The Best Work Exchange Websites Compared PLUS $10 Worldpackers Discount

Work exchange programs are a fantastic way to travel for free by volunteering abroad.  There are several different work exchange websites that help to connect potential volunteers with work exchange and volunteer placements all over the world.  The one you may have already heard of is Workaway, but there are other sites like Workaway which work in a similar way, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.  I’ve brought together the six best work exchange sites to compare so you can choose the best one for you. 

We’ll cover Workaway, Worldpackers, HelpX, WWOOF, Hippohelp & Volunteers Base, and you’ll also find a $10 discount code to use on Worldpackers saving you 20% on a year’s membership if you decide to try them out.

The Two Best Work Exchange Websites

Here’s a quick reference of the two top work exchange websites if you don’t have time to read the whole article.  If you want more information about these and the alternatives then keep on reading for more details or use the contents to skip to the section you want and compare all of the best work exchange programs.

What is a Work Exchange?

Before we get into all the details, let’s start with the basics.  What is a work exchange and how does it work?

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. 

It is also known as a kind of work and travel programme, a work stay, work trade or voluntourism, although the volunteer placements are often ‘normal’ businesses looking for an extra pair of hands, not necessarily doing charity work as you may imagine in the traditional sense of ‘volunteering’.

As well as trading your work for accommodation, these kinds of placements are also fantastic opportunities for cultural exchange.  As you and your host get to know each other you will learn about each other’s culture, helping you both to understand more about the world we all live in. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: How to Travel for Free by Volunteering Abroad

Work exchange sites like Workaway, Worldpackers and others offer a platform for individuals, families, businesses and organisations to advertise for help they need.  Potential volunteers sign up to the websites to search for suitable hosts for volunteer placements in countries all over the world. 

Usually, this kind of work in exchange for room and board is great for travellers and backpackers who look for international placements, but there is no reason why you can’t do it in your own country (although you won’t be paid for it).  So even if you can’t travel abroad right now, you could start exploring your own country then go abroad when travel restrictions are lifted.

Wherever you decide to go, getting free accommodation in exchange for work is a great way to spend less money so you can travel for longer.

What Kind of Work is Available on Work Exchange Sites?

The kind of work exchange opportunities advertised on these sites varies according to the needs of the host.  Some hostels advertise for help on reception or organising events.  Families may advertise for volunteers to help with childcare or language teaching, or a farm may be looking for helpers to plant and harvest crops.

In exchange for working part-time for their hosts, volunteers get free accommodation (sometimes in dorms, private rooms or tents), and usually some meals too.  Volunteers may also get other benefits like free tours or language lessons, as well as a cultural exchange by spending time helping local people with their projects.

The length of time placements last varies from a couple of weeks to several months, depending on the placement, and how long the volunteer wants to stay.  Some have minimum stay requirements, so they don’t have to continually train new volunteers, others are more flexible, but don’t expect to find many placements for a week or less.

Volunteering for work exchange programmes is actually my preferred way to travel and stay for ‘free’, especially when travelling for a long period of time.  I volunteered with several work exchange programmes when I was backpacking in South America and Mexico, and enjoyed spending time really getting to know the place where I was.

I worked on a hostel reception, helped a travel company with English translations and set up a website for another host.  It really is a win-win situation where you give something tangible back to your hosts, help them in their business, and get some great experience for your CV when you return home, while still saving money – perfect!

If you have more questions about work exchanges and how they work, check out our FAQ section below.

The Top Work Exchange Websites in Depth

Workaway Review

Workaway is the largest and best-known work exchange site.  They have more than 50,000 placements all over the world with hosts who advertise volunteer exchange positions in hostels, on farms, in private homes – pretty much everywhere you can imagine – that travellers can search and apply for.

There is a registration fee, but then every work exchange is free of charge. 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.  If you’re travelling with kids you can now also add children under 18 to your single or joint account so you can volunteer as a family.

Membership costs $49 USD per year for an individual account or $59 per year for a joint account for two people travelling together.  If you use this link to sign up, you will also get 3 months extra free.  

The site is easy to use, and you can search for potential work exchange opportunities by location, keyword and by type of placement, such as farmstay, NGO placements or with families.  The hosts will provide accommodation and usually some meals, but check each individual listing for details.  As with all work exchange websites, each listing will provide something different in return for your work.

Reviews are provided for hosts and travellers so you can see what other people thought about their experience.  A lot of Workaway reviews are positive, however, when you come across a negative (1 star) review on Workaway you will find that the details of the review have been removed so you can’t read what the Workawayer (or host) said.

