Work Exchange: Workaway or HelpX?

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Want to travel but can’t afford to? Work exchange programs like Workaway and HelpX may be the solution. If you want to do volunteer work abroad for free travel and accommodation and have time to offer and basic skills to swap, then you, like us (Gemma and Craig), could experience travel through a local’s eyes while on a budget.

For those considering work and travel, here are the benefits, downsides, and processes of work abroad programs such as Workaway and HelpX.

What is Workaway, HelpX and Hippohelp?

Programmes such as Workaway and HelpX allow travellers to live with and work for hosts worldwide.

Generally, the volunteer does not financially pay the host for the opportunity, and the host does not pay the traveller a wage (salary) for using their time, skills, and experience. 

Workaway, HelpX and Hippohelp differ from housesitting as there is an element of work involved.

Are you in the planning stages of your trip?

Don’t miss out on our guide to how much long-term travel costs.

Learning new skills in a Hungarian village near Eger

Who Are Workaway Hosts?

My personal experience is with the website Workaway.

Workaway hosts come in all shapes and sizes!

Some are hostel/hotel owners; others are organic farmers.

Families often need some help with childcare; sometimes, stables need people to muck them out!

We have lived in a beach hotel in Nicaragua, with a (mostly) self-sustainable household in the Hungarian countryside.

I’ve volunteered my services as an English native, and we’ve been dog walkers in Granada, Spain.

I like that some of the Workaway hosts we met also travel and work abroad for free, then go home and invite us into their homes and businesses. 

Workaway does not hold the monopoly on travel exchanges; there are alternatives!

HelpX has often been mentioned on the road, whereas I’ve not met anyone who has used Volunteers Base.

Types of Jobs for Work Exchange  

The type of work you do will depend on the host and the time of year. Hostel and hotel owners may expect you to clean, cook, and interact with guests.

We’ve planted potatoes and flowers and painted fences (all new to me!)

Craig has made furniture out of crates and fixed water systems (he’s a gas engineer to trade).

I’ve dabbled in social media promotion and website help.

Sensible hosts will tap into your skill base and use it!

Just consider whether the exchange is worth it.

Painting wood for the common good!

Workaway Experiences

Nicaragua

In Las Peñitas I served customers, helped in the café, took photos, and wrote for the website.

Craig made furniture, fixed water issues, and made a bathroom roof.

• Duration: 5 weeks
• Reward: double bed in a four-bed dorm, one meal and nice company
• More information: Things to Do in Las Peñitas

Life’s a beach volunteering abroad – Craig made that chair out of crates!

Hungary

After a week of partying in Budapest (eating Lángos and drinking pálinka), we moved to the countryside to help a family turn their outhouse into a guest room.

We also did some light farming while eating a ridiculous amount of home-cooked food!

• Duration: 3.5 weeks
• Reward: private room with kitchen and bathroom, three meals plus snacks
• Check out more of Budapest and Budapest day trips (here’s our full Hungary travel guide)

Before the above Workaway placement, I left Craig in Budapest.

I attended an English language programme where I spent about 12 hours a day over five days with Hungarian natives who wanted to improve their language skills.

A fun experience with a very impressive and motivated group of adults!

Some of the volunteers found this programme through HelpX.

• Duration: 5 days
• Reward: private hotel room (some people shared), three huge meals, use of the hotel facilities (gym), a tour of Budapest before the programme kicks off

Sometimes, hosts feed you a lot! Hungarian sour cherry soup – yum

Spain

Spain was the second-last country on our 17-month long-term travel itinerary.

During the 1.5 months we spent there, we lived with a single parent and four dogs!

Our primary role was to walk our furry friends three times per day and make dinner.

The family child was around at the weekends, and I sporadically walked him to the bus stop for school, but that was the extent of childcare.

This family was not very transparent in their profile.

They sold themselves as a three-person family who required childcare help as the mum was sick.

We were a bit miffed at not being notified of the changes before we arrived at the house.

• Duration: 3.5 weeks
• Reward: private room, swimming pool, 15-minute bus ride from Granada
• Have a gander at our tips for Granada, Spain

Dog-sitting in Spain, HelpX Workaway = travel for longer 

Essential Information

Hours of Work

Work hours can vary from 2.5 to 5 hours per day / five days per week; in my experience, anything more than that wouldn’t be worth it unless it is short-term and unique to you.

The expected hours should be stated in the advert and reconfirmed upon arrival!

The nature of the business might require flexibility, but remember – you are a volunteer, not a paid staff member!

The Hungarian/English language programme took place from 8:30 to 21:30+, with 1.5 hours of free time in the afternoon.

However, it was only for five days, and the programme was immersion for the participants!

Do Workaway and HelpX Pay?

Workaway-style programmes do not offer paid work abroad.

