Which one suits you
HouseCarers, if
- you want a site that has run since 2000
- you want a free photo ID check
- you're a host who'd like to see sitters' police clearances
HouseSit, if
- you're a sitter and would rather not pay at all, however often you travel
- you want to apply, and answer hosts, without paying first
- you have HouseCarers reviews and want them to count here
Side by side
- Yearly cost
- Free
- Sitters: $50 for 12 months Hosts: free, or $25 for Premium
- Without paying
- List your home, apply, message and confirm a sit
- Hosts can post and choose a sitter. Sitters can make a profile, but pay to apply or to answer a host
- ID check
- Optional, €29 once: a government ID and a live selfie, checked by Stripe
- Free: a photo of a passport or driving licence Its badge also shows for a verified phone number alone
- Police clearance
- Not yet
- Sitters can upload one, with references
- Reviews
- Both ways after each sit, plus your HouseCarers review count
- Both ways after each sit, approved by HouseCarers
- Renewal
- Nothing to renew
- Never automatic: it emails you a month before
- Size
- Smaller, and growing
- Running since 2000. Most hosts get at least 20 applications, its site says
HouseCarers facts come from its own website, checked in October 2026. Its prices are in US dollars.
What HouseCarers does better
Worth knowing before you choose.
Running since 2000
It started in October 2000, and says it was the first house sitting membership site of its kind.
Many applications for hosts
Its site says most hosts get at least 20 applications, the day after they post.
A free ID check
It checks a photo of your passport or driving licence, at no charge. Ours costs €29, once, and also asks for a live selfie, checked by Stripe.
Police clearances
Sitters can upload a police clearance for hosts to see. We don't offer that yet.
So why try HouseSit?
Sitters pay nothing here, not even to apply or to answer a host. You can keep HouseCarers too; it doesn't renew on its own.
What’s different on HouseSit
The core is free
Listing your home, applying, messaging and confirming a sit cost nothing, however often you travel. It isn't a trial.
An ID check with a live selfie
€29 once, through Stripe: a government ID and a live selfie. The verified badge stays, with nothing to renew.
Your reviews come with you
Add the link to your HouseCarers profile. Once we've checked it, your profile here shows your review count, linked to your reviews on HouseCarers.
How to switch, in four steps
- 1
Sign up free
With your email or Google. No card needed.
- 2
Bring your profile
Paste the link to your HouseCarers profile, or its text, and we fill in your HouseSit profile from it. Add the link for your review count.
- 3
Apply, or list your home
Find homes by place and dates, and apply. Or list your home, and sitters apply to you.
- 4
Keep both, and see
HouseCarers doesn't renew on its own, so there's nothing to cancel. Use both, and see which one finds you sits.
Other house sitting platforms
HouseCarers isn't the only other choice. Here is what the others cost, with our page on each.
- HouseSit vs TrustedHousesitters$129 to $399 a year in the US, plus $12 a sit on two plans. More than 280,000 members, its homepage says.
- HouseSit vs MindMyHouse$29 a year for sitters, $29 once for hosts. Simple and cheap. We started here ourselves, in 2017.
- HouseSit vs Nomador€89 to €189 a year, or €34 for three months. Hosts post for free and pay to confirm a sitter; sitters pay to apply.
- HouseSit vs HouseSitMatch£89 to £169 a year for hosts or for sitters, £159 to £269 for both. You need a plan to contact members, list a home or apply.
Questions people ask
Is HouseSit really free?
Yes. Listing your home, applying, messaging and confirming a sit cost nothing, and that stays free. We charge only for optional extras: a €29 ID check, once, and more visibility for members who want it.
Is HouseCarers worth it?
For hosts it's free, and so is its photo ID check. Sitters pay $50 for 12 months to apply or to answer a host. On HouseSit, sitters and hosts pay nothing, however often they sit.
How much does HouseCarers cost?
In October 2026: free for hosts, with an optional $25 Premium upgrade. Sitters can join free, but pay $50 for 12 months to apply or to answer a host. It never renews on its own: it emails you a month before.
Can I bring my HouseCarers reviews?
Yes. Add the link to your HouseCarers profile. Once we've checked it, your profile here shows your review count, with a link to read the reviews.
Can I use both?
Yes. HouseCarers doesn't renew on its own, so keep it, and see which one finds you sits.
Is HouseSit safe?
Members can verify their ID with Stripe, and hosts and sitters review each other after every sit. Before you agree, have a video call, and if they aren't verified, ask to see their ID. Put the details in writing with our free house sit agreement, and read our safety tips. HouseSit doesn't guarantee a sit, and doesn't run background checks yet, so the final check is yours.
