Volunteering with WWOOF, Workaway, or HelpX

Chapter 3 of 7

WWOOF, HelpX or Workaway… Which one to choose?

The three main platforms connecting hosts and volunteers are WWOOF, HelpX and Workaway.

Platforms overview

Platform	Volunteering experiences offered	Membership price	+	–
WWOOF	Originally organic farms but now offering a wider range of opportunities.	Pricing depends on the country’s platform – for instance – $55/per member and $80/per two members for WWOOF Canada / for WWOOF Australia it’s $70/per member and $120/per two members.	Membership valid for 1 or 2 years (depending on the country). Not-for-profit organization. Membership fee used to support the mission and relevant programs. Many offers.	If you want to work in several countries you will have to register on several WWOOF platforms.
HelpX	Opportunities in many industries and environments.	€20 for a two-year membership.	Many offers.	Old. Not very user-friendly website design.
Workaway	Opportunities in many industries and environments.	€39/per member / €49/per two members.	Easy-to-use website.	More expensive. Many inexperienced hosts without any reviews.

*WWOOF started crowdfunding for a new common website/platform in December 2020 to make the site more user friendly. It’s a work in progress. The latest update reports launching “the first prototype website on the new Common WWOOF Platform” in December 2021.

How to choose a platform

Honesty, you can’t go wrong, these three platforms are popular and reliable!

Start by checking out opportunities where you want to go. Then sign up for the one with the best potential hosts for you.