10 Best Car Rental Apps like Turo

Whether you are a tourist seeking reliable transportation or a business professional requiring vehicles for corporate trips, car rental apps can address your diverse needs. However, as the demand for car rental apps grows, so does the proliferation of such apps, each offering unique services. To choose the best car rental app like Turo, read this guide and get a comprehensive outlook on the top 10 apps.

What is Turo?

Regarding renting vehicles through applications, Turo has emerged as the world’s largest car rental marketplace with a vibrant international community. It deals with various ordinary and extraordinary vehicles, such as vans, vintage cars, SUVs, or other budget cars. Besides, this app extends its services across multiple countries where hosts can deliver cars to airports or other locations.

Turo car rental app facilitates 24/7 customer services, roadside assistance, and even navigating the rising roadblocks. In addition, entrepreneurs can take the steering wheel of their future by becoming hosts and car-sharing businesses on Turo.

How Do Car Rental Apps Like Turo Work?

Although Turo is the best website for rental cars, it also has competitors and alternatives with diverse features. However, they all establish a functional model to simplify car rental operations and make the digital business model appropriate. If we talk about the business model of apps like Turo, automobile owners post their car models, colors, and details on the app.

Potential clients rent one that closely matches their needs for a certain time. Notably, these rental platforms generate revenue by taking a small commission from each reservation. For example, Turo deducts a 25% commission on every transaction, and clients must pay extra mileage besides rental commission. In addition, there are host fees, including damage claims, maintenance violations, and vehicle misrepresentation costs.

Top 10 Car Rental Apps: Turo Alternatives

Turo imposes various visitor fees on its users, including smoking penalties, guest no-show fees, late return penalties, and so on. Therefore, individuals look for Turo alternatives before considering it the only go-to- option. For your ease in such exploration, we have searched and listed down some of the best apps and their pros and cons.

1. Zipcar (iOS | Android)

You can try the Zipcar application and join the car-sharing community to lend professionally maintained cars. What’s exciting is that most drivers are available in minutes without any paperwork or waiting lines. Besides, you don’t need to worry about pick-up and car-receiving locations as the app can guide you step-by-step. It has a map and calendar feature to direct you toward the location and show dates while scheduling bookings.

Pros

• It has a dedicated customer support team to help you 24/7 with questions and emergencies.
• This Turo alternative also facilitates users’ trip extension by paying extra to avoid late returns and penalties.

Con

• Zipcar restricts users from placing the car from the pick-up location and charges \$50 for late return.

2. Enterprise Rent-A-Car (iOS | Android)

With over 9500 car rental locations around the globe, this car rental app like Turo, is the best travel arranger. It has esteemed customer service and various vehicle options to keep you worry-free with cost-effective and luxury rental cars. Moreover, it considers your safety and follows the best car cleaning and sanitizing measures. You can even access trucks, SUVs, vans, and any type of vehicle you require at your location.

Pros

• It provides a filter feature to narrow your vehicle and location searches.
• This app can save your details for future bookings and faster reservations.

Con

• Many users claim that this app drains their battery faster even when it’s not opened.

3. Getaround (iOS | Android)

This app for car rental is known for its above 70,000 car availability in more than 300 cities, ready to go on a daily, hourly, and weekly basis. Additionally, they are all insured by Allianz and covered with roadside assistance anywhere in popular European cities. One can rent cars for weekends, family holidays, moving out, business trips, shopping, and client meetings.

Pros

• It allows you to pay through company credit cards while letting you download rental receipts for reports.
• If you own a car, you can share it effortlessly with this remote technology to start passive income.

Con

• According to verified reviews, this app has pathetic or irresponsible customer service.

4. Uber (iOS | Android)

Another well-known Turo rental car app competitor is Uber, which can fulfill your daily travel needs, including running an errand or exploring a faraway city. It also provides a range of products, such as UberX for affordable rides and Comfort for new cars with extra legroom. In addition, there are Uber Pets for affordable rides, 2-wheel for scooter rides, and Uber Green for eco-friendly trips.

Pros

• Besides hiring vehicles, it offers Uber Connect to send items to loved ones.
• It also gives Uber Character to vehicles with 14-55 passenger seats, such as limo buses.

Con

• After some harassment and minimum wage issues, it has been banned in some locations.

