"How is this different from Turo, and can I go direct?"
Hosts ask us this a lot, often on the first call. Many start by searching for Turo alternatives, and what they find is a list of apps that look like Turo. Some of them no longer operate in the US, and many of the rest don't let you list your own car at all.
So this guide sticks to options a US host can use now. Some are other marketplaces. Most are ways to get bookings that don't depend on any marketplace: your own booking site, local partners and local listings on Facebook Marketplace and Google.
Going direct is about where your next bookings come from, and how many of them come with a fee attached.
What are the real Turo alternatives for hosts?
For everyday cars in the US, very few other marketplaces still let you list your car. The real Turo alternatives for most hosts are direct: your own booking site, local partners and local listings that send renters to that site.
Here are the options this guide covers:
Other marketplaces: few for everyday cars, plus some for special cars.
Your own direct booking site: renters book your cars and pay you online.
Local partnerships: businesses that meet people who need a car.
Facebook Marketplace and Google: where local renters already look.
Many hosts use a few of these together. The question is which ones fit your cars and your time.
Why do hosts look for Turo alternatives?
Mostly because of the fee and the control. Turo takes about 25% of every booking, and Turo's rules decide a lot about how you run each trip.
The math is simple. On a $1,000 booking, Turo takes about $250. For many hosts that's a fair price for the renters Turo brings in. But when most of your bookings come through one marketplace, its fee changes, its rules and its search results all decide how your month goes.
Hosts also want to know their renters. A renter who booked your car directly and had a good trip can book again, recommend you and leave you a review on Google. That repeat business is what many hosts are really after.
Is Getaround still an option in the US?
No. Getaround stopped its US operations, including HyreCar, and is now being wound up as a company.
If you searched "Getaround vs Turo", you may have found comparisons that still list Getaround as an option for US hosts. Those pages are out of date. Getaround ended its US car sharing and HyreCar businesses, according to Getaround's Wikipedia entry. More recently, its stockholders approved a plan to dissolve and liquidate the company, as TipRanks reported.
For a host, the lesson is less about Getaround and more about relying on any single platform. When a marketplace closes or changes its rules, the cars and the renters it sent you don't come with you. A direct booking site and your own list of renters do.
Which Turo competitors still operate in the US?
For everyday cars, few marketplaces besides Turo still let US hosts list their own cars. Several names on "sites like Turo" lists either closed in the US or run their own fleets, so there's nowhere to list yours.
There are niche options for special cars. DriveShare, for example, is a marketplace for antique, classic and collector cars, and owners can offer driving, event or chauffeured rentals. If you own that kind of car, it's worth a look.
Before you sign up with any marketplace, check 5 things:
Is it live in your city now? Check the app or site, not an old blog post.
Does it accept your car? Age, mileage, value and car type rules differ.
What does it take from each trip? Read the current terms on its own site.
How are trips protected? Ask what applies during a trip and read it in the provider's own words.
When do you get paid? Payout timing matters when you have car payments.
Can I take bookings on my own website?
Yes. With car rental software, you get your own booking site where renters pick a car, book and pay online, without a marketplace in between.
This is the option many hosts mean when they say they want to go direct. Your site carries your business name, your prices and your rules. Renters who find you on Google, Facebook or through a partner land on a page where they can book on the spot.
What to look for in car rental software
There are many car rental software providers, from simple booking pages to full systems for large rental companies. Compare them on what matters to you:
Online booking and payment: renters should be able to book and pay on a phone in a few minutes.
Your pricing: daily, weekly and monthly rates per car, so longer trips can cost less per day.
Your rules: mileage limits, advance notice and a minimum renter age for each car.
Renter checks: ID verification and proof of insurance requests before the trip.
Deposits: a refundable deposit hold on the renter's card.
Payments you trust: a known processor, such as Stripe or Square.
Help getting found: a booking site with no renters is a quiet one, so ask what help comes with it.
How car rental software is priced
Pricing models differ. Some providers charge a monthly plan, some take a share of each booking and some do both. Ask every provider for the full cost in writing, including card processing fees, before you sign up.
