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Top 5 Zipcar Alternatives for Easy Rideshare Rentals

Looking for Zipcar alternatives for your ridesharing gig? Discover the top 5 car-sharing platforms with features that cater to your preference.

Key Takeaways

  • HyreCar offers affordable daily rates with insurance for gig workers.
  • Hertz provides discounted rates and comprehensive coverage for gig workers.
  • Turo features a wide selection of vehicles and flexible cancellation policies.
  • Kyte delivers and picks up rental cars, offering new vehicles and long-term discounts.

Best Zipcar Alternatives for Ridesharing in 2024

  1. HyreCar: Best Overall
  2. Hertz: Best Features
  3. Turo: Most Vehicle Varieties
  4. Getaround: Best for Low-Cost Rentals
  5. Kyte: Best Car Condition
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1. HyreCar

1. HyreCar

  • Specializes in gig car-share
  • Affordable daily rates, includes insurance
  • Requires $200 refundable deposit
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HyreCar is a car-sharing marketplace that's specifically designed for gig car-share purposes. The company partners with popular rideshare companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to give their drivers access to cars.

HyreCar has one of the most affordable prices on the market. The average rental price is between $25 to $50 a day plus a 10% transaction fee. There's a 2-day rental period, which gives you a perfect chance to try out the service before committing to weekly or monthly rental.

Why Is HyreCar a Great Option?

Vehicles listed on the HyreCar marketplace are already inspected and approved by rental car companies. Most of them are economy cars with low fuel consumption that are perfect for ridesharing purposes.

You don't need personal insurance to rent a vehicle on HyreCar, since your HyreCar rental comes with commercial insurance coverage attributed to your name. HyreCar also allows you to use its cars to work gigs on multiple platforms at the same time.

Drawbacks to HyreCar

Besides the rental cost, you must have at least $200 on your debit card at any time while using the service. HyreCar holds this sum as a refundable deposit until your booking period is over. This deposit doesn't apply if you use a credit card.

Cars on the HyreCar marketplace are privately owned, so your reservation request is subject to the vehicle owner's approval. For that reason, the company advises you to request 5-10 vehicles at once to increase your chance of getting one in time.

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2. Hertz

2. Hertz

  • Discounted rates for gig workers
  • Includes maintenance, Loss Damage Waiver
  • $200 refundable security deposit
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Hertz is a car rental company that’s designed for rideshare drivers and delivery persons, just like HyreCar.

Hertz’s partnership with rideshare platforms like Uber and Lyft makes it easy for gig workers to access gas-powered and electric cars at discounted rates.

The minimum rental period on Hertz is seven days. Although you can reserve a car indefinitely, there’s no long-term contract.

You’ll have to check in with the car every 28 days for routine maintenance and to sign the 28-day contract renewal. The base weekly rate for Hertz rentals is $260.

Why Is Hertz a Great Option?

Hertz covers all standard maintenance for the vehicle. When you rent with Hertz, a Loss Damage Waiver is included in your rental.

This means you won’t need any other insurance package to drive with Uber and Lyft. All damages to your rental are covered by Hertz, even if you’re at fault.

You also get unlimited miles for driving with Uber and Lyft. Whenever your car has an issue, you can go to your Hertz pickup location to get it fixed at no cost. Hertz also provides free 24-hour roadside assistance.

Drawbacks to Hertz

While some car rental companies allow you to participate from the age of 18, you can’t join the Hertz rental program if you’re under 21. There’s no daily or hourly rental to test out the service; the least you can get is seven days.

Hertz will also collect a $200 refundable security deposit whenever you pick up the car. This deposit will be held on your debit or credit card and will be returned when your rental ends.

If you incur charges or owe outstanding payments during your rental period, Hertz uses this deposit to cover it.

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3. Turo

3. Turo

  • Peer-to-peer car rental
  • Wide vehicle selection, flexible cancellations
  • Additional fees for trip enhancements
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Popularly dubbed the Airbnb of cars, Turo is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects renters with car owners.

There are over 300,000 ready-for-rental car listings on the Turo marketplace. If you’re looking for an affordable car-sharing service as an alternative to Zipcar, you can get a decent car for as low as $35/day on Turo.

Cars you rent on the Turo marketplace are available at a pickup location, which is usually the owner’s house or any public area. Some car owners can deliver the car to you for an additional fee.

Turo also has a special program called Turo Go, which allows you to pick up a vehicle without meeting the owner.

Why Is Turo a Great Option?

Since it’s a peer-to-peer car rental service, it’s easy to find a car nearby; you’re open to more vehicle options than with rental car platforms like Zipcar.

Turo lets you cancel your booking 24 hours before pickup with a full refund.

If a host cancels or rejects your order, Turo notifies you instantly, and you have the choice to rebook another car or request a refund to your bank account.

Most Turo owners offer discounts for weekly and monthly reservations. You can also get discounted prices for booking their car a week or more in advance.

Drawback to Turo

Regular people use Turo to rent their own vehicles, so there’s no strict quality control in place to ascertain the car’s condition.

While the Turo base rate is affordable, the cost of car rental on the platform is more expensive when you factor in the extra fees.