5. GIG Car Share (iOS | Android)

While available in a few cities, such as San Francisco, Seattle, and Sacramento, this Turo competitor is doing well in the rental car business. With over 1.6 million travelers, this app lets you control the road, route, and radio through customer-focused facilities. It doesn’t cost any membership fee and provides instant reservations, fuel, and roadside assistance. Besides, no restrictions exist on dropping the car at the exact pick-up location.

Pros

• You can drop the car in the service area or HomeZone rather than from where it was received.
• This app provides bikes with a bike rack for users’ convenience when relocating.

Con

• It often shows technical issues and bugs, resulting in overcharging customers.

6. Hui Car Share (iOS | Android)

As the name suggests, it’s Huwaii’s largest shared vehicle network, with more than 170 cars, trucks, and SUVs in 65 locations. Customers reserve vehicles through the app by inputting a date, time, location, and car model. This Turo alternative requires you to park the car at a designated spot where you initially picked it up. What’s more, users don’t have to pay a monthly subscription, and there aren’t any hidden costs.

Pros

• You can also book an hour for errands or a day for a beach adventure, offering flexible bookings.
• It offers a wide range of vehicles that are within your budget, such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Lexus UX 200.

Con

• This app deducts payment from your account automatically based on the time you booked the car.

7. Hyre (iOS | Android)

By following a unique path, this app facilitates quick and easy access to thousands of cars in cities like Stockholm, Oslo, Bergan, etc. It enables customers to unlock the car through their phones and be ready to hit the roads. Furthermore, this best car rental app automatically calculates fuel, tolls, and kilometers while displaying locations on the map to ensure fair payments.

Pros

• From small electric cars to larger vans, this app provides a range of cars, catering to all your needs.
• It gives you the same freedom as owning a car with its affordable prices and flexible system.

Con

• This service is available in limited cities compared to car rental apps like Turo.

8. SnappCar (iOS | Android)

Do you need a different car while running an errand and a different one while going to a party? If yes, you can rely on the SnapCar app, which lets you rent a vehicle for every occasion, considering your budget. Surprisingly, cars on this Turo competitor app are over 30% cheaper than regular rental companies and are fully covered with acclaimed insurance.

Pros

• This app allows you to join their car-sharing community if you own a car and fulfill certain documentation.
• You can manage your bookings directly through an app with visible ratings and reviews.

Con

• Several users claim that the app shows bugs and errors related to pick-up points and pending receipts.

9. Skyscanner (iOS | Android)

If you need a comprehensive travel partner beyond rental cars, consult this best website for car rentals. Through it, you can search and book hotels and flights and lock car rental deals anywhere in the world. Without booking fees and hidden charges, you can also book with your favorite brands, such as Spirit Airlines and United Airlines.

Pros

• Using the search bar, you can access specified results by vehicle type, fuel type, and feature filters.
• It guides users about the best time to travel and cheapest dates through its calendar views feature.

Con

• Although it deals with various rental categories, it is not comprehensive and updated regarding fares.

10. Rentalcars.com (iOS | Android)

It is another considerable Turo alternative that manages worldwide car rental activities with its simple and intuitive interface. With over 49,000 locations, you can hire the right car at your doorstep and avail yourself of eco-friendly eVouchers. Moreover, you don’t need to insert details every time you book with this app, as it can save your details for later.

Pros

• This app is considered an ideal companion for individuals who want to enjoy the freedom of having a car.
• It frequently introduces new deals and payment companies that consider users’ flexibility.

Con

• As users claim, it misstates information online and behaves differently in reality.

Must-have Features in Car Rental App Turo Alternatives

Upon simply knowing Turo’s competitors, the journey doesn’t end, and you must comprehend their essential features. Those will guide you while deciding between rental apps, so you can only pick the top-rated and feature-rich one.

• GPS Tracking: This is the most essential feature of a rental app, as it allows owners to monitor the whereabouts of their hired cars. Besides, it facilitates effective management and oversight of the rented cars, ensuring their safety and security.
• Payment Integration: Good payment options such as credit/debit cards, e-wallets, and other secure payment gateways must be provided. To protect customer data security, it is an essential feature of an app that ensures payment procedure complies with industry standards.
• Calendar Scheduling: Like Turo, apps should have to schedule calendars to visualize bookings for owners and potential clients. Additionally, it avoids double bookings, generates invoices, and helps owners get prepared in advance.
• Document Verification: When dealing with expensive stuff like cars, customers are asked to upload multiple identities and proof documents. Therefore, apps like Turo must offer a smart scanner to gather and verify documents while adhering to certain regulatory obligations.
• Customer Support: After document verification, the rental application must display insurance policies and comprehensive descriptions of terms and conditions. Furthermore, a good app provides customer services to ensure greater user experiences and cultivate customer loyalty.