The difference shows up as you grow. A share of each booking grows with every trip. A flat monthly plan stays the same whether you take 5 direct bookings in a month or 50.
What changes when renters book your cars directly
You do more of the work a marketplace did for you. You bring renters to your site, you set and check your renter rules and you sort out protection for direct trips. A marketplace's protection plan covers trips booked on that marketplace, not trips booked on your own site, so talk to an insurance agent about how your direct rentals are covered before your first direct trip.
In return, you set the price and you know every renter.
One rule if you also rent on Turo: renters who book your car on Turo are Turo's renters for that trip. Follow Turo's policies, keep those trips on Turo and build your direct list from renters who find you on your own site, your Google profile, Facebook Marketplace and your partners.
How do local partnerships bring in renters?
Local businesses that meet people who need a car can send those people to you. One steady partner can be worth more than any ad.
Good partners for a rental host:
Body shops and repair garages: drivers need a car while theirs is in the shop.
Car dealers' service departments: the same need, for longer repairs.
Small hotels and vacation rentals: guests ask the front desk where to rent a car.
Relocation companies and real estate agents: people new to town often need a car for a few weeks.
Event and wedding planners: they need extra or special cars on set dates.
Visit in person, leave a simple card with your website and offer a small first-trip discount for their referrals. Then follow up after every trip they send you, so they keep sending more.
Can I list rental cars on Facebook Marketplace and Google?
Yes. Renters in your area search Google and browse Facebook Marketplace, so both are worth setting up.
Google. A free Google Business Profile puts your business on Google Maps when people search for a car rental near them. Fill in every field, add real photos of your cars, link your booking site and ask every direct renter for a review. A profile with recent reviews and photos gets more clicks than an empty one.
Facebook Marketplace and local groups. Post each car with clear photos, the price and your booking link. Local Facebook groups for your city, nearby colleges or local businesses can work too. Answer messages fast: renters often ask more than one host, and the first reply often gets the trip.
Whichever you use, send renters to your booking site to book and pay. That keeps every booking, payment and renter record in one place.
Which Turo alternative is right for me?
It depends on your cars and how much time you have. Many hosts use a mix rather than a single channel.
If you have an everyday car and want the least work: a marketplace brings renters to you, at about 25% of each booking.
If you want to pay less per booking and know your renters: your own booking site, with Google and Facebook Marketplace sending renters to it.
If you own a classic or collector car: look at niche marketplaces for those cars, and add direct bookings for repeat renters.
If you want steady weekday trips: local partners like body shops and hotels, booking through your own site.
Start with one direct channel, get it working, then add the next. Track where every booking comes from: a marketplace, Google, Facebook, a partner or a repeat renter. After a month or 2 you'll see which channels bring trips in your area and which ones only bring messages, and you can spend your time where the bookings are.
Where 1Now fits
1Now gives you your own booking site, payments and automations, so renters can book your cars directly and pay online. Plans start at $150 a month, and we take no cut of your direct bookings. Card processing fees still apply.
You set per-car daily, weekly and monthly rates, mileage limits, advance notice and minimum renter age, with ID verification, proof of insurance requests and deposit holds through Stripe or Square. We help you list your cars on Facebook Marketplace and Google, and you get a free 1-hour training.
Quick answers
Is there a site like Turo for hosts?
For everyday cars in the US, there are very few. Niche marketplaces exist for classic and collector cars, and many hosts take direct bookings on their own site.
Is Getaround still in the US?
No. Getaround stopped its US operations, and its stockholders have approved a plan to dissolve the company.
Can I take direct bookings if I also rent on Turo?
Yes. Many hosts rent on Turo and take direct bookings on their own site at the same time.
What does a direct booking site cost?
It depends on the provider: some charge a monthly plan, some take a share of each booking. With 1Now, plans start at $150 a month, with no cut of your direct bookings.
The bottom line
Many lists of Turo alternatives are out of date. For US hosts with everyday cars, the real choice is less about which marketplace and more about how many of your bookings come to you directly.
Build a booking site renters can trust, get on Google and Facebook Marketplace and add a few local partners. Want to see how your own booking site would work? Book a demo.
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