Moving to a new city is a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you don’t have any familiar faces around. If you’ve ever tried to find roommates via Facebook or Craigslist, you know that the experience isn’t all sunshine and roses; who wants to be saddled with a bad roommate when they’re adjusting to a new city or a job? While roommate finder apps can be a godsend in such situations, not all of them are created equal. Don’t want to go through the hassle of listing down the pros and cons of every free roommate finder out there? We’ve done it for you!

Related: How do I browse people (roommates) on Roomi?

Pricing: Are these roommate finder apps free or paid?

Roomi works well as a free and paid roommate finder app; you can send and receive messages from potential roommates, have one active listing, and browse through various Rooms and Roommate profiles, while on the free plan. But the gold subscription definitely gets you an upgrade.

Related: Social Anxiety And Living With A Roommate

Roomi Gold has weekly plans, at just $14.99, or you can opt for a monthly plan for $29.99. With Roomi gold you can access:

• Unlimited in-app messaging and unlimited swipes on potential roomies when you’re on the mobile app
• Have up to 5 active listings on your profile, to showcase every room in your apartment that’s up for rent.
• Fully verified profile to help you get more matches
• A profile or listing boost so more people see your profile
• A waiver on the booking fee once you’ve found your match on Roomi!

Roommates.com allows you to list your room for free, and browse through roommates, but upgrading is definitely better when you’re on the hunt for potential roommates.

Unlike Roomi, Roommates.com does not offer a weekly plan, and they have plans starting at $15.99 for its users. Here’s what an upgrade offers:

• Access to your potential roommate’s full profile and information.
• Access to messages in your inbox making it easier to connect to potential roommates.
• See full-size images of your potential roommate, and the room they’ve listed
• Access to all features on the Roommates.com mobile app.

Additionally, for a one-time fee, you can also get your legal ID verified on Roommates.com, which can help you find more matches.

On Roomi, however, you don’t have to go through the hassle of verifying every single digital ID you have, thanks to GlobalID. Additionally, once you subscribe to Roomi Gold, you get a fully verified profile without having to separately pay for Legal ID verification. This makes it easy for you to get started on your roommate hunt right away!

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

Imagine this, you’ve just moved to a new city and you don’t have any friends or relatives in the area. But that’s fine because you’ve already booked a room thanks to a trustworthy source on Craigslist; you’ll surely be able to room with some friendly and safe roomies! Except…now you realize you’ve been scammed and have no place to go to. Sounds like a nightmare? Unfortunately, this is the reality for many, many people.

Though Craigslist and Facebook may be filled with listings, more often than not, finding trustworthy and safe roomies is a challenge. Going for verified profiles ensures your safety, and that you actually have a credible roommate to move in with!

Background check and ID verification are crucial to ensure that you aren’t scammed and find safe roomies. You’d think that free roommate finder apps don’t provide security features like roommate ID verification, but you’d be wrong. However, while both Roomi or Roommates.com verify their users’ identities, it’s important to see how they compare.

Verifies Roommate Contact Info

Don’t like providing your personal details even though it may make your roommate search easier? Roomi’s got your back; you can use a GlobalID to verify your account, without disclosing your personal details. Hence, while Roomi, too, offers different verification levels, what makes it the ideal roommate finder app for most people is the level of privacy offered.

Roommates.com verifies your email account, your Facebook profile as well as your contact information. Unlike Roomi’s GlobalID, you will need to verify each of your accounts individually.

ID Verification

For Roommates.com, you need to pay to verify your legal ID, and this verification badge lasts as long as you have your profile on the app. With Roomi, however, this badge lasts for as long as you’ve subscribed to the Roomi Gold plan. So, you don’t have to worry about not having a verified profile while you’re still searching for roommates.

Privacy & security of profiles

When looking for a roommate, you will want to provide as much information as possible to find roommates quickly. However, thoughts like “can they see my address? Or who can view my profile?” can make you hesitant to hop on a free roommate finder.

Roomi allows users to add as much information about them as they want, while encouraging them to have complete control over what they want people to see on their profile. Roomi has made it easy to back and edit the information whenever you want.

Additionally, Roomi offers unlimited in-app messaging for users which allows you to securely connect with your potential roommate even before move-in day.

