Peer-to-peer car sharing is a new and exciting form to rent a car and I’ve been hosting mine for about a year. There are several companies that are trying to take the crown such as Turo, Getaround, Hyrecar, and others.
Turo and Getaround both have their advantages and disadvantages. They both allow guests to rent from a host while having some major differences between the two platforms such as service fees, minimum age limits, insurance protection, and others. When it comes to finding the best car to rent, either platform works as long as the host has good reviews.
Turo and Getaround are both good choices overall if you are looking to rent a car, but both have strengths and weaknesses that could affect you. Whether you are reading this as a host, or a renter, there are factors that you should consider before renting a car or hosting your car. Let’s go over the similarities and differences between the two.
Turo and Getaround Similarities
Turo and Getaround carsharing companies have a lot of things in common such as ease of use, host earnings, and available remote features.
East of Use
If you want to rent a car, both apps are very easy to use. In fact, they both look very similar when searching for a rental car in your area.
Each company provides an app or website that you can use easily on the go. They both also have filters to help you narrow down what kind of car you want. Whether you are a host or a renter, both platforms are simple and easy to use.
Host Earnings
Hosts on Getaround can make similar earnings as they would on Turo but with some big differences. Getaround automatically takes a flat 40% cut from your trip earnings whereas Turo gives you the option, pending on what protection plan you choose, can earn as much as 90% of the trip. However, Getaround includes bonuses that Turo does not.
Some previous bonuses that Getaround has offered to hosts are:
- 10% add-on bonus for each car that is enrolled in the Driving With Uber program
- 15% bonus to each car that earns at least a 4.5 average rating from guests each month
- Referring a new host gets you $200 once they sign up and list their car
Keep in mind that Turo has an exclusivity policy that prohibits you from listing your car on both platforms in the United States.
Remote Features
Getaround requires hosts to pay $20/ month along with a $99 Getaround Connect Box installation fee in comparison to Turo’s Turo Go which is currently free for hosts to enroll in.
When hosts enroll in Getaround Connect, renters can enjoy contactless pickup and the ability to locate, unlock, receive roadside assistance, and have anti-theft technology.
Turo remote feature, Turo Go, works very similarly. The main difference is that it is currently free for hosts and doesn’t require any device installation but instead relies on an OEM-connected service such as Onstar.
Although Turo Go and Getaround Connect are very similar, if you already have Onstar or alternative OEM-connected software, you may want to consider using Turo for the ease of setting up Turo Go.
To learn more about Turo Go, click here.
Turo and Getaround Differences
Both Turo and Getaround are car-sharing companies in the peer-to-peer sharing economy, but both have some stark differences. Let’s look at what vehicles are accepted, ridesharing policies, and rates you can expect.
Accepted Vehicles
When it comes to accepted vehicles, you are more likely to get accepted on Getaround. Turo has more strict rules than the competition.
For example, to list a car on Turo, your car needs to have less than 130,000 miles on it and be less than 12 years old. Once listed, you are allowed to keep your vehicle on the platform even if it passes 130,000 miles and becomes older than 12 years old.
Getaround, on the other hand, only requires vehicles to be from 2007 and newer. They can also have up to 200,000 miles which is a big difference from Turo. If a vehicle has more than 125,000 miles on it, it will need an inspection to be approved for the Getaround platform.
Getaround also requires their vehicles to have no more than 10 seats and 4 wheels. I know for me this would make my own listing not possible for Getaround.
A big disappointment for renters and hosts, to reduce overall liability for their platform, Getaround doesn’t allow many popular luxury brand vehicles. Getaround does not allow the following:
- Bentley (all models)
- BMW (models M, Series 3, Series 4, Series 5)
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Dodge Challenger
- Dodge Charger
- Ferrari (all models)
- Ford Mustang
- Infiniti (G, Q40, Q50 models)
- Lamborghini (all models)
- Maserati (all models)
- Mercedes (C-Class, CLK-Class, CLS-Class, E-Class, G-Class, GL-Class, GL-Class, S-Class)
- Porsche (all models)
- Tesla (models S and X)
This is quite a list – especially considering how many of these cars are very popular on other peer-to-peer carsharing websites like Turo. My prediction is they will allow more and more of these cars onto Getaround as they continue to grow and can figure out how to have more liability protection.
If you want to know what cars do well on Turo, click here.
Ridesharing
Ridesharing is one of the biggest differences between Turo and Getaround. Turo is straightforward and says Turo rentals cannot be used for Uber and Lyft. However, companies like Hyrecar and Getaround give renters the option to use the rentals as a side business. In fact, Getaround gives renters the ability to link their accounts with Uber for the “Driving With Uber” program.
As long as you choose a rental car that qualifies for the Driving With Uber program, you will be covered by insurance as long as none of your miles are for personal use. If you start delivering for Uber or Uber Eats without using a qualifying car, insurance will not cover your trip.
Ridesharing is also a big reason why rates are different between Turo and Getaround.
Rates
Getaround has something that Turo does not have: Hourly rates.
Renters on Getaround are able to rent a car for one hour and only pay for one hour. Turo, on the contrary, only allows you to book day rates regardless of how long you want to keep the car. Getaround is extremely helpful if you only have one car between multiple people. If you need to run to the grocery store, drive to work, or run other errands, renting a car for lower than $10/hour could be a bargain.
In addition, you could rent a car for a few hours a day if you were going to earn some extra cash using Uber without worrying about putting miles on your own car. Getaround may not allow luxury cars because luxury cars are not needed for those that earn extra cash with Uber.
Turo Or Getaround?
If you are planning on adding a car dedicated to carsharing, I would try Getaround first and then give Turo a try afterward. Getaround’s bonus structure makes it enticing for hosts, but Turo has much more options for guests. If you are in a city where there seem to be a lot of Getaround cars available, give it a shot. Worst-case scenario, you can move to Turo and still be profitable.
