Kindred vs. HomeExchange: How Do They Compare?

Home exchanges open doors to new destinations and encourage travelers to embark on journeys that resonate on a deeper level. We are proud to be a pioneer of this way of travel, and a leading expert. We know however that we're not the only community out there, which is actually a wonderful testament to home exchanges as a viable and worthy way of travel. So today, let's delve into the distinct offerings of another known platform, Kindred, and how it compares to HomeExchange. Each platform brings its own flair and philosophy to the world of home exchanges, and by exploring the intricacies of each we hope it will help you find the perfect match for your next adventure.

The Creation of Kindred & HomeExchange

HomeExchange

At HomeExchange, we're proud to call ourselves a pioneer in the field of home swapping. We've been at it since the 1950's in the United States when we distributed a printed catalog aimed primarily at teachers. In 1992, with the dot com boom, our online community we named HomeExchange was born. This was well ahead of competitors, and allowed the concept to gain more traction. In 2006, HomeExchange became more widely known through cinema, with the release of the film The Holiday. The film was a major success and introduced home exchanges to the world. Since then, HomeExchange has become the world leader in home swapping, thanks to our expertise acquired over decades of work.

Kindred

Kindred, sometimes known as Live Kindred, is a newer player in the game aiming to bring some innovative proposals to the home swapping space. Created in 2021 by two co-founders, they initially began with a softer launch and beta phase that was application based, and have successfully grown the network and offering of homes beyond North America to most other continents. Through organic growth and venture capital investments, they have gradually grown the "members only" community, but Kindred's aim in the landscape of home exchanges is to remain a more niche network with homes and members on an application basis that meet various criteria they deem pertinent to the interests of their members.

The Types of Exchanges Offered by Kindred & HomeExchange

HomeExchange

• Reciprocal Exchange: This is a classic exchange. You lend your house to another family for the duration of the vacation, and they lend you theirs, either at the same time or later, as long as you can arrange different dates.
• GuestPoints Exchange: If you want to travel to a home but the member can't organize a reciprocal exchange, you can use our GuestPoints system. You give them GuestPoints in exchange for their hospitality, which they can use whenever to travel to another member's house. To earn GuestPoints, simply host, accumulate points, or use them whenever you like. The value of each homes GuestPoints is calculated by our site to be fair and consistent.
• Private Room Exchange: As a host, you provide a room in your main residence to accommodate travelers, while being present. The exchange in a private room allows hosts to share their daily life with their guests. This is great for language exchanges for example.

Kindred

• Credit System: Kindred functions mostly around a credit system they have created in the community. The rules are consistent and easy to understand. Credits cannot be bought and rather must be earned. They can be earned by hosting, or by referring. For every night you host, you earn 1 credit. When you refer a friend you earn 2 credits, and when you sign up you automatically get 5 free credits. Each credit is good for 1 night stay in another Kindred home. It's similar to the HomeExchange Guest Points system but for Kindred it is the core functionality of their community.
• Classic Exchange: Using the credit system above is not the only option on Kindred. Members can also do a classic home exchange, where no credits are exchanged. Rather members exchange homes simultaneously for the same number of nights, breaking even on what it would have cost them in credits. This way you don't need to host to accumulate credits before you can travel.

Services & Fees at Kindred & HomeExchange

HomeExchange

HomeExchange works on a one time annual fee basis that unlocks unlimited exchanges. Signing up is still free of course, and members are only asked to the pay the fee once they are ready to finalize their first exchange. Other than that, there are no additional fees incurred by a member to HomeExchange. With the annual fee of $220 a year, HomeExchange is able to offer around the clock customer service 24/7 and insurance coverage for both parties up to $1,000,000. We also offer compensation for cancellations and a dedicated support team to find a replacement exchange in the rare event it's needed. That includes our compliance guarantee if the accommodation does not meet the initial home description, where HomeExchange offers an alternative solution.

Kindred

Kindred has integrated some great services into their offer that some guests may enjoy. They offer to coordinate cleanings (with their team, not your personal cleaner) before and after your guests, so you don't need to worry about prepping your home for their arrival or wondering how well they will clean your house. They also offer a linen service, sending towels, sheets and toiletries ahead of time versus having guests use yours. The cleaning and "service fee" are however paid of course, and the cost is incurred by the guest each time. Since Kindred doesn't have an annual membership fee, a service fee is incurred each time you stay at a member's house. This service fee is how they finance the operational costs of the platform. Kindred also prides themselves on offering a sort of hosting match service, where they connect you with other members they think would be a good fit for an exchange. Lastly, in the event of damage, they offer an insurance policy of up to $100,000.

The Communities at Kindred & HomeExchange

HomeExchange

HomeExchange is proud to have the largest community of home swapping in the world with a vast network of over 200,000 members and homes across 145 countries. In fact, within our network, a HomeExchange is finalized every 2 minutes! Our community is an open, meaning you do not have to apply to be accepted. Our members are incredibly diverse, but share common values of trust, respect, and a cosmopolitan approach to travel. Above all, HomeExchange is about the people who make up the community – people who believe home exchanging is the best way to travel, to discover the world, and explore its wonders. From renters to owners, with a room to spare or a villa to fill, this is what their values above all are what they share in common.

Kindred

The Kindred community is growing and currently made up of over 70,000 members homes. However, each of those members has to create an application and have their home and themselves be accepted to the network before being able to exchange. In that sense, it's a private application based community which is different from HomeExchange. However, beyond mentioning that all members must be verified and host their own home to travel, the criteria for being accepted into the community is not explicitly shared by Kindred. One can deduct however from browsing their network that their aim might be to curate a network of premium and stylish homes that focus on high quality versus quantity.

Choosing Between Kindred & HomeExchange

The beauty of home exchanging networks is that you don' have to choose just one. You might find being a member of different networks brings different advantages and opens the door to valuable travel experiences. After all, that's what home exchanges are all about: travel that has a great impact on your life, while minimising one's impact on the planet. Joining both networks is free, so don't hesitate to explore and see which opens the best possibilities for you and your travel plans. We are confident that wherever you find yourself, home exchangers are a wonderful community of like-minded travelers with a welcoming approach where you will feel right at home, wherever you decide to go in the world.