The main points are: A comparison of Worldpackers and Workaway | Contrasting key features | Final assessment | Frequently asked questions
Whether you seek a profound cultural immersion or want to know local people while traveling, programs like Worldpackers or Workaway may assist your goals.
From my own experience using Worldpackers to travel to South Korea, these volunteer platforms can assist in minimizing worries by connecting you to your dream volunteer opportunity.
However, the question remains – which service should you choose between Worldpackers and Workaway?
To avoid potential spoilers, I ended up choosing Worldpackers. However, that doesn`t mean you have to select the same. The following section reviews each platform so you can decide whether Workaway or Worldpackers better fits your needs.
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Table of Contents
Worldpackers vs Workaway (Quick Summary)
Worldpackers and Workaway are two different websites for travelers looking to exchange their work for room and board, with several key variances between them.
Although both have benefits and drawbacks, Worldpackers offers better value for money, with an active supporting community, an academy for volunteers and digital nomads, verified hosts, and insurance that allows you to relocate with other hosts in case something goes wrong during your stay.
This is why I opted for them for my initial work trade, as I described in comprehensive detail in my full Worldpackers assessment.
Starting at $39/year (with promotional code)
Use our promo code at checkout for $10 off your Worldpackers membership.
Workaway is also a premier platform for volunteering abroad and performing work trades. Workaway was launched in 2002 and is a pioneering work trade platform. It features over 50,000 work trade opportunities through a wide range of NGOs, social impact, and eco-projects.
It also has a policy that obliges hosts with businesses to pay a minimum wage to volunteers. The Workaway platform may be better for experienced volunteers.
Key Advantages of Worldpackers
- Affordable
- Value for money
- Active online community
- Experience insurance
- Volunteer positions in Latin America
- User-friendly and modern website
- Various volunteer hostel positions
- Direct chat with Worldpackers team
Key Advantages of Workaway
- Cheaper than Worldpackers
- More volunteer opportunities and destinations with affordable lodging in Europe
- Businesses that employ volunteers must compensate them
- No additional fees from hosts
- More farming and NGO programs
- Tool to create a reference letter
- Tool to find travel buddy
Worldpackers is best for:
- First-timers in work exchange
- People without independent travel insurance
- Travelers that would like a support community
- Latin America backpackers
- Finding opportunities in hostels
- Digital nomads just getting started
Workaway is best for:
- Experienced volunteers
- Travelers looking for opportunities in Europe
- People exploring additional NGO’s and permaculture initiatives
- European independent travelers and digital nomads
Starting at $39/year (with promotional code)
Use our promo code at checkout for $10 off your Worldpackers membership.
Worldpackers vs Workaway – Features Comparison
Both Worldpackers and Workaway are sites for work exchanges that offer travelers volunteer opportunities in places like hostels, environmental projects, or non-government organizations in exchange for free lodging.
In the following chart, I will be contrasting both work trade sites in categories like user experience, cost, value received, communication with hosts, volunteer offerings, travel security, and community support.
| Feature | Worldpackers | Workaway | 🏆 Winner |
| User Experience | The platform has an intuitive interface that is easy to use along with learning resources for travelers | The website is user-friendly although the design appears dated | Worldpackers |
| Price | $ |
$44 annual fee for solo travelers / $56 for couples or friends | Worldpackers (with discount) |
| Value for Money | Global exchange opportunities, an online community, educational materials, and insurance | Global exchange opportunities through different programs around the world | Worldpackers |
| Volunteering Opportunities | Availability in over 140 countries | 50,000 chances in more than 180 countries | Workaway |
| Host Verification | New hosts undergo manual review and evaluation | New hosts undergo manual review and evaluation | Tie |
| Limit to Working Hours | 32 hours each week | 25 hours each week | Workaway |
| Find a Travel Buddy on Platform | It does not have a dedicated feature | Tool allowing solo travelers to find partners within the same site | Workaway |
| Online Community and Support Team | Active community of experienced travelers to contact directly plus backpackers and volunteers | Self-help articles, email contact, live chat for members | Worldpackers |
| Pay to Volunteers | None | Businesses on Workaway can pay their volunteers | Workaway |
| Reviews | Transparent review system designed to avoid retaliatory reviews | Negative reviews` text not always published, though existence is | Worldpackers |
| Includes Insurance | Yes | No | Worldpackers |
Which Features Best User Experience – Worldpackers or Workaway?
While the Workaway platform may appear more straightforward, Worldpackers offers a more intuitive and easy-to-follow experience alongside a more contemporary appearance.
🏆 Winner: Worldpackers
Which is Cheaper – Workaway or Woldpackers?
Both Worldpackers and Workaway work exchange networks provide single and couple yearly memberships. They are priced very similarly.
The base cost of the Workaway plan, which is $44 for solo travelers and $56 for couples, is technically cheaper if you were to pay the full price for both.
The Worldpackers membership pricing is $49 for individual trips and $59 for the couple or group plan. HOWEVER, you can deduct $10 off that rate if you sign up using this connection and enter the promotional code TRAVELLEMMING during checkout.
🏆 Winner:Worldpackers gets the win if you access this link and enter the discount code TRAVELLEMMING during checkout.
Which Offers More Value for Your Money – Worldpackers vs Workaway?
While Workaway offers an yearly enrollment for a lower expense than Worldpackers, Worldpackers offers more advantages in return for the enrollment charge volunteers pay.
