"Companion for hire" autocompletes to "dinner companion", "walking companion", "travel companion", "senior companion" and, from the dark side of the phrase, things that are not this. Here are the five legitimate kinds, what each is and is not, and what each costs.
1. Dinner companion#
Someone to eat with: a business traveller's free evening, a birthday nobody was around for, a restaurant you did not want to try alone. Platonic, in public, by the hour; you cover their meal. $15 to $50 an hour on friend platforms. Dinner companion on a business trip is the detailed version.
2. Walking companion#
A walk, a hike, a run, a city on foot, with someone who knows it or just someone to do it with. The same rate, often lower. A Local Friend who lives in the city doubles as the guide to it.
3. Travel companion#
Three meanings, and the cheapest is the best: a local by the hour in each city rather than a paid person for the whole trip. Rent a travel companion.
4. Senior companion#
Conversation, cards, a walk, lunch out, a drive, for an older adult who is alone. This is where the line matters most: companion visits are fine from a friend platform or a vetted individual; anything involving medication, bathing, mobility or dementia supervision is caregiving and needs a licensed agency or trained aide. RentAFriend now advertises companion care and runs no background checks; Roavi is social company for adults and not elder care. Hire a friend for an elderly parent has the questions to ask.
5. Plus-one#
A wedding, a work dinner, a reunion you do not want to walk into alone. Agree the story you will tell, the hours and the rate. Hire a plus-one for a wedding and a plus-one for a work event.
What a companion for hire is not#
Not dating, not escorting, not therapy, not caregiving. The friend platforms are explicit and remove people who treat it otherwise; a listing that is vague about this is the red flag.
Where to find each one#
- Social kinds (dinner, walking, travel, plus-one): Roavi's Local Friends (free messaging, human-reviewed profiles, the friend's own rate, no commission) and RentAFriend (US directory, paid membership to message, no checks).
- Senior companion care: licensed home-care agencies for anything regular or involving care; a friend platform only for independent adults who want an afternoon out.
Browse local guides free, message free, pay only the friend's own rate.
Meet local guidesEvery city where you can do this today, with the live number of Local Friends in each: rent a friend, by the hour. In the United States the list is also by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a companion for hire?
A person paid by the hour for platonic company: dinner, a walk, a trip, an event, time with an older adult. It is not dating, not escorting, and, for seniors, not caregiving unless the person is a trained aide through an agency. Friend platforms (Roavi, RentAFriend) cover the social kinds; licensed agencies cover senior companion care.How much does a companion for hire cost?
On friend platforms the companion sets an hourly rate, typically $15 to $50 an hour, plus their meal or ticket; RentAFriend adds a membership to message, Roavi does not. Senior companion care through licensed agencies is commonly quoted around $25 to $35 an hour with minimum visits.