You don’t have to be rich to travel, seeing a new country is not as expensive as you might think. This is especially true when it comes to booking your accommodations. There are tons of apps available to help the low budget traveler find a room for cheap or even nothing at all.
Some of these apps require you to exchange your services for accommodations, while others offer a free couch you can crash on or help you find a bed for under $10 a night. So money is no longer an excuse, if you want to see the world now is your time.
1. Hostelworld
With over 35,000 properties located across 170 countries, Hostelworld is an excellent app for finding budget accommodations in just about any location. Depending on the country, you can easily find a range of places to sleep for under $10 per night. The app features super low-priced dorm-style rooms, as well as private accommodations if you’re willing to pay a bit more.
What really makes this app great though are the extra bonus features. This includes the Hostel Chat function that lets you contact other guests who will be staying during the same time period as you to make connections before you arrive. There’s also the Hostel Speak feature, allowing you to instantly translate your words into 43 languages.
Download: Hostelworld for Android | iOS (Free)
2. Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing has been a staple for budget travelers looking for a free place to crash for well over a decade. Once you choose your travel destination, you can join one of the over 14 million users and hosts in over 230,000 cities around the globe. While the company recently began charging a reasonable monthly or annual subscription fee to take advantage of its services, it’s still cheaper than booking a hotel.
What makes Couchsurfing so great is the ability to stay with a local, either in a spare room or, as the name implies, on their couch. This gives you the chance to make local friends and learn about the cities best restaurants and top sights, all from someone who actually lives there.
The app also has a Couchsurfing Hangouts feature which lets you connect with nearby couchsurfers looking to meet up. It lists thousands of Couchsurfing organized events across the world as well, giving even more opportunities to meet new people as you travel.
Download: Couchsurfing for Android | iOS (Subscription required)
3. Worldpackers
If you want to travel with a cause, Worldpackers is a great app to check out. The company has hosts in 100 countries who will offer you a place to sleep in exchange for some help. Worldpackers has three different types of program you can choose from:
- Work Exchange: This is where you exchange your skills for a place to stay. Jobs include cleaning, running the front desk at a hotel, construction, or even helping to run a business’s social media account.
- Social Impact: This program involves volunteer work through an NGO, school, or social project. Here, you can help construct an orphanage, teach kids English, or work in a Tanzanian woman’s program.
- Eco Program: If you want to get away from civilization, this is the program for you. Here, you’ll either work on a farm, in an eco-village, or with permaculture.
While it’s possible to use Worldpackers for free, there is an annual subscription model if you’re interested in unlimited contact with hosts and exclusive discounts through the company. However, without paying, you’re still able to apply to as many work programs as you’d like. To get one, your skills must match the job or the host isn’t likely to approve the application.
Download: Worldpackers for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
4. Dorms.com
Dorms.com is an amazing app for finding low-priced hostels in nearly any country. The company has over 30,000 hostels in its database, many of which offer private and shared rooms for as low as $5 per night. You can also find a range of budget hotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and apart-hotels.
When shopping for cheap accommodations, Dorms.com’s listings have loads of information about each property. This includes activities and entertainment options, such as cooking classes, tours, bars, and games. The app also includes a “Take me to my hostel” feature so you can find your booking with ease and info to help you find tourist spots.
Download: Dorms.com for Android | iOS (Free)
5. TrustedHousesitters
If you’re an animal lover who likes to travel on the cheap, TrustedHousesitters may be just what you’re looking for. With the app, you can find pet owners across the globe who are looking for someone who can watch their homes, and their pets, while they’re out of town.
This will give you a free place to stay, usually in a rather nice home, for free. Generally, all you’ll need to do in exchange is to feed their animals, walk their dogs, and keep the place tidy.
The locations available all depend on where the hosts live. This means you may end up in a suburb on the outside of a city or somewhere in the countryside. You’ll have to travel on their schedule as well, planning your trip during the period they’ll be out of town. This can range anywhere from days to months. So if your travel plans are flexible, this is a good option.
Download: TrustedHousesitters for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
6. Hotellook
To find the lowest price on a hotel, it’s hard to beat the Hotellook app. When you type a search into Hotellook, the service will compare hotel deals across 80 different online booking agencies. This means you can see the best prices from Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, Expedia, and loads more all with one quick search.
The prices on this app can range from incredibly cheap hostels that are well under $5 per night, to expensive five-star resorts. However, regardless of the nightly price, you can be fairly certain you’re scoring the lowest price for the room you’re booking when using this app.
Download: Hotellook for Android | iOS (Free)
Which App Should You Choose?
If you want a cheaper Airbnb alternative when you travel, you've got a great set of options.
For a cheap hostel, both Hostelworld and Dorms.com provide some great deals. If a free stay is what you’re after, Couchsurfing is likely the best option if you’re not looking to exchange work for your stay.
However, if you don’t mind volunteering your time for your accommodations, check out TrustedHousesitters and Worldpackers. For a nicer room at the lowest possible price, it’s hard to beat Hotellook.
These apps are ideal for helping you find places to stay both in advance or while you're away. And there are even more desktop tools you can use to help with your trip planning.