There’s a compulsory trip fee on all bookings, which ranges between 2.5% and up to 100% of the entire order value.

Turo automatically adds a $12 standard protection fee at checkout. There are other fees, such as the $80 unlimited mileage fee, $75 for prepaid fuel, and a child safety seat fee of $35.

Although most of the fees can be avoided, it’s better not to get yourself hooked into an “if only I had known” situation.

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4. Getaround

4. Getaround

  • Hourly, daily rates, no subscription fees
  • Self-service or meet owner for keys
  • Booking fee at checkout
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Getaround is another peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace where you can browse car listings from regular people, book a car, and pay by the hour.

Every vehicle on the Getaround marketplace has a unique hourly and daily rate set by its owners, averaging between $10/hour and $50 daily.

Based on price, Getaround is much more affordable for gig workers than ZipCar. There’s no monthly subscription or application fee involved.

To use Getaround, you must be above 19 years of age and have a valid driver’s license without any record of violation or accident within the last three years.

Why Is Getaround a Great Option?

Getaround is very straightforward to use. You can search for cars in your area and filter them by location, price, model, mileage, and more. There’s an option to pick up the vehicle yourself or have it delivered for an additional fee.

Vehicle options on Getaround are classified into two categories: Getaround Connect and Key Exchange.

With Getaround Connect, you can access self-service cars available for booking 24/7. With Key Exchange, you’ll meet the owner in person for the pickup and dropoff.

Drawbacks to Getaround

Like Turo, the car’s condition isn’t guaranteed, as you’re renting directly from the owner. You could pay extra for pickup and delivery of vehicles parked at public lots.

Getaround charges a booking fee worth between 10-15% of the actual rental cost. The annoying part is that you won’t see this fee until you reach the checkout page, which makes it challenging to compare the prices of different cars.

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5. Kyte

5. Kyte

  • Delivery and pickup service
  • New cars, long-rent discounts
  • Traditional operating hours, temporary deposit
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Kyte stands out among other car-sharing services for its efficient delivery and pickup service.

When you rent a car on the platform, Kyte sends an employee to deliver the vehicle and pick it up once you’re done.

Once the employee arrives, they’ll verify your identity, license, and proof of insurance, then hand over the key.

Car rental prices vary depending on the type of car, location, and rental duration. The average fee for a 12-hour rental is around $100, which is almost in line with Zipcar’s.

Why Is Kyte a Great Option?

Unlike Turo and Getaround, you aren’t renting a car from another person, so you’re guaranteed to get a car in excellent condition.

Kyte rental cars are relatively new because the company renews its fleets every 18-24 months.

You can get a long-rent discount of up to 20% if you book a car for more than 30 days. Unlimited mileage on Kyte costs $15 per day.

Drawbacks to Kyte

The biggest drawback to Kyte is its traditional operating hours. You can only pick up or get your car delivered between 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Kyte drivers only wait 10 minutes for you at the delivery point.

They’ll leave and consider you a no-show if you aren’t there. You’ll get hit with either a $10 no-show fee or a $25 rescheduling fee.

You’ll pay a $500 temporary deposit on a debit card or $300 on a credit card any time you reserve a car on Kyte. This deposit will be held until you return it.

Kyte has a mileage cap of 300 miles per day, after which you’ll pay $0.45 for each extra mile.

An Overview of Zipcar

Zipcar is a car-sharing platform that offers instant, 24/7 on-demand access to cars for a monthly membership fee.

You can reserve a car by the hour, day, or week for your gig and only pay for the hours spent driving. Zipcar rental rates and pricing vary depending on the type of car you rent.

Zipcar membership is available for $9/month or $90/year with an annual plan. Both plans let you rent vehicles at rates going from $11/hr and $91.50/day and up.

Where ZipCar Excels

When you rent a car on Zipcar, you need to pick it up at the designated location closest to you. The keys are already inside the car, so you’ll unlock the car with the Zipcar app.

Once you’re done driving, you need to return the vehicle to the same pickup location and end the trip through the app.

Zipcar takes care of parking, congestion charges, gas, and insurance coverage costs, so you don’t have to worry about that.

Zipcar vehicles are company-owned and maintained, hence always in good condition.

Where ZipCar Falls Short

As a gig worker, every penny counts toward or against your profit. A monthly membership fee on top of the hourly or daily rental fee makes Zipcar seem less attractive.

This car rental company also charges a non-refundable $25 application fee no matter if your application is approved or rejected.

While Zipcar membership comes with a free 180 miles per day, you’ll be charged $0.47 per mile whenever you exceed the mileage limit.

Suggested: Is Zipcar worth it?

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re new to rideshare driving or have been in the business for a while, not having a vehicle shouldn’t stop you from taking gigs.

While Zipcar is a popular option for car rental, it’s not designed for gig working. Alternatives like HyreCar and Hertz are specifically built for gig workers, and using either is more convenient for gig work.

If you still prefer a service similar to Zipcar, consider the affordability of Turo peer-to-peer renting or the flexibility of Getaround. Kyte is also a great option that’s worth a trial.

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