Apparently, Workaway does this to stop “revenge” reviews, where a host who gets a bad review might then leave a bad review for the volunteer in revenge, but I really don’t like how you can’t see the details so you can’t make an informed decision about whether you want to volunteer with that host or not. 

One way that other work exchange sites like Worldpackers get around this is to have a time limit on reviews, and not publish the review until the time limit has passed or until both parties have left a review without seeing what the other said (like Airbnb does).  I think this is a much better option than just hiding the information.

In my personal experience, I have had some good Workaway placements and really enjoyed the experiences but I also had a not-so-good one, where the host was rude to the volunteers and the atmosphere wasn’t great so it really does depend on the placement and whether it is a good match for you.  Of course, I wouldn’t expect everything to be perfect all the time but try to read between the lines of the reviews you can see as people tend to be nicer than they perhaps should be!

One issue I have had myself is not getting a response from potential Workaway hosts who never reply to messages.  I always send personal messages, with details of past experience (which is quite substantial for hostel placements), but when hosts don’t even bother to say “thanks but no thanks” it is very frustrating!  I think perhaps because Workaway is so big and has so many members, some of the more popular hosts may get bombarded with requests from volunteers.

Although the site is very professional and there are a lot of placements, I’ve also heard that people had trouble getting to speak to their support team if something goes wrong despite the website saying that paid members get access to 24/7 support.  I haven’t needed to contact support myself so I’m not sure how the experience is lately.

Cost: $49 USD per year – PLUS 3 months extra free when you use this link to sign up

Pros: Well established, with the most hosts to choose from all over the world.  Good for families.

Cons:  Negative reviews are hidden.  Can be hard to get a response from hosts, not great support.  While it is a popular site, there are other Workaway alternatives that could be better for you.

READ MORE: Worldpackers vs Workaway – Which is the best Work Exchange Site?

Sites Like Workaway:

As I said, there are various other websites like Workaway which work in a very similar way.  They all have their own pros and cons, so take a look and see which is the best work exchange website for you.

Worldpackers Review

Worldpackers is my personal favourite work exchange website.  I used to use Workaway but have now switched and always go to Worldpackers when I’m looking for work in exchange for room and board while I’m travelling.  

Similar to Workaway, Worldpackers is free to join so you can browse for potential placements before you sign up to become a paid member.  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. 

There is a wide range of volunteer opportunities available with hostels, campsites, NGOs, social projects, farms, ecovillages, restaurants, and small businesses, families, again – you name it, they’ve got it.  To contact hosts and apply for placements you need to pay the membership fee and become a verified member.

Worldpackers membership fees are the same as Workaway starting at $49 USD for a year’s solo membership or from $59 if you’re travelling as a couple or pair, (GET A $10 DISCOUNT HERE), they have an easy to use website and app and provide high-level customer support.  Worldpackers is very focused on safety and security, verifying each host before they are accepted on the platform. 

Worldpackers offer 24/7 support to volunteers and hosts, and there is a phone number and email address on the website to get in touch, as well as through their app.  They also offer their “WP Safeguard” which covers the cost of a hostel for 3 nights if you need to leave your placement due to problems with the host. 

With this and the screening process, Worldpackers are proud of the fact that a lot of their volunteers are solo female travellers – 59% apparently – so that is good peace of mind for us ladies!

All Tales of a Backpacker readers can get a $10 discount saving you 20%, which means you only need to pay $39 USD for a full year’s verified membership.  Once you are a verified member you can apply to and message all the hosts on Worldpackers and volunteer all over the world without paying for accommodation.

As well as saving you money, Worldpackers also offer the chance to earn money as you travel through their Worldpackers Programs.  Once you’ve taken part in some exchanges, you can refer other travellers or new hosts to join and earn a commission, or get paid to produce blog or video content for Worldpackers.  I haven’t seen any other work exchange program be this generous!

If you’d like more information about how Worldpackers works, read my personal Worldpackers review here:

Cost: $49 USD for 1 year or $39 USD with this discount code 

          $59 USD for 1 year for a couple/joint membership or $49 USD with this discount code 

Pros: Good range of opportunities.  Excellent support for volunteers.  Chance to earn money while you travel with Worldpackers Programs

Cons: Not as many placements as Workaway but the site is growing quickly

ACTIVATE YOUR DISCOUNT CODE

Workaway vs Worldpackers  

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 and added extras in their community like the Worldpacker Programs and Worldpacker Academy.

