I've rented a car for Uber on three different peer-to-peer platforms over the last four years. Turo when I was just trying to see if rideshare was worth it. HyreCar before they shut down their consumer business in 2024. RideshareRenter for the last two years.
They sound similar from the outside. They are not the same thing. Knowing the difference is the gap between paying $280 a week and grossing $1,400, or paying $310 a week and grossing nothing because your app got deactivated for the wrong type of vehicle.
Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing platform. Founded in 2009. Designed for vacations, road trips, and short-term personal use. Most listings ban rideshare or commercial use outright, and the ones that allow it cost a premium and come with a mileage cap that doesn't survive contact with a 12-hour Uber shift.
HyreCar built the original rideshare-specific rental marketplace. They had real traction with Uber and Lyft drivers from 2017 through 2023, ran into financial trouble, and the consumer-facing business effectively shut down in 2024. Their corporate fleet business was folded into other operators.
RideshareRenter launched specifically as a peer-to-peer marketplace built for rideshare and gig economy work. Every car on the platform is insured for commercial driving with Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. Mileage is unlimited within the rental region. Owners are paid weekly, drivers are vetted with the same kind of background check Uber runs.
| Turo | HyreCar (pre-shutdown) | RideshareRenter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rideshare allowed? | Rarely â host must opt in, most don't | Yes, every car | Yes, every car |
| Insurance for Uber/Lyft | Not included â driver had to buy commercial policy | Included | Included, plus DoorDash/Uber Eats |
| Mileage cap | 200â800 mi/day typical | Unlimited regional | Unlimited regional |
| Typical weekly cost | $420â$700 (plus your own insurance) | $220â$380 | $230â$420 |
| Deposit | $200â$500 | $200 standard | $0â$250 depending on owner |
| Driver background check | License only | Yes, MVR + criminal | Yes, MVR + criminal + Uber/Lyft eligibility |
| Cars currently available | Millions (not for rideshare) | None â shut down | Thousands across 40+ cities |
| Owner payout cut | ~25% to Turo | ~15% to HyreCar | ~15% to RideshareRenter |
| Same-day approval | Usually | 1â3 days when active | Often within 24 hours |
I'll save you the experiment I ran in 2022. I rented a Mazda 3 on Turo for what I thought was an Uber-friendly listing. The host had "commercial use OK" buried in the description. I drove for three days. The host filed a claim against me for "exceeding mileage allowance" because I'd put 480 miles on it in a weekend.
The cost wasn't the rental. The cost was the $1.20-per-mile overage on 380 miles. That's $456 in surprise fees on top of a $310 base rate. After fuel I lost money.
The problem isn't Turo as a company. The platform works exactly as designed for what it was built for â vacations, weekend getaways, "I'm flying into Phoenix and need a car for four days." It's not built for someone trying to put 1,400 miles a week on a vehicle. The hosts don't want that mileage and the insurance doesn't cover commercial driving.
If you see a Turo listing that says "rideshare friendly," read every line about mileage and insurance. Then check if Turo's commercial insurance offering actually exists in your state â it doesn't in many of them.
For about six years HyreCar was the default. They had inventory, they had Uber/Lyft integration, and they had a working insurance product. They also had thin margins, multiple rounds of layoffs, and an SEC delisting that ended the consumer-facing business.
If you Google "HyreCar" today you'll find a lot of old comparison content that's no longer accurate. Their consumer marketplace is gone. Some of their corporate fleet relationships were sold to other operators, but if you're a driver looking to rent a car this week, HyreCar is not the platform anymore.
What matters is what HyreCar got right â purpose-built for rideshare, insurance baked in, transparent weekly pricing. Those are the things to look for in whatever you use next.
I've been on RideshareRenter for 26 months. Three different cars over that period â a 2019 Camry hybrid, a 2020 RAV4, and currently a 2021 Sienna because I wanted to try Uber XL.
The Camry ran me $245 a week and grossed an average of $1,180 in 50 hours. The RAV4 was $295 a week and grossed about the same â I switched mainly for the better passenger comfort on long airport trips. The Sienna is $385 a week and grosses around $1,650 because XL rates are higher and I get fewer trips but bigger ones.
The two things that keep me on RideshareRenter and not the alternative I'm about to mention: insurance that actually covers Uber/Lyft trips without me adding a $60-a-month commercial policy on top, and the ability to switch cars without re-doing background checks every time.
Fair question and worth a short answer because most drivers compare peer-to-peer platforms against rental car company programs.
Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise all run Uber/Lyft rental programs. They're more predictable than peer-to-peer because the fleet is uniform and the locations are corporate. They're also typically $50 to $150 a week more expensive for similar vehicle classes, and they enforce stricter return windows.
If you value predictability and you live near a major airport, Hertz or Avis can be a fine choice. If you value cost and flexibility, peer-to-peer wins. We've written separate posts comparing those programs directly on the RideshareRenter blog.
You drive weekends or part-time: RideshareRenter weekly. Don't bother with Turo â the math falls apart at low mileage too, just for different reasons.
You drive full-time, 50+ hours: RideshareRenter, no question. The unlimited regional miles and included commercial insurance are the whole game at that volume.
You only need a car for a 3-day trip and you're not driving Uber on it: Turo. That's literally what it was built for.
You're an owner with a spare vehicle: Turo if you want vacationers, RideshareRenter if you want consistent weekly cash flow from gig drivers.
Did HyreCar really shut down?
The consumer rental marketplace, yes. The parent company restructured and the brand effectively exited the driver-rental business in 2024. Most former HyreCar drivers moved to RideshareRenter or a Hertz/Avis Uber program.
Can I still find Turo cars that allow Uber?
Some exist. They're rare, they're expensive, and the mileage caps make them unworkable for full-time rideshare. Read the listing's commercial use terms carefully before booking â and check whether Turo's commercial insurance is even sold in your state.
How is RideshareRenter different from a rental car company program?
It's peer-to-peer â individual owners list their personal vehicles, and you rent directly from them with the platform handling insurance, payments, and background checks. That's why pricing is usually lower than Hertz or Avis. The trade-off is that vehicle availability depends on what owners in your area have listed.
How fast can I start driving?
On RideshareRenter, most drivers get approved within 24 hours and on the road within 48. Background check first, then matching with a car, then a same-day pickup if the owner is available.
What if I damage the car?
The marketplace insurance kicks in after your deductible (typically $1,500â$2,500). For a separate deep dive on how rideshare rental insurance actually works, see our insurance breakdown.
Do I need my own commercial insurance to drive on RideshareRenter?
No. The platform's commercial policy combined with Uber/Lyft's commercial coverage handles the requirements. Some drivers add a personal non-owned auto policy for extra protection, but it's optional.
Turo is a great vacation product that's a bad rideshare product. HyreCar was a good rideshare product that no longer exists. RideshareRenter is what's left, and it's actually built for what we do â daily mileage, commercial driving, weekly cash flow, no commercial insurance bill on top of the rental.
The three platforms aren't really competing for the same drivers anymore. They never quite were.
Looking to rent a car for Uber or Lyft this week? RideshareRenter has vehicles ready in 40+ US cities, with insurance and rideshare approval included. Browse available cars â
Got a car you're not using full-time? Owners on RideshareRenter earn weekly from vetted gig drivers without dealing with vacation rentals or one-off bookings. List your vehicle â
Comments