Moving to a new German city for university comes with a long checklist, and finding a room is usually the hardest item on it. The right German roommate apps for students can turn weeks of cold messages into a shortlist of real options within days. This guide covers five platforms students actually use in cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, what each one does well, and where each one falls short.
WG-Gesucht
WG-Gesucht is Germany’s largest platform built specifically for shared flats, known locally as a WG or Wohngemeinschaft. It is headquartered in Stuttgart and pulls in around five to eight million monthly visits, with more than 200,000 new ads posted every month.
- Core use is free: Creating a profile, browsing listings, and messaging landlords or flatmates costs nothing for people searching.
- WG-Gesucht+: An optional paid tier that boosts your visibility to landlords, adds identity verification, and gives you a digital applicant profile you can send with every message.
- SCHUFA request tool: You can order a paid credit report (Schufa-Auskunft) through the platform and attach it to your applications, which some landlords expect upfront.
- Listing variety: You will see filters for Studenten-WG, Berufstätigen-WG, and gender-specific flats, so you can narrow results to the type of household you actually want.
- Language support: The app includes automatic translation, which helps if your German is still a work in progress.
WG-Gesucht is the default starting point for most students, mainly because the sheer volume of listings is hard for any competitor to match.
Kleinanzeigen
Kleinanzeigen, formerly known as eBay Kleinanzeigen before its 2023 rebrand, is Germany’s largest general classifieds marketplace, owned by Adevinta. It is not built for roommates specifically, but its real estate section carries a steady stream of WG-Zimmer listings that never make it onto dedicated housing sites.
- General marketplace: Kleinanzeigen covers everything from furniture to jobs to real estate, with over 50 million ads posted across the platform each month.
- Direct in-app chat: You can message a lister and arrange a viewing without sharing your phone number or email first.
- No matching algorithm: Unlike a roommate-specific app, Kleinanzeigen relies purely on keyword search and location filters, so you have to do the compatibility screening yourself.
- Free to use: Listing a room or messaging about one does not cost anything for private users.
- Local search radius: You can set a geographic radius around your university or preferred neighborhood to catch listings as soon as they go up.
Kleinanzeigen works best as a second channel alongside WG-Gesucht, since some landlords only post in one place or the other.
HousingAnywhere
HousingAnywhere focuses on mid to long-term rentals for international students and young professionals relocating from abroad. It covers more than 150 cities worldwide, including major German university towns, and leans heavily on verification.
- Book before you arrive: Listings can be reserved and paid for online, which matters if you are moving from outside Germany and cannot attend an in-person viewing.
- Verified landlords: The platform checks landlords through email verification, ID checks, and a selfie match before their listings go live.
- Tenant protection: Your first month’s rent is held by HousingAnywhere and only released to the landlord 48 hours after you move in, which gives you a window to confirm the room matches the listing.
- Roommate option: When browsing, you can filter specifically for shared rooms and existing flatshares rather than full apartments.
- Mixed reviews on disputes: Some users report that support can be slow to respond if a listing turns out to be inaccurate, so keep records of every message.
HousingAnywhere is a strong pick if you are booking a room from another country and need something confirmed before you land.
ImmoScout24
ImmoScout24 markets itself as Germany’s number one real estate platform, and it covers the full range of housing, from WG rooms to family apartments. Students mainly use it for the built-in credit check tool that many landlords now expect.
- SCHUFA-BonitätsCheck: You can request your official credit report directly inside the app and store it in your digital applicant folder, ready to send with every inquiry.
- AI-assisted search: The app uses image recognition and smart filters to surface listings that match your criteria for price, room count, and location.
- Map-based search area: You can draw your own search zone on the map instead of relying on postal codes, which helps if your university sits between two districts.
- MieterPlus membership: A paid tier that unlocks early access to some listings and keeps your applicant profile ready to go.
- Free listing for private users: Anyone renting out a room can post a free listing for a limited period before a fee applies.
ImmoScout24 is worth having installed even if WG-Gesucht is your main search tool, mainly for the credit check feature landlords increasingly ask for.
BeRoomie
BeRoomie is a newer, swipe-based app that flips the usual order of things. Instead of searching for a room first, you match with a compatible person, then look for a flat together.
- Match before you search: You build a profile around habits and lifestyle, swipe through potential flatmates, and only start apartment hunting after a mutual match.
- Lifestyle filters: You can filter for things like smoking habits and pet ownership, so you only see people who fit your day-to-day preferences.
- City coverage: The app lists roommates across several German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne, alongside a strong base in Spain and Italy.
- Free with limits: Free users get a capped number of swipes per day, with more access available through a paid upgrade.
- Smaller inventory: Because it is newer than WG-Gesucht, the pool of active users in any single city can be smaller, which matters if you need a room fast.
BeRoomie fits students who care more about finding the right person than about grabbing the first available room.
How to Choose the Right App for You
The right combination depends on your timeline and whether you already have a specific city and neighborhood in mind.
- If you want the largest pool of listings, start with WG-Gesucht and treat it as your primary search.
- If you are relocating from abroad and cannot view a room in person, HousingAnywhere adds a layer of protection worth paying for.
- If landlords keep asking for a credit report, get it sorted early through ImmoScout24 so you are not scrambling later.
- If you would rather match with a person first, try BeRoomie before committing to a specific listing.
- Keep Kleinanzeigen open in a second tab, since it occasionally surfaces rooms that never appear on the dedicated platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Biggest listing pool: WG-Gesucht remains the default first stop for most students searching for a WG.
- Hidden inventory: Kleinanzeigen is worth checking as a free backup, even though it has no roommate matching built in.
- Best for international arrivals: HousingAnywhere offers verified listings and payment protection for students booking from outside Germany.
- Bring your Schufa: ImmoScout24 lets you generate a credit report inside the app, which speeds up applications.
- Compatibility first: BeRoomie suits students who want to find the right person before locking in a room.
FAQs
Are these German roommate apps for students free to use?
Most core features like browsing and messaging are free, though several platforms offer paid tiers for extra visibility or verification.
Do I need a Schufa credit report to rent a room in Germany?
Many landlords expect one, and both ImmoScout24 and WG-Gesucht let you request an official report directly through the platform.
Is HousingAnywhere worth using if I am already living in Germany?
It is built mainly for people relocating from abroad, so students already in the country are usually better served by WG-Gesucht or Kleinanzeigen.
Can I find a WG room on Kleinanzeigen even though it is not a housing-specific app?
Yes, its real estate section regularly includes WG-Zimmer listings alongside its general classifieds.
How is BeRoomie different from the other apps on this list?
BeRoomie matches you with a compatible person first and only starts the apartment search after both people agree, instead of listing individual rooms upfront.
Conclusion
Finding a room through German roommate apps for students usually means using more than one platform at the same time. WG-Gesucht covers the widest range of listings, Kleinanzeigen fills in the gaps, HousingAnywhere adds protection for students arriving from abroad, ImmoScout24 handles the credit check landlords expect, and BeRoomie offers a compatibility-first approach for anyone who wants to pick their person before picking their room. Start with the platform that matches your situation, keep a second one open as backup, and confirm every detail directly with the landlord before sending any money.
