Living in New York is expensive. Whether you’re a student or a young person starting on a career path, you can quickly get swamped out with bills. Stacks of ’em. Pairing up with a roommate allows you to save money on rent and utilities, freeing up your money for other more important things (like tacos). But if there’s anything lockdown taught us, it’s that home can be hell when you’re living with the wrong person.

Finding the perfect roommate is an arduous task when you’re attempting it alone. ~ Enter roommate finders! ~ Compared with a generic search on your social media or Craigslist, roommate finders help match you to an ideal roommate. But there’s a ton of them out there and settling for one can be confusing in itself. So we’ve done the hard work for you and found out two of the best websites to find roommates – Roomi and RoomSync. Of these two, let’s now find out which is best website to find roommates by comparing their features.

Pricing: Are these roommate finder apps free or paid?

We always want to get the best value for our money, so we know that what we’re paying is worth it. So, it’s no wonder you’ll be wondering about the pricing of roommate finder apps.

For RoomSync, there is no membership fee. But you do need to secure housing before you can be allowed into the private platform where you can select someone who matches your preference. It’s worth noting that you’ll still need to find a match yourself. When you find a match, and the person also confirms that they want you, the matching process is complete.

On the other hand, Roomi offers its service for free allowing you to search for rooms and roommates. With the free package, you get to send up to 5 messages/swipes and activate 2 listings daily on the roommate finder. But Roomi doesn’t stop there. It just recently launched the Roomi Gold subscription that comes in three tiers. How much you pay is dependent on the tier that you are in but you can generally expect to pay around $29.99 per month or $14.99 per week depending on your package. Once payment is completed, you can enjoy access to premium features like a verified partner badge, limitless in-app messaging, identity verification, and background checks. Such a thorough process guarantees the safety and protection of the user when conducting a roommate search.

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

If it doesn’t feel safe, then it isn’t home. Beyond the security of the neighborhood, and your apartment, having a safe roomi is also pertinent. That way, you can sleep peacefully at night. Beyond any personal verification that you can do when searching for a roommate yourself, roommate finders can help ensure that your security is guaranteed even though you’re opting to stay with a stranger. Here’s how Roomi and RoomSync do it.

Verification of Roommate Contact Info

RoomSync requests for potential users to sync their social accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram). This is done to correlate who people claim they are with what their social profiles show them to be.

Above and beyond this, Roomi also verifies the contact info of potential roommates. Roomi is particular about the security of those who use the platform. As such, it ensures the contact information of every user is obtained and verified, and you can request a background check. In the end, when you’re paired with a potential roommate, you can rest assured that it is someone who has been verified.

ID Verifications for Potential Roommates

RoomSync is particular about its users’ safety. It counter-verifies any information from the user against their social profile. This is in a bid to ensure that people are really who they say they are. However, it is easy to put false information on your social media profile, which makes RoomSync limited in terms of verifying it’s users.

Where RoomSync stops is where Roomi begins. Roomi goes on to verify the identities of all users. This will require that a government issued ID is tendered and then verified. An additional perk of a verified ID is that you get a verified badge that increases your visibility, and let’s you find the perfect roommate 5 times faster.

Privacy & security of profiles

When you use a roommate finder portal like RoomSync, you should expect to answer specially curated lifestyle questions. These answers are then displayed on your profile alongside academic majors, housing options, and your social media profile.

These are displayed directly on your profile so that other potential roommates can see and decide if they want to be matched with you. All other private and personal information is secured according to FERPA. RoomSync also safeguards any information collected by adhering to industry-leading security protocols for data transfer and storage.

Roomi also keeps your sensitive information private and personal. Of course, there is a profile which is accessible to all registered users but the information contained is only as much as necessary. This is because Roomi uses the GlobaliD service to verify and secure your information away from prying eyes.

Also, Roomi gives total control of your information, allowing you to change or delete details as necessary. This is in line with GDPR standards.

24/7 Support & Content Moderation

RoomSync has a system in place that ensures that potential roommates can find users that match their preferences, and then accept them. In fact, the service is advertised as one that does not require IT support. The roommate finder also tries to anticipate problems before they happen, and offers ready solutions. This results in a seamless experience for users and clients. When issues arise, RoomSync provides dedicated user and client support. Additionally, The RoomSync app automatically prevents the use of offensive or inappropriate keywords and phrases thus helping to moderate the content.

For Roomi, virtually every problem you can have has been thought of, and answered in the FAQ. Even still, Room has an in-house content moderation team that provides support for users – all day, every day. They work in the background to ensure that anyone conducting a roommate search finds it easy. The support team moderates content on the app, identifying and removing spam messages and weeding out scammers

Criminal Background Check

Talk about having all bases covered. Upon request, and for a little extra fee, Roomi will conduct a background check for any potential roommate. It’s not just about thinking your roommate is a good person – it’s having hard evidence they really are. It gives you a much-needed confidence boost and that’s what Roomi is about – making you confident you’re making the right choice. RoomSync’s roommate finder service does not have such an option.

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

With RoomiSync, once you get an invitation or passcode from your housing provider, you are allowed entry into a private matching network. Users on the private network will have access to your profile which is also synced to your social media account. You can then browse the list of users on the private network until you find one who matches your preference. It will then be up to your selected match to confirm your choice or otherwise.

Using Roomi for a roommate search is like going to a market that has it all, and makes it all available. The roommate finder was designed to make finding the perfect roommate easy, safe, and quick. The app allows you select and apply a wide range of filters to cover all your preferences. From age to gender, interest, neighborhood, duration, move date, budget, and even house rules, Roomi covers everything. So you prefer a senior roommate? You can have one as long as you set your age filter accordingly. What if it’s a non-binary roommate you want? That’s exactly who you’ll get provided you choose the appropriate filter. Roomi guarantees that what you want is what you get.

What’s more? The web app also has a user interface that is easy to navigate, making it easily the best website to find roommates.

So, Which is the Best Roommate Finder For You?

Moving to New York for the first time is stressful. So is looking for an apartment and finding a roommate. Roommate finders take that stress away. Some like RoomSync provide a good solution, but Roomi excels.

Without any doubt, between RoomSync and Roomi, Roomi is the best website to find roommates out there. It makes conducting a roommate search easy, is easy to use, secures your information, guarantees your privacy, and finds you the perfect roommate.

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