorldpackers: The Best Workaway Alternative<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nHelpx<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWWOOF<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nHelpStay Review<\/span><\/h3>\n
Trusted Housesitters<\/span><\/h3>\n
\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTrusted Housesitters Discount Code<\/span><\/h5>\n
\n\t\tCLAIM YOUR DISCOUNT<\/span>
\n\t<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\nAre There Free Workaway Alternatives?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Hippohelp Review \u2013 Closed Down on 31 December 2024<\/span><\/h4>\n
Volunteers Base Review<\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\nWorkaway Review<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nWorkaway Reviews<\/span><\/h3>\n
Workaway Hosts<\/span><\/h3>\n
Workaway Cost<\/span><\/h3>\n