Hosts don’t tend to pay in cash; in exchange for your help, you are given a bed and sometimes meals.

We’ve had everything from no meals to three meals and snacks.

However, if you want to earn some cash, here are some ways to earn money and travel.

How Long Are Exchanges?

The length of stay depends on the host’s needs and the volunteer’s availability.

Our longest was five weeks, and the shortest was five days.

We initially agreed on two weeks in Nicaragua but extended this to five.

Hosts tend to be ex-backpackers too, so they know how backpacking life works, tranquilo!

If you are only temporarily in a city, it might be worth checking out Couchsurfing.

Here, you stay free with a host for a set time and are not expected to work; we’ve not used this ourselves. 

Accommodation

There is no standard for Workaway, HelpX, or Volunteers Base exchange accommodation.

We’ve slept in a private garden house with a bathroom and kitchen, a private room with a shared bathroom (and pool!), and a four-bed dorm.

The latter was not great for us as a couple but would suit others.

Many hostels offer beds in their staff dorms depending on their setup.

Sleeping arrangements should be stated in the advert.

If you are staying in a hostel dorm bed, our top tip for privacy is to take a bottom bunk, pack an oversized scarf or flag and tuck it into the bed frame, creating a curtain.

You’ll have to live like this for a while, so your sanity will require privacy.

How Workaway Works

See this link to sign up. 

It is £49 per person or £59 per couple for an annual subscription.

If you sign up through our link, you will get three free months added to your subscription! 

Next, create a profile, add some photos or a video, and tick the boxes for the work you want to do and the countries you are interested in.

Be honest!

If you don’t want to get muddy, don’t tick gardening!

In the comments below, a helpful host for Workaway and HelpX advised us that she chooses volunteers based on the details of their profiles and the excitement in their pitches.

She also wants to see that you are willing to put the effort in and are not just looking for a free ride!

Thanks for the tips, Anke.

Are you a host who wants to help volunteers have the best chance of being chosen?

Share your tips in the comments below.

Searching for Workaway Hosts

There is a search function on the website.

Select the continent and country you are interested in.

This will pull up hosts in that area.

Check the calendar for availability and read the advert.

Double-check the type of work, sleeping arrangements, hours of work, and perks!

There may also be reviews at the bottom.

If that programme seems suitable, use the email system to contact the host.

Personalise the email; our Hungarian host says he gets many generic emails where the prospective volunteer hasn’t even bothered reading the profile!

Our Nicaraguan friend told us he was inundated with emails, so you need to stand out!

Use the host’s name, tell them why you are suitable for the position, and give your availability.

We also stick our availability in the email header.

Become a Workaway Host

Unlike Wwoofing, signing up as a host on Workaway, HelpX, and Volunteers Base is free.

Complete the form online, let the company vet your information, and wait for the volunteers to contact you!

Remember to update your calendar regarding your availability *pet hate*.

Adding images will also increase your likeliness of gaining attention.

Our host in Hungary, Robert, is also an avid Workaway volunteer!

How HelpX Works

HelpX offers two levels of membership – free and premium.

You can create a profile for free, and hosts can contact you.

Workaway vs HelpX vs Hippohelp 

Workaway vs HelpX, HelpX vs Workaway, how do you choose?

Workaway has a more polished website but is slightly more expensive.

HelpX has a strange fee system that suggests you upgrade to premium for complete access, whereas Workaway has a straightforward flat fee.

The website does not indicate how many jobs HelpX has on it; Workaway states, ‘over 50,000 opportunities’. 

My good friend and fellow Scotland blogger, Sonja from Migrating Miss, used HelpX to find an exchange in a traditional Spanish house.

Here’s her experience. 

The only way in was via Land Rover, which drove over a dry riverbed! The hosts invited multiple volunteers to help clean around the house, cook, plant, etc, which suited Sonja as she was a solo traveller.

Another bonus of volunteering abroad is meeting new friends!

She chose HelpX over Workaway because of word of mouth; a friend had completed an exchange with HelpX and recommended it.

Sonja also liked how HelpX displayed adverts on a map; she said there was plenty of variation in work, and hosts were ‘so-so’ at replying (like Workaway then).

Check out her experience of the work exchange in the Spanish countryside!

Volunteers Base – Workaway Alternative

Volunteers Base sells itself as a free alternative to Workaway, HelpX, and Wwoofing.

Neither the volunteer nor the host pays.

The site covers a variety of positions, from farm work to childcare, all over the world.

They also claim to check over profiles before they are published live.

I’ve not tried this, but it is a free alternative to Workaway and HelpX.

Have you used Volunteers Base?

Tell me about your experience in the comments below. I like the idea of paying because a premium service offers a level of security, and the product in question is you. Your safety is paramount. 