On Roommates.com, others can see whether you’re looking for a room or a roommate, your current location, and your last activity on the app. Matches on this app can see your gender, sexual orientation, monthly budget, and current location as well. Unfortunately, one drawback of their app is that users will need to pay to read messages from other users, although sending messages is completely free.

But what can you do once you no longer need to find roommates?

Depending on your location, you can request Roomi to delete your information under the General Data Protection Law. Learn how to apply for it from Roomi’s FAQ page!

On Roommates.com you can ‘Hide’ your profile from searches so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of setting up an account during your next roommate search. While you can also send Roommates. com a request to delete your data from their platform, they suggest that some data may not be erased completely because of previous backups (once on the internet, always on the internet).

24/7 Support & Content Moderation

A support team is crucial to ensure that you don’t feel out-of-place even as a new user.

Roomi has an in-house content moderation team that performs routine checks to give you the best roommate search experience and prevent scams or fake listers from using their platform. So, you don’t need to worry about getting spammy messages which don’t lead anywhere.

Coupled with their 27×7 Support and an extensive FAQ page, Roomi is the best way to find a roommate, where you can start looking for a roommate, without jumping several hurdles.

Roommates.com, allows its users to connect with customer support by sending them an email or opening a support ticket via their website.

Criminal Background Check

Unlike most roommate finder apps, Roomi provides users the unique ability to submit their profiles for criminal background checks. Though clearing a criminal background check is optional, it can often help to boost your matches. Roommates.com however, doesn’t offer this for their users.

Related: Is Roomi free to use?

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

Though roommate finder apps like Roomi and Roommates.com hand you a list of the nearby roommates, how do you know whether they’re the perfect match for you?

When you’re browsing through the cluttered listings on Craigslist, you’ll always have some doubts. After all, how many times have you heard people ask, “is it safe to find housing on Craigslist?”. Additionally, on platforms like Facebook and Craigslist, you won’t find someone who wants to read through your long list of preferences. It’s especially tough when you’re hoping to find senior roommates or LGTBQ-friendly roomies who you can be comfortable around.

Well, this is where Roomi steps in!

Roomi’s Roommate Matching Algorithm makes finding roommates a breeze. With this feature, you can easily find someone who not only matches your needs, but who may also share some of the same interests. Once the Roommate Matching Algorithm starts working its magic, you can get to chatting with prospective roommates using unlimited in-app messaging, and soon enough, you’ll have your next Roomi(e).

Related: Rules To Set In Apartments For Rent With Roommates

What makes Roomi an excellent app for finding roommates isn’t just its roommate matching algorithm, but the ability to filter roommates depending on your preferences. Want to live with someone who’s cool with you having overnight guests or isn’t fussy about pets? You got it. By filtering according to preferences, there’s a lot of awkward conversations that you can avoid. The clean, user-friendly design of the app is just the cherry on top of this incredible roommate finder app.

Roommates.com also uses a Matching Algorithm that only connects you to people who fit the same interests, budget, and preferences. Or, if you aren’t too picky about your roommates, you can also use the general search feature to find those who may not check all the boxes. But, if you’re looking to filter your potential roomies based on preferences, you’d be out of luck.

Your next roommate is one search away, want to know the best way to find a roommate? Try Roomi to find roommates near you that check all the boxes.

So, which Is the best Roommate Finder for you?

Whether you’re trying to save some money on rent, have just moved to a new city for work, the effort it takes to find a reliable roommate is a hassle. Although you may need someone to find a roommate due to financial constraints, you cannot compromise on your safety or your privacy.

Roommate finding apps like Roomi and Roommates.com step in with the perfect solution to your dilemma. While Roommates.con allows you to easily list your profile for free, get your legal ID verified, and allow you to browse through various roommates, it can be hard to connect to people, given the pay-to-see messages feature.

Roomi offers an all-in-one experience, helping you find rooms or look for roomies! With various verification levels, you can have peace of mind. Meanwhile, Roomi also protects you by asking your to book via their app. This way, your money is protected in the unlikely scenario that your roommate decides to ghost you.

Roomi also ensures your comfort, of not just finding reliable roommates, but finding people who meet all your preferences. Whether you have a long list of house rules, or a Golden Rule to watch out for, with Roomi’s Roommate Matching Algorithm, you’ll never have to compromise.

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