Trying to navigate college life is difficult enough, but when you’re moving to a brand-new city, your nerves can be all over the place. What if you were too late to apply for student accommodations or can’t afford them? Though campus housing seems to be the easiest way out, everyone isn’t lucky enough to snag a spot.

So, what’s the next best alternative? Some head over to Craigslist, but results vary widely and finding a decent roommate isn’t guaranteed. Going through Facebook lists is another option, but how many people can you message, hoping they’re looking for a roommate as well?

Here’s where college roommate finders like Roomi and Erasmusu have saved countless students from awkward direct messages or falling prey to scams and, instead, finding roommates easily. However, not all apps are created equal, so let’s find out which one is best suited to your needs.

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Pricing: Are these college roommate finder apps free or paid?

Listing rooms for free? Check. Browsing through potential roommate profiles? Check. Messaging potential roommates securely via the app? Check. But with Roomi’s Gold weekly or monthly subscription plan, you can do all that and more! What additional benefits do you get with Roomi Gold?

• Get your profile fully verified and boost the number of matches you receive.
• If you have a listing, you can instantly boost it with a subscription.
• Unlimited messaging to get to know your Roomi better.
• No booking fee; save on some much-needed cash.

Erasmusu is a free college roommate finder app as well and allows you to create a profile for free. However, when you’re booking a room, you will need to pay the service fee. Unfortunately, this service fee varies based on several factors, making it difficult for you to plan your finances ahead.

Additionally, Erasmusu also allows you to subscribe to monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly premium plans, starting from € 25.99.

Security: Can these apps help me find roommates I can trust?

By now, you may be tired of people harping on about ‘stranger danger,’ so let us talk about the importance of safe roomies, instead! As a student, you may be used to living on a tight budget. So, you need someone to reliably pay the rent on time, or you’ll be on the hook for the full amount. And spending more on rent means less on books, technology, and having fun with your friends.

But the need for safe roomies extends beyond paying rent on time! What if you’re not comfortable with your roommate bringing guests over at all times of the day? After all, you’ve only just met your roomie; it’s natural to have some doubts about them bringing new people to your safe space. When you have safe roomies via college roommate finder apps, it’s easier to build trust, and eventually, a strong bond!

Related: How To Deal With A Messy Roommate

Verifiable Roommate Contact Info

Here’s where Roomi truly gives you peace of mind— they verify their user profiles! We’ve all signed up for newsletters and apps using secondary emails to avoid over-stuffing our primary inboxes. However, some will use these secondary email addresses to sign up for college roommate finder apps and scam naïve students who don’t know much about the city.

Roomi uses a GlobalID to verify user profiles. It’s easy for users since you don’t actually need to submit personal details directly to Roomi. The GlobalID acts a digital ID, which verifies all of your account, and helps you get a verified profile that others can trust.

On the other hand, Erasmusu users can sign up for verified and non-verified accounts. So, when you want to be sure that your roommate is credible, always check for verified profiles.

ID Verification

Roomi Gold users can get their IDs verified as part of its subscription plan. With ID verification, Roomi checks your government-issued ID against local and global databases to make sure your information matches. This adds another layer of trust for users using Roomi, as they are assured the people using the service are who they say they are. Overall, the likelihood of running into a scammer or a bot on Roomi is close to non-existent.

On Erasmusu, users can get a verified profile even if they have only verified their email ID. Although it is great to have some verification system, only relying on email IDs are not accurate since people can use temporary emails for sign up.

Privacy & security of profiles

While you’ll want to list all necessary details on your profile for your college roommate finder app, you don’t necessarily want all information to be public. Worries like “who can view my profile?” or “can they see my address?” are legitimate fears in the digital era. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that, especially when you sign up with Roomi.

Roomi offers secure in-app messaging to users, which ensures that when you need to disclose private information to your potential roommate, you can do so where no one else can see it. Additionally, under the General Data Protection Regulation, once you’ve met your match, you can request Roomi to delete all of your personal information by filling out a form or contacting their customer support.

According to several Erasmusu reviews, some users on Erasmusu face problems with their profile showing up on Google, when people search their names or are looking for roommates in their area. Erasmusu recommends using a nickname or a different name for your Erasmusu profile, which can easily resolve this issue. Keep in mind changes may take some time to be reflected on Google, and there may be a delay in updating their servers.

Related: Is Life In Co-Living Communities Right For Me?

24/7 Support & Content Moderation

Tired of trying to follow up with roommates only to receive shady messages and offers? Roomi understands your frustration as well. Hence, they have an in-house content moderation team that works to remove all spam or unreliable profiles.

Erasmusu reviews content posted on verified profiles. However, you can also find quite a bit of unverified profiles. These profiles can make it a little trickier to navigate your way around spam and bots. Some Erasmusu reviews suggest that verifying information on a landlord’s profile can be difficult, as they are not updated frequently.

Criminal Background Check

Unlike most college roommate finder apps, Roomi has the unique feature of offering criminal background checks. This is completely voluntary, and no personal data is directly disclosed to Roomi. Once you’ve successfully completed a criminal background check, you get an additional verification badge on your profile, which boosts the number of potential roommates you find on the app.

This unique feature is rarely offered by any other college roommate finder apps, and is not available on Erasmusu.

User Profiles: Which App Makes It Easier to Find Your Perfect Roommate?

When you move to a new city, it’s crucial to find a safe space. And where else would you find that but in your new room? Hence, it is important to find a roommate who not only respects your safe space, but makes you feel comfortable as well. Finding roommates in a city that you know nothing about is challenging, especially when you have specific requirements.

What about when you’re trying to find senior roommates so that you can count on them to pay rent? How easy is it to find LGBTQ+ friendly roommates who can make you feel at ease?

Well, Roomi understands the struggle many young students face using different college roommate finder apps. Though they want to be sure that their roommate will welcome them, some questions are too difficult (and sometimes— awkward) to ask. This is why Roomi allows you to filter your potential roommates based on house rules (for when you don’t want night-time guests), gender (if you’re looking to find someone with shared experiences), along with other typical filters like budget and location.

By filtering your potential roommates, and using Roomi’s Perfect Roommate Matching Algorithm, you practically don’t need to lift a finger to find matches. The app’s clean design makes it easy to quickly read though relevant information about your potential match and start a conversation right away!

On Erasmusu, you cannot filter roommates according to your preferences and neither are you matched with a potential roomie. You can browse through lists of profiles where people share a little about themselves and what they’re looking for in a roommate. It’s a little like messaging people on Facebook, but this time, you know they’re definitely looking for a roommate.

Wondering if your best-ever roommate experience is just around the corner? With, Roomi, it just might be! Join Roomi and find the perfect match for you.

So, Which Is the Best College Roommate Finder for You?

When you’re looking for a potential roommate, you want to be sure that they are credible, share the same interests, hold similar beliefs, and are someone who you can connect with. Well, Roomi offers you the ability to find all that and more. The user-friendly interface and the ability to message your roommate and get to know them ensures you move in with someone who fits.

While Erasmusu offers you a wide list of roommates, it can be a bit harder to navigate as you do not get to filter according to roommate preferences. Additionally, the mix of non-verified profiles with the verified ones can make it difficult to avoid scams. In this instance, Roomi seems to be the better Erasmusu alternative that offers more features and security to users.

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