A note from Couchers.org regarding the CS update
Hey r/couchsurfing,
Just want to say we see what's happening over at Couchsurfing.com, and we’re really saddened by it. Practically everyone at Couchers.org came from Couchsurfing at some point or another, and volunteering/contributing to Couchers.org has been a way for us to try to preserve what was magical about Couchsurfing.com and give the community a place to gather.
Now with the CS update of address-sharing, paywalled verification on top of subscriptions people already paid for, references from banned members showing back up … it kinda rattles the basics of trust and safety that hospitality exchange is built on.
Just sayinnnggg…Couchers.org built safeguards to prevent this kind of thing, like registering as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Legally what’s been happening to Couchsurfing.com cannot happen to us. While that does mean our dedicated team of volunteers doesn’t get a lot of resources to work with, it makes us even prouder of how far we’ve come. What’s new:
- Mobile app for Android is out in open beta, iOS app coming soon
- Profile photo galleries
- Communities search and event duplication for organizers
- A new unified moderation system and Strong Verification (free, passport-backed)
- Hundreds of bug fixes and UX improvements
- Public trips feature is in progress for this quarter
If you’re looking at alternatives, you may hear people say "Okay, but Couchers.org is too small and inactive." But what makes a hospitality platform feel active? People deciding to show up on it! Couchsurfing wasn't always big either. It got big because a generation of travelers and hosts made profiles, answered requests, and ran local meetups. Whether Couchers.org feels active in your city a year from now depends on whether people reading this make a profile, start hosting, or maybe even run an event.
Some quick facts:
- We’re at over 73,000 users after our v1 launch
- We're funded entirely by community donations (~US$4,287 in 2025 covers this year's costs and then some)
- Every line of code is written by volunteers
- Our features are developed by and for the community and tested by our volunteer team before release. (Our mobile app is currently in public beta right now for this reason…)
Our non-negotiables:
- Free forever. No subscription, no paywalls.
- Registered non-profit. No one is extracting any cash from this.
- Open source. There’s always a way to keep going.
- Community-led governance, with a team of volunteers from the community itself.
- Safety first. It’s something we consider in every feature we design.
If you've been asking when Couchers.org will "be ready," our answer is that it’s ready when you are. Ask us anything in the comments. We'll be around!
— Emily, on behalf of the Couchers.org volunteers team