Live here for free! Las Peñitas, a hidden gem in Nicaragua 

Benefits of Work or Volunteering Abroad

Local Experience

Many programmes allow you to work with local people in their environment so you can learn about their culture. We tried lots of homemade Hungarian food—this wouldn’t happen during the normal hostel hopping type of travel!

Hidden Areas

Many programmes take you away from the touristy trail — countryside, mountains, islands, and villages that Lonely Planet misses out on!

Saves Money

Volunteering while travelling makes a small budget last longer. We saved £20k for our 18-month career break to travel the Americas and Europe but without Workaway (and this travel blog) we would have been packing our bags for home by month ten!

Slow Travel

The one night here and two nights there type of travel is exhausting. We did it for the first three months, resulting in significant burnout by Cuba in June!

Not only is stopping to volunteer to reduce your carbon footprint, but it’s also a nice way to give back to local communities.

Plus, if you gain travel weight quickly like me, staying put in one place increases the chance you’ll pound those mean streets with your sneaks or hit the gym, pool, or sea.

Downsides of Exchange Websites

Responses

Don’t get your heart set on one advert; there is a good chance they won’t reply!

Especially if you are applying for programmes in popular destinations like Costa Rica.

Apply for multiple exchanges for your desired destinations, but remember, personalise!

Cost/Effort Balance

Depending on the cost of living where you are travelling, it may be cheaper to book a hostel room when you measure the time you work and the cost of a stay.

For example, in Hanoi, Vietnam, hostel dorms can be found for under £8 per night.

Is it worth it if you work for 5 hours per day and the agreement includes only a bed?

Something to consider.

Grey Areas of Workaway and HelpX

There are a couple of things to be cautious of while considering volunteering while travelling.

Visas—technically, you are working.

Get travel insurance.

Accidents can happen when climbing ladders, washing sloths or leading a bar crawl!

Double-check that your provider covers manual work and alcohol.

We use True Traveller and couldn’t be happier with the service.

I had to pay the GP and the physiotherapist for a visit to Canada, and annoyingly, I had to pay them!

However, I was refunded speedily.

Communication has been excellent, and I am that annoying traveller who asks questions. Read our comparison guide of True Traveller and World Nomads here.

Days off are made for swinging in hammocks – Workaways = Swingaways

Work Exchange Packing List 

The country will dictate this time of year, how long you have been travelling, and what you intend to do afterwards. I never travel without the following.

Marmot PreCip Jacket

My Marmot PreCip jacket US / UK is lightweight, folds neatly into its pocket into a day bag, and is waterproof. I think it looks pretty sharp, too; I have the electric blue version.

Hiking Boots/Trainers

I prefer trek/hike trainers/shoes over boots, but Craig prefers full ankle support boots.

Trek trainers are lighter and look like trainers, so they are a bit more flexible if you want to match the rest of your backpacking wardrobe.

I took my Salomon Eclipse US / UK, which I trekked with to Machu Picchu, shoes everywhere.

They’ve hiked up mountains, volcanoes (and sledged down it) and through rainforests.

Craig was also team Salomon, like the Quests (for our 5-week Southeast Asia tour and our 17-month career break to travel), but has recently moved over to Scarpa to try out leather boots.

Pacsafe

If you travel with expensive electronics, it will be worth investing in security protection for your belongings.

We travelled around 16 countries with this PacSafe net US / UK.

We packed our electronics, passports, and money into one of our day bags, put the bag in the PacSafe net, closed it over, secured it against a non-movable bedpost or radiator, and padlocked it.

Other Budget Tips

We cover this extensively in our long-term travel planning guide, but here is a summary of budget tips to help you get on the road or stay on the road!

Destinations

Balance your budget against the cost of travel to a destination and the amount of money you will need when you are there. 

Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and the US are more expensive than some South American countries, such as Bolivia and Peru, and Southeast Asian countries, like Vietnam and Cambodia.

However, if you live in the States, it might be more affordable to travel closer to home and avoid an expensive air ticket. 

Here’s a list of the cheapest cities and national parks to visit in the US in February and March, which is low season for some.

The same goes for European readers, what about an Eastern European inter-rail where you budget stretches?

Budapest is a fun city, and Krakow is where you visit Auschwitz, a day trip that will never leave you.

Cheap Flights

Be cautious of red-eye flights! If they arrive at 3am how will you get to your accommodation?

Once you get to your accommodation, can you hang out before check-in?

Kick Costly Habits 

If you smoke, have a sweet tooth or drink most days, you will find your budget depleting rapidly!

Try to give up your home habits or reduce your spending to save on your travel budget.

Final Words

If budget dictates or perhaps you are looking to engage your brain again, Workaway and HelpX projects are a great way to enhance your travelling experience in exchange for your time and helping hand.

Looking for travel and work abroad? Pin and save for later.

Over to you, any questions? What’s your experience? Is Workaway worth it?