WWOOF vs Workaway: what is the best volunteering platform?
When it comes to volunteering abroad in exchange for free accommodation and meals, two platforms are usually on top of the list:
🌱 WWOOF – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a worldwide network of organic farms focused on education and sustainability
🌍 Workaway – a global volunteering and cultural exchange platform with thousands of hosts in many different categories
Both platforms connect travellers with hosts offering room and board in return for a few hours of help per day. But in a WWOOF vs Workaway comparison, which one is better?
The answer depends on your values, budget, travel style, and the kind of experience you are looking for.
How much do WWOOF and Workaway cost in 2025?
Many volunteers say they prefer Workaway over WWOOF, and one of the main reasons is still very practical: it can be more convenient if you travel across several countries.
Workaway now works with an annual membership in US dollars. As of 2025, the prices on the official website are roughly:
- Solo membership: around 59 USD / 59 EUR per year (individual account)
- Couple / two friends membership: around 69 USD / 69 EUR per year (joint account)
Prices are shown in both USD and EUR on the official website and may change slightly over time, so always check the latest information directly on Workaway before you sign up.
With just one account, you can contact hosts in almost any country where Workaway has listings. You can usually browse the host list for free, but you need a paid membership to contact hosts and arrange a stay.
WWOOF, on the other hand, still operates mostly country by country. Each national WWOOF organisation sets its own membership fee in local currency and manages its own host list. This means you normally need to buy a separate membership for each country where you want to WWOOF.
Membership costs vary a lot by country, and they are updated regularly. As an example, in 2025:
- WWOOF Italy membership is around 40 EUR per year and usually includes basic volunteer insurance
- Other European countries often range between 20 and 50 EUR per year
These numbers can change, so always double-check the latest fees on the official WWOOF and Workaway websites before you subscribe.
Update 2025: Is there a global WWOOF platform now?
Some years ago WWOOF announced work on a more integrated international platform. Today there is still no single global membership that gives full access to all WWOOF countries at once, but there have been improvements.
In practice, WWOOF is organised as a federation of national organisations. If a country has its own WWOOF organisation, you join that specific one and get access to its host list. For the many countries that do not yet have a national WWOOF, there is WWOOF Independents, which allows you to use one membership to contact hosts in dozens of countries that are grouped together.
So in a modern WWOOF vs Workaway comparison, Workaway is still more centralised and convenient if you want a single global account, while WWOOF remains more fragmented but strongly rooted in local organisations and organic farming communities.
🤔 Which one should you choose? A personal but honest opinion
Over the past years, I have done a lot of volunteering and have used both WWOOF and Workaway. If you are looking for a personal recommendation, here is mine:
I would still choose WWOOF for most farm-based experiences.
Here is why:
- WWOOF is a non-profit movement built around organic farming, education, and cultural exchange, not just a commercial marketplace.
- It focuses mainly on ecological farms and sustainability-oriented hosts, which usually means more learning and hands-on practice in organic agriculture and rural living.
- In many European countries the membership fee includes volunteer insurance, which is a very practical plus for long stays on farms.
- In a lot of WWOOF organisations both hosts and volunteers pay a membership fee. This feels more balanced and supports the association that keeps the movement alive.
- Part of the contributions often goes to eco-projects, training and community initiatives that support sustainable living and agroecology.
This does not mean WWOOF is always better than Workaway. It only means that if your priority is to learn about organic farming and support a non-profit network, WWOOF usually aligns more clearly with those values.
😕 Why I do not use Workaway as much (even though it is very popular)
Workaway is a great tool in many ways. It has a huge variety of opportunities: farms, hostels, eco-projects, language exchanges, family stays and more. For many travellers, it works perfectly.
At the same time, there are a few aspects that make me personally less enthusiastic about it:
- Workaway is a commercial platform. This is not automatically negative, but it does influence the way the platform grows and the type of projects that appear there.
- Only volunteers pay a membership fee, while hosts can list projects for free. Given that hosts receive help and sometimes run businesses, it would feel fair if they also contributed to the maintenance of the platform.
- Over the years, some volunteers have raised concerns about feedback that feels too positive or does not reflect the full reality of a project. Others mention that a number of listings seem to target very young travellers with more focus on “fun” and lifestyle than on meaningful work and learning.
To give you a taste of the kind of criticism that sometimes appears in traveller communities, here are a few quotes taken from a public comment in a Facebook group:
- 💬 “When your subscription expires, you are locked out of your profile and messages, even if you are actively travelling or in touch with a host.”
- 💬 “Feedback tends to be overly positive and sometimes misleading, which makes it difficult to evaluate hosts objectively.”
- 💬 “Many listings target very young travellers and offer little in terms of meaningful work or learning.”
These are not universal truths.
Many people have excellent experiences with Workaway and keep using it for years. It is important to read reviews carefully, ask detailed questions before accepting any placement, and remember that every profile and every host is different.
Final thoughts: the cost of access and alternative platforms 🌐
It is still a bit frustrating that, in the age of open internet and collaborative knowledge, many of the best-known platforms make you pay just to fully access or contact volunteering opportunities. You can sometimes browse host lists for free, but the most useful functions are usually behind a paywall.
An ideal scenario would be a platform as open and transparent as a wiki-style project, where people can freely share and browse opportunities, and where costs are minimal and clearly explained.
Are there other volunteering platforms? 🔎
Yes, there are several other websites offering work exchange and volunteering opportunities, such as HelpX, and many smaller regional platforms. However, many of them:
- Charge relatively high membership or placement fees
- Have limited listings or focus on specific regions only
- Concentrate mainly on paid “voluntourism” packages rather than simple cultural exchange
What Voluntouring.org offers 🌱
Voluntouring.org provides a free volunteer opportunity database that focuses on:
- Sustainability and ecological lifestyles
- Grassroots, non-profit and community projects
- Charitable, educational and solidarity-based initiatives
On Voluntouring.org, you will find both free and low-cost opportunities, including projects that offer food and accommodation in exchange for help, and other initiatives that may involve some costs, especially in remote or economically disadvantaged regions.
To be completely transparent: Voluntouring.org is free to use, but it is not on the same level as WWOOF or Workaway in terms of features, tools or number of active listings. It does not have in-site messaging, integrated reviews or a huge global database. It is more like a curated directory that highlights grassroots and sustainability-focused projects.
It can be a useful supplement, especially if you travel on a budget and prefer ethical options, but it is not a full replacement for the big platforms.
Before you choose WWOOF or Workaway… 🧭
Before paying for any membership, it can be helpful to explore some free volunteer listings first. These opportunities are open to everyone, and we try to keep them updated and clearly described.
If you are planning a long-term nomadic lifestyle or a long backpacking trip, subscribing to either WWOOF or Workaway can still be a good investment. Used with care and critical thinking, both platforms can open many doors and help you meet inspiring people around the world.
We hope this helps! 💡
We hope this guide has helped you compare WWOOF and Workaway in 2025 and to reflect on your options more clearly. Whichever path you choose, may your journey be meaningful, respectful, and positive for both you and your hosts.
[Read also: Best Facebook groups for alternative lifestyles and travelling]