I also prefer how Worldpackers deals with reviews, without hiding any negative reviews and making sure all reviews are genuine, whereas on Workaway you could potentially leave a review for anyone, even if you haven’t met or volunteered with them.

I go into more detail about which I think is the best work exchange website in this article comparing Worldpackers and Workaway if you would like more information.

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.  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. 

I’ve 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’t respond.  However, if there aren’t any listings on Worldpackers for the destination you want, then you will have better luck with Workaway. 

 

WWOOF Review

WWOOF or World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms has been around for a whopping 50 years.  It is the original work exchange site, and works in a similar way to the above sites but solely for placements on organic farms where you do farm work in exchange for room and board.

Most countries have their own WWOOF network, and you have to pay for registration for each country network which tends to be $20 – $30.  If there isn’t a WWOOF organisation in the country you’re looking for, there are also WWOOF Independents which are clubbed together on their own website.

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.

Cost: $20-$30 per country.

Pros: Solely on organic farns, so great for people wanting to learn more about permaculture and farming

Cons: Payment is per country, so if you are travelling around several countries it can be expensive.

Worldpackers & Workaway vs WWOOF

The two sites are quite hard to compare directly as they are really two different things.  If you want to learn about organic farming and permaculture in one specific country, then WWOOF is definitely the right option for you.  I don’t know of any other volunteering websites like WWOOF which just focus on farm work in exchange for room and board, and WWOOF has a great reputation.  

However, if you want to visit several countries that each have their own WWOOF network you will have to pay for registration on each network, so in that case, looking for volunteering opportunities on farms or smallholdings on other work exchange websites like Workaway or Worldpackers (my preferred choice).

Also, if you want to volunteer with different kinds of projects that aren’t related to farming then other work exchange platforms have more variety to choose from.  

HelpX Review

Help Exchange, or HelpX for short was originally set up in 2001 by a traveller who wanted a better system of finding work exchange placements while backpacking in Australia and New Zealand.  The website used to look quite dated compared to the others, but after a revamp is looking better but still not as slick. 

The basic principle of work exchange is the same – you have to register to use the site, you can register for free to browse and search for listings, but to contact hosts and to read the full reviews of placements you have to upgrade to the premier membership.

Membership is cheap though, at €20 (about $24 USD) for 2 years.  This site seems to focus primarily on Australia, New Zealand, Canada & Europe, although there are listings in other parts of the world too.

Once you have searched for a location you see when the profile was last updated – some seem quite out of date (as the website has been going for a long time) but it is always worth contacting them.  In search results, the profiles which have been updated most recently show up first.

Cost: $24 for 2 years

Pros: Cheap.  A wide range of opportunities in Europe, Australia, Canada.

Cons: Not many international placements outside their focus areas.

Helpx vs Workaway & Worldpackers

For me, the best work exchange programs are Worldpackers and Workaway as I’ve explained above.  Helpx is a good budget option, but the level of support offered seems way below the other top websites. 

If you’re used to travelling and volunteering abroad and you’re a confident solo traveller then it can be a good choice, I personally prefer to choose a work exchange platform with a better verification process for hosts and more support should something go wrong like the Worldpackers insurance policy.  

Trusted Housesitters Review

Housesitting and petsitting are a bit different from a typical work exchange in that you don’t spend time “working” for someone else, rather you will be living in someone’s home and looking after the house and their pets while they travel. 

Trusted Housesitters can be a great option for flexible travellers who have experience looking after animals or for more mature travellers and digital nomads who want free accommodation while they explore the world.  

Housesitting doesn’t have some of the same benefits of traditional work exchanges as you will be on your own in the host’s home, not interacting with them, so you do lose the social and cultural exchange part to a certain extent – 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’re there.

The main benefit of house sitting is that it isn’t really working at all – you just need to keep the house clean and tidy and care for any animals.  This doesn’t mean you get free reign to do whatever you want though – it is a big responsibility to look after someone’s pets. 

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.  

Housesitting can be competitive, with hosts usually preferring to take experienced sitters over beginners with no reviews.  It is more expensive than the other work exchange sites, so might not work for budget backpackers.  I have done some housesitting and cat-sitting for friends in addition to TrustedHousesitters and I love it (read my full review of TrustedHousesitters here)!  

>>>Learn more about Trusted Housesitters here & save 25% on membership with the code TALES25

Cost: from $129 for a basic membership 

Pros: not real “work” so more free time, stay in someone’s home so it can be very nice accommodation

Cons: more expensive than traditional work exchanges, can be competitive.  Need to know about animal care and be responsible for someone’s pets.

