# Dorms.com vs a&o Hostels

Dorms.com and a&o Hostels both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Dorms.com's written reviews are positive against 26% of a&o Hostels's. a&o Hostels's advantage is ratings volume (100 vs 18) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Dorms.com against 4.6 for a&o Hostels. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a&o Hostels has 100 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Dorms.com's written reviews are positive against 26% of a&o Hostels's.

Dorms.com ships an update every 2 weeks, a&o Hostels every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on July 30, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dorms.com | a&o Hostels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dormscom/id1190536834/reviews)** | [4.6 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-o-hostels/id1454270965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **100** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 26.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 180 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dorms.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190536833) | [A&O HOTELS and HOSTELS HOLDING AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1050082973) |

## What reviewers say

### Dorms.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dormscom/id1190536834)

Find and book safe, budget-friendly student accommodations and backpacker hostels worldwide. Discover city guides, special deals, and manage your bookings on the go for a seamless travel experience.

**Highlights:** Search student housing and hostels, Find last-minute deals, Book on the go, Manage bookings, City guides with tips, Review accommodations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### a&o Hostels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-o-hostels/id1454270965)

Book budget-friendly accommodation in over 39 hostels across Europe. Check in online and use your smartphone to unlock your room door, streamlining your travel experience.

**Highlights:** Book accommodation, Online check-in, Digital room key, Find hostels in 23 cities, View room categories, 24-hour service

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dorms.com free?

Dorms.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is a&o Hostels free?

a&o Hostels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dorms.com or a&o Hostels?

Dorms.com is rated higher. Dorms.com averages 4.7 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while a&o Hostels averages 4.6 from 100 ratings.

### Do Dorms.com or a&o Hostels have ads?

Both Dorms.com and a&o Hostels show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dorms.com or a&o Hostels?

Dorms.com ships an update every 2 weeks, and a&o Hostels every 9 days. Most recently, Dorms.com was updated on July 30, 2026 and a&o Hostels on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*