"App to find a local guide" and "best app to find local guides" get answered with lists that mix six different products. They are not interchangeable. Here they are sorted by what you actually want.
The six, by what you want#
| You want | App | What it costs | Who takes a cut | Free to message? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A licensed private guide for monuments, history, a car | ToursByLocals | Guide-set, often $150 to $500+ a day | About 20% to the platform | After booking |
| A curated experience with a vetted host | Withlocals | Listed price plus 10% guest fee | Platform fee plus host commission | After booking |
| A resident who spends a few hours with you on your plan | Roavi (ours) | Their own rate, most $15 to $50 an hour | None | Yes |
| The same, from a different company | Showaround | Local-set hourly rate | Unclear; reviewers mention a subscription for locals | After sign-up |
| A free local for two to three hours | International Greeter Association | Free | None | By request, days ahead |
| A group tour, a class, a ticket | GetYourGuide, Airbnb Experiences | Listed price plus fees | Platform commission | After booking |
The one question that sorts them#
Do you want to be taught, or accompanied? Taught, with a licence and a script, for a site that deserves it: ToursByLocals, or a licensed city guide (local tour guide in New York). Accompanied, by someone who lives there, to eat and get around and see the neighbourhood: Roavi, the Greeters, or Showaround if its profiles answer. A product you book in two clicks: Withlocals or GetYourGuide.
How to check a profile before you pay anyone#
- Last active: a profile untouched for a year will not answer.
- Reviews from named people with dates.
- A real photo, several, recent.
- A specific reply to a specific question; a template answer is a no.
- Hours, rate and what is included in writing before you meet, on any platform.
Honest notes on ours#
Roavi (disclosure: this is our site): a free directory where you browse and message local residents, called Local Friends, and pay them directly by the hour for platonic company and local knowledge; most list $15 to $50 an hour; no commission, no membership, every profile reviewed by a person, three real photos, reviews, an optional identity badge. Strongest in Latin America and Asia, growing in US cities; it is company and local knowledge, not a bed and not a guided tour. Apps to meet locals while travelling is the wider comparison, and the individual pages: ToursByLocals alternatives, Withlocals alternatives, Showaround alternatives, free greeters.
Browse local guides free, message free, pay only the person's own rate.
Meet local guidesFrequently Asked Questions
What is the best app to find a local tour guide?
For a licensed private guide: ToursByLocals. For a curated experience with a vetted host: Withlocals. For a resident who spends a few hours with you on your own plan, free to message and with no commission: Roavi. For free: the International Greeter Association. For a group tour or a ticket: GetYourGuide.Is there a free app to find local guides?
Roavi is free to browse and message; you pay only the Local Friend's own hourly rate. The International Greeter Association is free entirely, with volunteer greeters in 140+ cities, booked in advance. Every other app charges a fee or commission on top of the guide's price.