Other Work Exchange Websites

Those five work exchange websites are by far the most popular and well-known.  There are other work exchange websites out there, but I haven’t had any experience with these, or spoken personally to anyone who has so I can’t vouch for them. 

For me, it’s worth choosing a better-known website so I have more peace of mind as a solo female traveller, but I wanted to include these just so you have all the details.  

HelpStay  

I found another work-exchange site called HelpStay which works in a similar way to Workaway.  However, I couldn’t find any HelpStay reviews from people who had used the site outside of HelpStay itself. 

It seems like the site is still fairly small, after launching in 2014, currently with over 1500 hosts registered but no indication of how many volunteers are members.  Membership for volunteers costs €42.99 (approx $46 USD) for one year for a single membership and €51.99 (approx $55 USD) for a joint membership. 

Some placements are free to do once you have become a member, whereas others have a participation fee.  Hosts don’t pay anything to advertise a volunteer placement.

One major concern I have about HelpStay is the lack of reviews for hosts, and I personally would be wary about applying for a placement that doesn’t have a review, especially if it is a paid placement.

Most of the hosts don’t have reviews, which could mean that there aren’t many volunteers on the site, or if someone has volunteered with that host then they haven’t bothered to leave a review. You can filter by stays with review on the left-hand side of the page to see which placements have reviews which is useful, and you can also filter placements to only see free stays which is also handy.

If you have done a work exchange with HelpStay, let me know how you got on, I’d love more information about it!

Helpstay vs Workaway & Worldpackers

Without experiencing it myself or knowing anyone who has used Helpstay it’s hard to give a balanced view between which site is best – and as much as I love to support small businesses I would choose to register with Worldpackers or Workaway to have a wider choice of placements around the world.

Working Traveller

Working Traveller is another work exchange website I came across online but haven’t used myself, or spoken to any people who have used it. Working Traveller is free for Travellers to use on standard membership if you only want to contact 3 hosts a week, or you can upgrade to full membership which costs just $10 per year to contact unlimited hosts.

Free Work Exchange Websites

Hippohelp Review – Closing Down on 31 December 2024

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 now I’ve received an email explaining they will be shutting the site down completely as of the end of 2024. 

Helpstay (mentioned above) has acquired the domain and trademark so could potentially relaunch Hippohelp in the future, or simply have it direct to the Helpstay platform, we will see what happens in January.  Hippohelp has not sold any user-related data as part of the agreement and will delete everything on 31st December 2024. 

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 ‘test’ out volunteering before you sign up and pay for sites like Workaway and Worldpackers. 

However, as with any free site, there is more of an element of risk involved as there is no screening process, and if something goes wrong there isn’t a support team to help you. 

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’t have any previous reviews.  As a solo female traveller that would be a big no-no for me, but there may be more suitable options I haven’t found. 

We will see what happens in the future with Hippohelp and Helpstay!

Volunteers Base Review

I had previously been unimpressed by Volunteers Base as I didn’t like the lack of transparency on their website regarding the cost of creating an account. However, they have now made it a bit clearer on the site that Volunteers Base is a “not-for-profit alternative” to traditional volunteering networks, but there is a donation-based proof of identity required to register and contact hosts.

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’s up to you what you want to donate.

For a free volunteering website I suppose you can’t expect as much functionality as the paid options, but I found VolunteersBase quite hard to use.  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.

Each host writes their own description of what they are looking for and what is required so there isn’t any consistency between the information provided.  There is also very limited information about the host unless they choose to write something about themselves in the job description, there isn’t a host profile to look at. 

It’s nice that it is free but I’d rather pay a bit more money to be able to use the platform properly.  I am a member but I haven’t done any volunteer placements for this reason.

Cost: Compulsory “donation” of your choice, no minimum or maximum fee.

Pros: Good to get a taster if you are a confident traveller and don’t expect to have problems

Cons: Not as much screening of hosts or support if you do need help.  User interface isn’t as clear or easy to use as other paid sites like Worldpackers or Workaway and it’s harder to search to exactly what you’re looking for with no filters to narrow your search.   

Which Work Exchange Site is Better – Workaway, HelpX, WWOOF or Worldpackers?  Or Free Sites?

The Best Work Exchange Site Overall: Worldpackers

For me, Worldpackers is the best work exchange site, thanks to their level of support and Worldpackers insurance, and how you can earn money with them through Worldpackers Programs as well as saving all that money on accommodation.

