Free for both sides
Homeowners pay nothing to list. Sitters pay nothing to apply. The only things we'll ever charge for are optional — ID verification and a few convenience features — for those who want them.
HouseCarers alternative
Free and modern, without the annual fee
HouseCarers has been a low-cost option for years, but the platform hasn't materially evolved and the annual sitter fee adds friction. HouseSit is free, current, and built for how people actually use software in 2026.
HouseCarers belongs to a class of housesitting platforms that've been running on the same codebase for over a decade. The interface, the listing flow, the messaging — all functional, all dated. The annual sitter membership fee (~$50/yr) is small, but it's another barrier for people testing the model for the first time.
HouseSit is what HouseCarers would look like if it were rewritten today: free, mobile-first, map-based discovery, AI-assisted onboarding, real-time messaging, ID verification through Stripe. We kept what HouseCarers got right (low/no fees, simple value exchange) and modernised everything else.
Side by side
Sitter cost
HouseSit
Free
HouseCarers
$50/yr membership
Homeowner cost
HouseSit
Free
HouseCarers
Free (optional $25 upgrade)
Discovery UX
HouseSit
Map + filters + cards
HouseCarers
List view
Mobile experience
HouseSit
Mobile-first responsive
HouseCarers
Desktop-first
Messaging
HouseSit
Real-time in-app
HouseCarers
Email-driven
Profile import
HouseSit
Paste URL, AI fills profile
HouseCarers
Manual entry
ID verification
HouseSit
€29 one-time Stripe Identity
HouseCarers
Not built-in
Comparison reflects publicly available information at the time of writing. HouseCarers is a registered trademark of its owner. We're not affiliated.
Why members like us
Mobile-first
Built so a sitter on a phone in a café can browse, apply, and message in seconds. The dashboard, profile, listings, and discovery all work cleanly on small screens.
Visual discovery
Map-based discovery with privacy-first 1km circles. See what's where. Filter by dates, pets, and home type. Click and read.
Bring your HouseCarers profile — and your review history
Copy-paste your HouseCarers profile or listing into our AI importer and we pre-fill it for you. And don't leave your review history behind: import your HouseCarers review history and it appears on your profile after our team checks it.
Switching takes 2 minutes
- 01
Sign up free
Email or Google. No credit card. No annual fee.
- 02
Import your profile or listing — or start fresh
Coming from HouseCarers? Paste your profile or listing and it fills in minutes, and you can bring your review history across too. No account to import from? Fill it in yourself — importing is optional.
- 03
List or apply
If you're a homeowner, add your home (free) and create your first listing. If you're a sitter, browse and apply.
- 04
Don't renew HouseCarers
When your annual HouseCarers fee comes up, you can decide whether to keep both or move fully to HouseSit.
Common questions
Can I bring my HouseCarers reviews to HouseSit?
Yes — paste your HouseCarers profile into our reputation importer, and your review history appears on your HouseSit profile after our team checks it.
Why should I trust a newer platform?
We're house-sitters ourselves — nine years across Europe, mostly on MindMyHouse. We've built public reviews, owner-initiated messaging, and address protection until acceptance, with optional bank-grade ID verification through Stripe Identity. Our safety tips page has practical guidance for staying safe.
Are there listings in my area?
The platform is open globally, and the countries with the most sits today are the United States, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, the UK and Norway. How many are open in any one place varies — we would rather say that than promise a home near you.
What about scam risk?
We'll use Stripe Identity for verification — same provider as banks and major fintechs. Owner-initiated messaging prevents sitter spam. Address reveals only after acceptance. Reports go to our admin queue. Patterns of bad behaviour result in account action.