How Much to Build Car Rental Websites like Turo?

Building a car rental website like Turo involves several factors that can influence the cost. The total expense depends on the features, design, technology, and development team you choose.

1. Maintenance and Updates

After launch, you’ll need to budget for ongoing maintenance and updates, which could cost about $5,000 to $10,000 per year.

2. Basic Features

To create a functional website, you’ll need user registration, car listings, search and filter options, a booking system, payment gateway integration, ratings and reviews, and an admin panel. For these basic features, the cost typically ranges from $15,000 to $30,000.

3. Advanced Features

If you want to add advanced features like mobile app development, real-time chat, GPS tracking, advanced analytics, insurance integration, and custom design, expect the cost to increase significantly. These features could add between $30,000 and $80,000 to your budget.

4. Technology Stack

The choice of technology—frontend frameworks like React or Angular, backend technologies like Node.js or PHP, and databases like MySQL—also impacts the cost. Typically, this part of the development might cost around $5,000 to $15,000.

5. Development Team

The cost of hiring a development team, including project managers, developers, designers, and QA testers, can range from $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the team’s location and expertise.

How Can ZEGOCLOUD Help for Developing Car Rental Apps Like Turo

Now that you know details about the best car rental apps and estimated development costs, you can start building your own. If so, you must know some technologies to speed up the process and help you launch the app in a few days. Such technologies are ZEGOCLOUD APIs and SDKs, which can integrate some must-have features in car rental apps with minimal effort.

ZEGOCLOUD can significantly enhance the development of car rental apps like Turo by providing robust communication and real-time interaction features. Here’s how:

• Customizable Solutions: ZEGOCLOUD’s SDKs are highly customizable, allowing you to tailor communication features to match your app’s design and functionality. This flexibility helps you maintain a consistent user experience across all features of your app.
• Real-Time Communication: ZEGOCLOUD’s SDKs enable seamless real-time communication between users. For a car rental app, this means you can integrate features like in-app messaging and voice or video calls, allowing renters and car owners to communicate directly within the app. This improves user experience and builds trust between parties.
• Push Notifications: ZEGOCLOUD supports push notifications, which are essential for keeping users informed about booking confirmations, reminders, or any updates related to their rentals. This helps ensure that users stay engaged and don’t miss important information.
• Low Latency and High Reliability: ZEGOCLOUD provides low-latency communication solutions, ensuring that messages and notifications are delivered promptly. This reliability is crucial for time-sensitive interactions, such as confirming bookings or arranging key handovers.
• Scalable Infrastructure: Whether your app is catering to a local market or expanding globally, ZEGOCLOUD’s scalable infrastructure can handle increasing user traffic without compromising performance. This scalability ensures that your app can grow alongside your user base.
• Security and Privacy: ZEGOCLOUD offers end-to-end encryption for all communications, ensuring that user data and conversations remain private and secure. This is particularly important in a car rental app where sensitive personal and payment information is exchanged.

Conclusion

To sum up, car rental businesses are digitizing their work mode through car rental apps like Turo, a leading rental marketplace. Therefore, as discussed in this article, countless rental apps have been launched with their positive sides and disadvantages. In conclusion, it is suggested that you use ZEGOCLOUD communication APIs and SDKs while building your own app to increase its ranking.

Read more:

• How to Build React Native Uber Clone
• How to Build a WhatsApp Clone App for Android

FAQ

Q1: How do car rental apps like Turo generate revenue?

Car rental apps like Turo typically generate revenue through commission-based models. The platform takes a percentage of each transaction between the car owner and the renter. Other revenue streams may include listing fees, subscription plans for premium services, insurance services, and additional fees for extra features like GPS tracking or roadside assistance.

Q2: What are the key challenges in building a car rental app like Turo?

Key challenges include managing a large database of vehicles and users, ensuring secure and reliable payment processing, handling real-time communication between users, implementing GPS tracking, ensuring regulatory compliance with local laws, and scaling the platform to accommodate growing user numbers while maintaining performance.

Q3: How can I ensure the security of users and transactions in a car rental app like Turo?

Ensuring security in a car rental app involves implementing strong encryption protocols for data and communication, integrating secure payment gateways, verifying user identities, offering insurance options, and regularly updating the platform to protect against vulnerabilities. Additionally, features like user ratings and reviews help build trust and transparency among users.