Comparison

Kindred Home Swapping vs Carmel Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Kindred Home Swapping

This members-only platform facilitates home exchanges, allowing renters and owners to travel by swapping homes with a trusted community. Earn credits by hosting and use them to book stays, with concierge services handling logistics like cleaning and supplies.

Highlights
  • Members-only home exchange
  • Travel with trusted community
  • Earn credits by hosting
  • Concierge services for logistics
  • Access homes in North America and Europe
Read full description

Kindred is a members-only home swapping network that harnesses the power of a trusted community to unlock a lifestyle rich with travel and human connection. By exchanging homes and apartments with peers, both renters and owners alike can access the opportunity to travel between homes across North America and Europe. HOW IT WORKS Using Kindred is simple: you give a night to get a night. Members can swap homes 1-for-1, or book stays with credits earned by hosting others. For each night you host a member, you receive a credit to book a stay of your own at any Kindred home. Once booked, your Kindred concierge takes care of all of logistics to make hosting and staying a breeze - from professional cleaning, to providing access to our members-only hosting essentials marketplace - so you can focus on enjoying your trip. HOW TO JOIN We are accepting applications at https://livekindred.com. FEEDBACK We’d love your feedback as we build this product and community! Please reach out to hello@livekindred.com with any questions or feedback.

About

Carmel Guide

Discover local businesses, dog-friendly spots, and outdoor dining in Carmel and Monterey County. Includes helpful tools like a parking meter timer, tip calculator, and menu translator for visitors.

Highlights
  • Curated local business listings
  • Dog-friendly venue finder
  • Outdoor dining recommendations
  • Parking meter timer with alerts
  • Tip calculator and currency converter
  • Menu translator
  • Real-time weather updates
Features
Read full description

Carmel Guide is your pocket companion for exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea and the greater Monterey County area. Browse over 464 hand-picked local businesses across dining, shopping, galleries, wineries, outdoor activities, hotels, and essential services. DISCOVER LOCAL FAVORITES Explore curated listings for restaurants, cafes, bakeries, wine tasting rooms, art galleries, boutique shops, spas, and more. Each listing includes photos, hours, location, phone number, and website so you have everything you need at a glance. DOG-FRIENDLY GUIDE Carmel is one of the most dog-friendly towns in America. Find restaurants with dog-friendly patios, pet-welcoming hotels, off-leash beaches, and pet supply shops — all in one place. OUTDOOR DINING Discover the best patios, courtyards, and ocean-view terraces for al fresco dining along the Monterey Peninsula. TOURIST TOOLS Built-in tools designed for visitors: a parking meter timer with alerts so you never get a ticket, a tip calculator for quick dining math, a currency converter for international travelers, and a menu translator to help decode local cuisine. EXPLORE BY AREA Browse businesses across Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, Monterey, Big Sur, Carmel Valley, Pebble Beach, and Seaside. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway or a week-long vacation, find exactly what you need in every corner of the county. SAVE YOUR FAVORITES Bookmark the places you love and build your own personalized guide to revisit anytime. REAL-TIME WEATHER Check current conditions and the forecast before heading out to explore the coast. Carmel Guide is free to use with no account required. All data is stored locally on your device for fast, private access.

Screenshots

Kindred Home Swapping4 screens
Carmel Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kindred Home Swapping at 4.9 against Carmel Guide's 3.7. Kindred Home Swapping also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 3). Carmel Guide's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Carmel Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kindred Home Swapping asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kindred Home Swapping holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kindred Home Swapping has 1.8K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kindred Home Swapping versus Carmel Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKindred Home SwappingCarmel Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.8K ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews60.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.8K — better3
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size146 MB49 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKindred Concepts IncSplitsnap

Customer experience

Kindred Home Swapping

All ratings1,781 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive60.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative32.9%

Carmel Guide

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Kindred Home Swapping

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues and account verification problems
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate availability and booking information

Requested features

6 requests
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • More transparent host rating system
  • Flexible date changes and cancellations
  • Better in-app messaging and communication
  • Streamlined onboarding and profile management
Show 1 more
  • Enhanced app stability and performance

Carmel Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Kindred Home Swapping

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Carmel Guide

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$4.99

Questions

Is Kindred Home Swapping free?
Kindred Home Swapping is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Carmel Guide free?
Carmel Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kindred Home Swapping or Carmel Guide?
Kindred Home Swapping is rated higher. Kindred Home Swapping averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Carmel Guide averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Kindred Home Swapping or Carmel Guide have ads?
Neither Kindred Home Swapping nor Carmel Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kindred Home Swapping or Carmel Guide?
Kindred Home Swapping ships an update weekly, and Carmel Guide weekly. Most recently, Kindred Home Swapping was updated on November 3, 2026 and Carmel Guide on October 31, 2026.

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