# HomeExchange vs Keycafe

HomeExchange and Keycafe both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of HomeExchange's written reviews are positive against 28% of Keycafe's. HomeExchange also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 386). Keycafe's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 — 4.8 for HomeExchange against 4.7 for Keycafe. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HomeExchange has 3.6K ratings behind it against 386, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of HomeExchange's written reviews are positive against 28% of Keycafe's.

HomeExchange ships an update every 8 days, Keycafe every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HomeExchange | Keycafe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homeexchange-house-swapping/id966112496/reviews)** | [4.7 (386 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keycafe/id1233211301/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 386 |
| Positive reviews | **73.9% of reviews** | 28.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 123 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [GuestToGuest](https://appshunter.io/developer/966112495) | [Keycafe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1233211300) |

## What reviewers say

### HomeExchange

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/homeexchange-house-swapping/id966112496)

Discover a global community for home and apartment exchanges, offering an economical and comfortable way to travel. Connect with members, find accommodations, and manage your exchanges with ease using innovative features and strong guarantees.

**Highlights:** Search available homes, Live chat with members, Post home listings, Add photos directly, Integrated messaging, Favorite listings, Access exchange information

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great way to travel and live like a local
- 👍 Easy to use app and platform
- 🤝 Wonderful community and trust-based exchanges
- 💰 Cost-effective way to travel
- 🌍 Lots of locations and homes to choose from

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficult to search and find available homes
- 💬 Poor communication and customer support
- 🗓️ Calendars and availability not always up-to-date
- 🤷‍♀️ Guest points system not well-received

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes frequently
- Incorrect home location information
- Inability to update profile details
- Notifications and messaging issues
- Syncing problems between app and website

**Requested features**

- Improved search and filtering options
- Better organization of messages and exchanges
- Ability to translate home descriptions
- Calendar sync and availability management tools
- Enhanced mobile app experience, including iPad support


### Keycafe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keycafe/id1233211301)

This app facilitates secure key management for various organizations and individuals. It integrates with smart lockboxes to control access, track usage, and verify users in real-time. It's useful for businesses needing to grant temporary access and for individuals participating in the sharing economy.

**Highlights:** Control access to keys by minute, Provide anytime access to staff/guests, Complete access history tracking, Real-time photo ID verification, Manage fleets of keys, Utilize public smart lockbox network

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great idea for service
- 👍 Works flawlessly sometimes
- 👍 Good for contactless key exchange
- 👍 Simplifies key exchanges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Clunky auto-refill
- 🐛 Impossible to connect/authenticate
- 💰 Very expensive
- 👎 Horrendous user interface
- 👎 System is unreliable

**Reported bugs**

- Bug to authenticate when opening account
- System offline frequently
- Touchscreen unresponsive
- Codes not working
- Box disconnected multiple times

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off auto-refill
- Improve app interface design
- Provide better instructions for setup
- Allow offline functionality for codes
- Improve customer support responsiveness


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HomeExchange free?

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

### Is Keycafe free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HomeExchange or Keycafe?

HomeExchange is rated higher. HomeExchange averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Keycafe averages 4.7 from 386 ratings.

### Do HomeExchange or Keycafe have ads?

Both HomeExchange and Keycafe show ads.

### Which is updated more often, HomeExchange or Keycafe?

HomeExchange ships an update every 8 days, and Keycafe every 6 months. Most recently, HomeExchange was updated on November 9, 2026 and Keycafe on November 6, 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.*