swapl vs HomeExchange.
HomeExchange built the biggest home-swap network in the world. swapl is taking a different bet: no subscription, no points, and real city-by-city liquidity. Here’s a fair side-by-side — not a takedown — so you can pick the right one.
| swapl | HomeExchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to swap | Free — no subscription, no swap fees | Annual membership (around $235/year) |
| How swaps work | Keys for keys — pure reciprocal, nothing to manage | GuestPoints — a virtual currency you earn and spend |
| Stay when it's not reciprocal | Keys (travel points) earned by hosting | GuestPoints (buying them isn't great value) |
| Protection | Swapl Guarantee on every accepted swap, automatically | Guarantee included on GuestPoints exchanges |
| Catalogue today | Launching Sept 2026 — deep, city-by-city liquidity | Hundreds of thousands of homes, 145+ countries |
| Best for | People who want a simple, free, reciprocal swap | People who want the largest catalogue today |
HomeExchange pricing and mechanics as publicly described; figures approximate. See our full written comparison for the detail.
Credit where it’s due
HomeExchange is the incumbent for a reason — hundreds of thousands of homes and years of completed swaps. If you want the largest possible catalogue today and don’t mind the model, it’s a serious option. swapl is a different, simpler bet: free, reciprocal, and backed on every swap.
Is swapl really free?
Yes — listing and swapping cost nothing, with no annual membership and no per-swap fees. Optional Plus and Pro plans add saved searches and priority placement, but you never pay to complete a swap.
What's the difference from HomeExchange's GuestPoints?
HomeExchange runs on GuestPoints, a currency you earn by hosting and spend to stay elsewhere. swapl is pure keys-for-keys: you trade your home for someone else's, with no points to accumulate or buy. For non-simultaneous stays we use Keys (travel points) you earn by hosting — never something you purchase.
Is HomeExchange better because it's bigger?
HomeExchange is the incumbent with the largest catalogue today, and that's a real advantage if you want maximum choice right now. swapl is betting on deep, city-by-city liquidity and a simpler, free model. If you're in one of our launch corridors, listing before September puts you among the first homes shown.
Is my swap protected?
Every accepted swap on swapl comes with the Swapl Guarantee automatically — our commitment to help put things right — plus identity-verified hosts and per-swap key-exchange codes. It's a guarantee from swapl, not an insurance policy.
Your home is worth a thousand trips.
We're collecting listings now — early access opens September 2026. Hosts who list before launch surface first.