EXPLORE WORLDPACKERS

The Best for Most Choice: Workaway

Workaway is the biggest work exchange website, with the largest network of hosts and volunteers so wherever you go in the world you are likely to find work exchange placements.  However, the biggest is not always the best as I said in my full Workaway review above. 

Due to hiding the details of negative reviews and some difficulties in getting responses from hosts, in my opinion, Worldpackers is the best work exchange program and my top choice when looking for volunteer placements.

The Best for Farm Work & Permaculture in One Country: WWOOF

The name includes Organic Farms, so if that’s what you’re into then WWOOF is probably the best option for you unless you plan to travel to several different countries, in which case you might be better searching for eco-friendly and farming volunteer opportunities on Worldpackers.

The Best Free Work Exchange Site: VolunteersBase 

As it is the only completely free work exchange website, then if you have literally no money to spend then VolunteersBase could be a great way to travel for free.  However, be mindful of the lack of screening and support should something go wrong, and good luck sifting through the placements to find what you’re looking for.  As a solo female traveller, I would rather pay the $39 membership fee for Worldpackers and have that extra peace of mind.

Considering Travel Insurance For Your Trip?

• Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel.  I always buy travel insurance for my trips and was very glad I had insurance when I had my laptop and passport stolen in Ecuador! 
• I chose World Nomads Travel Insurance for my recent backpacking trip to Australia and New Zealand.  World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travellers and intrepid families and offers cover for more than 150 adventure sports and activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.  Get a quote, make a claim, or buy or extend your policy while on the road.

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As an affiliate, I receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. I do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance. 

• I have also used SafetyWing which is available for purchase online in 180 countries and you can also buy it while you are already travelling. SafetyWing travel medical insurance is charged on a month-by-month basis so a great flexible choice for digital nomads or if you're not sure of your future plans.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAFETYWING

• Alternatively, check out True Traveller if you're based in the UK, or use a comparison site like Travel Insurance Master to find the best cover for you.

What do you think?  Have you had any experience volunteering with work exchange sites like Workaway, Worldpackers or HelpX?  Would you do volunteer work in exchange for free accommodation?  I’d love to hear what you think, please leave your comments below.

Work Exchange FAQ

What is a Work Exchange?

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. 

How do you do a Work Exchange?

The easiest way to find work exchanges is through a work exchange website like Workaway, Worldpackers, or WWOOF.  They list available opportunities from hosts around the world, and members can apply for as many exchanges as they like during the year of membership.

What is Workaway?

Workaway is the biggest work exchange website, with thousands of listings from hosts around the world looking for volunteers to help them with their business or project.

What is Worldpackers?

Worldpackers is the best work exchange website, with thousands of listings from hosts around the world looking for volunteers to help them with their business or project, and a very high level of support for members.  As well as unpaid volunteer opportunities, they also offer the chance to earn money while you travel through Worldpackers Programs.

Is Workaway free?  

No.  Although you can browse volunteer opportunities for free, there is a membership fee of $44 per year (get 3 months extra free with this link) which then allows you to contact hosts and apply for as many work exchanges as you like within the year of your membership.  

Is Workaway a Good Idea?

While the principle behind Workaway is a great idea, I prefer to use Worldpackers thanks to the extra support they offer, and their Worldpackers Programs which means you can actually earn money as you travel.  In my experience, it is becoming harder to get a response from Workaway hosts as they get swamped with applications, and Worldpackers hosts are more responsive.

Which is better Workaway or Worldpackers?

For me, Worldpackers is better thanks to the extra support they offer, and their Worldpackers Programs which means you can actually earn money as you travel.  Workaway has more hosts and more volunteer positions available, but in my experience, it is becoming harder to get a response from Workaway hosts as they get swamped with applications, and Worldpackers hosts are more responsive.

Do you need a Visa for Work Exchange?

If you don’t need a visa to actually travel to the country where you want to do a work exchange, you shouldn’t need a work visa to do a work exchange, as really it is a cultural exchange and you won’t be doing paid for your work. 

However, some countries do require a specific visa for volunteering, so check the host listing to see if they mention needing specific paperwork, and check iVisa to see if you do need a travel visa.  Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure you have all of the required paperwork to travel.

How Long do Work Exchanges Last For?

Usually, work exchanges are for a minimum of two weeks and can last anywhere up to several months.  Hosts will specify how long they like volunteers to stay, as they don’t want to have to spend time training up new volunteers every few days!

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