Volunteers that travel with Worldpackers get experience insurance that relocates a volunteer in case a trip doesn’t go as planned. Worldpackers also sports a curated list of verified hosts, a travel academy, and a support community.
🏆 Winner: Worldpackers
Which Features More Volunteering Opportunities – Workaway vs Worldpackers?
As Worldpackers continues growing, Workaway is an exchange website in existence since 2002 with over 50,000 volunteer options across 180 nations.
Worldpackers website offers opportunities in around 140 countries so far, although they have a larger selection of hosts located in South America. Ultimately, your destination choice will dictate where there are exchanges available.
🏆 Winner: Workaway
Which Has Verified Hosts – Worldpackers or Workaway?
One of the highlights that makes Worldpackers stand out is their curated list of hosts. All the hosts on Worldpackers are verified which increases the reliability of both the volunteer opportunity and the platform.
Workaway also notes that they assess and review new host profiles before approval, though exactly how thorough that process is remains somewhat unclear.
🏆 Winner: Tie
Which Involves Fewer Working Hours – Worldpackers or Workaway?
One downside of Worldpackers is the maximum limit placed on working hours. Even if the average is 20-25 hours per week, hosts on this platform can request volunteers to work up to 32 hours weekly. Workaway`s limit is lower, with a maximum of 25 hours per week.
🏆 Winner: Workaway
Which Offers Travel Buddies – Workaway vs Worldpackers?
One beneficial feature of Workaway is the ability to search for another volunteer on their platform to share the experience together. Many potential volunteers hold back because of concerns. Being able to find someone to volunteer alongside provides an excellent chance to form friendships and feel more secure.
🏆 Winner: Workaway
Which Has the Best Support Team – Workaway vs Worldpackers?
While both volunteer sites possess a community of travelers, it`s undeniable the Worldpackers group exhibits more activity. Not only is communication fostered between volunteers, but also the support team behind the platform excels.
You can contact other volunteers to inquire queries, share encounters, contact hosts, and be a maker on the platform. In case something goes awry with your stay, you can utilize the exclusive internal chat feature to allow the team to know about it. Each message receives individual answering.
In Workaway, you can utilize their contact form to communicate with the team staff.
🏆 Winner: Worldpackers
Which Pays Volunteers – Worldpackers or Workaway?
Recently, Workaway implemented a policy stipulating that businesses on their website hiring volunteers need to pay their volunteers a minimum wage. This is to prevent businesses from maintaining questionable labor relationships with volunteers.
Up until now, Worldpackers doesn’t have a similar policy, and some hosts may even charge an additional fee for staying with them.
🏆 Winner: Workaway
Which Has the Best Review System – Worldpackers or Workaway?
When doing a work exchange, the two most important factors are trust and honesty.
Worldpackers publishes all reviews. To avoid retaliatory reviews, they keep your counterpart’s review private until you’ve finished yours. Both reviews get published when both sides write one.
Workaway indicates that a disapproving facial symbol is shown on the site “but the textual remark is kept private.” They state that they do this to deter an escalation of situations where individuals may want retaliation for opinions left.
🏆 Winner: Worldpackers
Which Offers Insurance – Worldpackers vs Workaway?
One of the most notable features of Worldpackers is its no additional cost Experience Insurance. This coverage protects you in case something goes wrong with your host. If your experience is unfavorable, you can communicate with the Worldpackers team about it.
This insurance is unique to Worldpackers and it gives volunteers reassurance. Workaway doesn’t offer insurance, but it invites travelers to purchase travel medical insurance through World Nomads.
🏆 Winner: Worldpackers
Verdict – Why Worldpackers Is Our Pick
Worldpackers is a newer work exchange site and still developing in some areas compared to Workaway. However, the truth is Worldpackers delivers better value for money.
With Worldpackers, you get assistance through a guiding community, a learning academy, and insurance covering your work exchange. All platform hosts are verified which means more safety during your trip and fewer negative experiences.
Starting at $39/year (with promotional code)
Use our promo code at checkout for $10 off your Worldpackers membership.
FAQs About Worldpackers vs Workaway
What is better, Workaway or Worldpackers?
Worldpackers is more suitable for people doing work exchange for the first time, and people that want an active traveling community. Workaway is more suitable for experienced travelers and to find more work exchange options around the globe.
How do I become a digital nomad with no experience?
Individuals wanting to become digital nomads without previous experience can use platforms like Worldpackers and Workaway to volunteer abroad in exchange for free lodging while gaining new skills.
Which is cheaper, Workaway or Worldpackers?
If paying the standard rate, Workaway tends to be less costly than Worldpackers. Workaway charges $44 for solo travelers and $56 for couples, while Worldpackers is $49 and $59 respectively. You can knock $10 off the Worldpackers fee though by visiting this link and entering the code TRAVELLEMMING, making it a better value compared to Workaway in that case.
What are the differences between Workaway and Worldpackers?
The major differences between Worldpackers and Workaway involve the active travel community, the candid reviews, and the experience insurance of Worldpackers. The fact that businesses must pay volunteers in Workaway is another difference, but other than that, they`re both work exchange websites.
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I hope this comparison of Workaway versus Worldpackers was useful to you! When doing a work exchange, you should choose the platform fitting your needs. Read My Full Worldpackers Review for additional information.
Enjoy your work experience abroad!
Starting at $39/year (with promotional code)
Use our promo code at checkout for $10 off your Worldpackers membership.
