SpareRoom US vs Roomster
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SpareRoom US
Find your ideal room or roommate across the US. Filter by lifestyle preferences like profession, student status, dietary choices, and pet ownership. Connect with thousands of listings nationwide to discover your perfect living situation.
- Roommate filtering by profession and student status
- Filter by dietary preferences and pet ownership
- Thousands of room-sharing opportunities nationwide
- On-the-go searching and management
- Award-winning customer support
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After helping over 13,000,000 people in the UK find their perfect room or roommate, we've come to help in the US. With our apps, you can do it all while on-the-go. Repeatedly featured by Apple in the categories of Your New Home, Apps for the Weekend, What's Hot, and Popular Apps and Games. Covered by The New York Times, Time magazine, The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times. SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE Whether you're starting college, relocating within or to the US, tired of living alone, weighing up what to do with an empty room, or, quite simply, searching for another roommate or roomshare, we’re the service for you. YOUR PERFECT ROOMIE We understand that finding your perfect roommate, housemate or roomshare can be a daunting task, but it really doesn’t have to be. Using the SpareRoom app you can filter potential roommates via a range of attributes ensuring you find a perfect new housemate or roomshare! Pick from whether you want your roommate to be a professional, student or other to make sure you're both on the same page when it comes to living together. We'll even allow you to go even more granular by filtering roommates on things like 'are they vegetarian' and 'do they allow pets'. UNRIVALLED CHOICE With thousands of room-sharing opportunities to choose from right across the US, you'll be able to find your perfect roommate or roomshare. We're all across the US so you can find a roommate or roomshare from NYC all the way to San Francisco. OUR PHILOSOPHY Experience has taught us that finding a great roomshare is as much about the people as it is about the property. To help you find the best of both, we provide unparalleled tools, choice, and support. As a result, on average, every 3 minutes someone finds a roommate through SpareRoom. HELP & SUPPORT Our award-winning customer support team are here to help you with your search. If you require support, come across a problem, or want to provide feedback, you can get in touch by email (support@spareroom.com) or phone (1 877 834 2909).
Roomster
Find a room to rent or a compatible roommate globally. Connect with verified individuals and browse thousands of listings with photos and detailed descriptions. Securely message potential matches and receive real-time alerts for new opportunities.
- Browse rooms and apartments for rent
- Connect with validated roommates
- Global listings in 18 languages
- Private in-app messaging
- Easy profile setup with social validation
- Real-time alerts
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Easily find a room to rent or a compatible roommate—anywhere in the world. Roomster connects you with validated renters and roommates in over 192 countries. Whether you're relocating nearby or abroad, Roomster helps you find safe, affordable housing and people you can trust. Key Features: Browse Rooms & Apartments for Rent Discover thousands of listings with photos, pricing, and detailed descriptions. Connect with Validated Roommates Match with roommates whose lifestyle, interests, and habits align with yours. Global Listings in 18 Languages Search rooms and roommates in cities across the globe. Private In-App Messaging Chat securely without giving out your personal contact info. Easy Profile Setup with Social Validation Add photos, interests, and social media links to make your profile stand out and validated. Real-Time Alerts Get notified instantly about new messages, likes, and room listings that match your preferences. Why Roomster? Trusted since 2003, Roomster has helped over 10 million people find roommates and rooms for rent. From students to professionals, Roomster is the go-to app for finding flexible, safe, and affordable living options. Download Roomster today and make your next move easier—whether you're searching for a room, a roommate, or both. Consult our Privacy Policy at https://www.roomster.com/privacy And our Terms of Use at https://www.roomster.com/terms We are always working hard on improvements to make finding your next home even easier. Please continue to send your feedback to iosfeedback@roomster.com. We appreciate it!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SpareRoom US at 4.6 against Roomster's 4.0. SpareRoom US also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (34% vs 22%). Roomster's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#81 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Both are free to download. SpareRoom US sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Roomster sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SpareRoom US holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.9K and 22K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of SpareRoom US's written reviews are positive against 22% of Roomster's.
SpareRoom US ships an update every 3 weeks, Roomster every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SpareRoom US | Roomster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (5.9K ratings) — better | 4.0 (22K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews — better | 22.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5.9K | 22K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #81 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Flatshare Ltd | Roomster Corp. |
Customer experience
SpareRoom US
Roomster
User reviews
SpareRoom US
From 5.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🤑 Helped find a roommate quickly
- 💰 Affordable
- 👍 Convenient features
Room to improve
- 💰 Paid features required to fully utilize
- 🤖 Fake/bot accounts
- 🤷♀️ Lack of user engagement
- 🔒 Lack of security/verification
- 🤬 Poor customer service
Roomster
From 22K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Lots of options
- 🚀 Convenient for travelers
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🗣️ Fake/spam messages
- 💰 Misleading pricing
Bugs and requests
SpareRoom US
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent app crashes
- Login/account issues
- Inability to upload photos
- Glitchy location search
Requested features
4 requests- Background checks for users
- Better filtering and search options
- Improved verification process
- Easier profile customization
Roomster
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues
- Frequent crashes
- Listings not updating
- Verification problems
Requested features
4 requests- Better search filters
- Ability to delete account
- More transparent pricing
- Improved user experience
In-app purchases
SpareRoom US
- 7-Day Upgrade2 variants$12.99
- 1-Week Upgrade2 variants$15.00
- Verification$15.00
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- 14-Day Upgrade$23.99
- 30-Day Upgrade$25.99
- 30 days Bold Advertising$25.99
- 4-Week Upgrade2 variants$30.00
Roomster
- Full access$9.997 Days
- Full access$11.997 Days
- Full access$19.991 Month
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- Full access$29.991 Month
- Full access$49.992 Months
- Id Verification$2.99
- Id Verification$5.99
- Background Check2 variants$9.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Id Verification$14.99









