People search for a free alternative to RentAFriend for one reason: they do not want to pay a membership before finding out whether anyone near them will reply. The friend's own rate is not the complaint. The paywall is. Here is what is actually free where, what you still pay everywhere, and where the free options have listings worth your time today.
What you pay everywhere#
The friend's time, at their hourly rate, commonly $20 to $50, paid to them directly. And the outing: their ticket, meal or drink. No serious platform makes a person's time free, and the ones that imply it are not this category.
What's free on each platform#
| Browse | Message | List as a friend | Platform's cut | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RentAFriend | Free | Membership, about $24.95/mo | Free | None on the rate |
| Roavi | Free | Free | Free | None; optional Verified badge for friends |
| Facebook groups, Meetup | Free | Free | n/a | None |
Roavi: free, and here is the catch#
On Roavi you browse Local Friends free, message them free, and pay only their rate, directly. Roavi takes no commission and does not process the payment. Friends list free; profiles are reviewed by a person before going live and need three real photos; reviews from previous bookings show on the profile; an optional identity-verified badge exists for friends who want it.
The catch is coverage. Roavi is built around travellers who want someone to show them a city, and its listings are strongest in Latin America (the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico), Thailand and Japan. In the United States it is thin today: a handful of Local Friends in New York and Los Angeles, and one or two in cities like Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix and Nashville. If you are in a big US city and want local company tonight, RentAFriend still has more listings. If you are travelling, or you are happy to check your city and come back, it costs nothing to look.
Facebook groups and Meetup#
City groups for newcomers, expats or activity partners are free and real people answer. The trade-offs are real too: nobody is vetted, there is no record of what was agreed, asking for paid company gets mixed reactions, and the groups are not built for it. They are best for finding free activity partners, not for hiring someone for an evening.
The rest of the field#
ToursByLocals and GetYourGuide are for structured paid tours and take a commission from the guide; Rent a Cyber Friend is online-only. Neither is a free way to hire someone to come to dinner. Every alternative, with what each charges.
If you are the friend#
The same paywall is why friends on RentAFriend wait: most people browsing never buy the membership, so they cannot message you. On Roavi there is nothing between a hirer and your inbox, listing is free, and there is no commission. In US cities a new profile is one of a handful rather than one of thousands. Why you are not getting messages, and what to do.
Related#
What RentAFriend actually costs, worked through. RentAFriend vs Roavi, side by side. Hire a friend near you: cost by city and how to do it safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free way to hire a friend?
The platform can be free; the friend's time is not, and should not be. On Roavi, browsing, messaging and listing are all free and there is no commission; the only money is the friend's hourly rate, which you pay them directly, plus the outing. On RentAFriend, listing is free but messaging needs a membership of about $24.95 a month. Facebook groups and Meetup are free but unvetted and not built for paid company.What's the catch with Roavi?
Coverage. Roavi is built around travellers who want someone to show them a city, and its listings are strongest in Latin America (Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico), Thailand and Japan. In the United States it is thin today: a handful of Local Friends in New York and Los Angeles and a few in other cities. If you are in a big US city wanting local company tonight, RentAFriend still has more listings. If you are travelling, or you can wait for the US pool to grow, Roavi costs you nothing to check.Why does Roavi not charge a membership?
Because a membership on the hiring side shrinks the pool of people who can book a friend, which is the main thing friends complain about on RentAFriend. Roavi's model is to list friends free, let hirers message free, take no commission, and let the friend be paid directly. The only paid thing on Roavi is an optional identity-verified badge for friends who want it.Are Facebook groups a free alternative?
Sometimes. City groups for newcomers, expats or activity partners are free and real people answer. The trade-offs: nobody is vetted, there is no record of what was agreed, asking for paid company gets mixed reactions, and the groups are not built for it. They work best for free activity partners, not for hiring someone for an evening.Is Roavi free for friends too?
Yes. Creating a Local Friend profile and being listed is free, Roavi takes no commission on what you are paid, and there is no membership on the hiring side, so the people who message you can actually book you. Profiles are reviewed by a person before going live and need three real photos.