About Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is the world's largest travel and social networking community, connecting people across cultures through shared experiences, genuine hospitality, and human connection. Founded on June 12, 2004, Couchsurfing has grown to more than 25 million registered members across more than 200,000 cities worldwide.
Unlike accommodation marketplaces, Couchsurfing is built around community rather than commerce. Members open their homes to travelers, attend local Events, and build lasting friendships, not transactions. The platform exists for anyone who believes the people you meet are the best part of traveling.
Key Facts
- Founded: June 12, 2004
- Members: 25 million+ registered members
- Reach: 200,000+ cities worldwide
- Model: Membership-based community platform
- Headquarters: Phoenix, AZ
The Platform
Couchsurfing offers a range of ways for members to connect, travel, and host:
- Stays: Travelers request to stay with local hosts who share their home, their city, and their knowledge of the places that don't appear in guidebooks.
- Hosting: Members open their homes to travelers from around the world. All members can host; they control their availability and can pause at any time.
- Hangouts: Real-time connections with nearby members for those passing through a city or looking to meet people without planning ahead.
- Events: In-person Events organized and attended by local members, a dedicated feature for discovering what's happening in any city.
- Communities: Interest- and location-based groups that connect members around shared passions.
Trust on Couchsurfing is built through References: first-person accounts from members about their experiences with one another, whether from a stay, a meetup, or another interaction.
Our Story
Couchsurfing was founded in 2004 on a simple idea: that opening your home to a stranger can change the world, one couch at a time. What started as a grassroots project grew into the largest platform of its kind, redefining how millions of people think about travel, hospitality, and cross-cultural connection.
Today, Couchsurfing continues to operate as a membership-supported community, providing access to a global network of hosts, travelers, and locals who believe meaningful connection matters more than five-star amenities.
A New Platform
On May 6, 2026, Couchsurfing launched a completely rebuilt platform: new code, new infrastructure, new design, built from the ground up for the first time since the company's founding.
The rebuild was driven by a single question that shaped every decision: will this actually bring people together? The old platform, designed around the assumptions of 2012, had become difficult to evolve and impossible to move quickly on. The new platform changes that. Issues that previously took months to resolve can now be addressed in days, sometimes hours.
Every member profile was migrated to the new platform. The redesigned profile experience is built around real behavior — how members actually evaluate and decide to connect with one another — rather than assumptions about how they should.
Media Contact
For press inquiries, interview requests, or asset needs, please contact:
Couchsurfing Communications
media@couchsurfing.com