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Feature Guide

Free vs Premium: What's the Difference?

Everything you can do for free, everything Premium unlocks, and how to decide when it's time to upgrade.

Two tiers, one platform

MutualExchange is designed so that every tenant can list, browse, and find swaps for free. We'll never put basic functionality behind a paywall. But for tenants who are serious about moving — who've found someone they want to contact, want to track their swap progress, or need to build a chain — Premium unlocks the tools that make the process faster and easier.

Here's exactly what each tier includes, so you can decide what's right for you.

Everything free accounts can do

A free account gives you everything you need to get started and find potential matches:

Create and publish your listing

List your property with full details, features, and preferences.

Upload up to 3 photos

Enough to show the key rooms and give other tenants a clear picture.

Browse all listings

Full access to search, all filters, map view, and sort options.

Reply to messages

If a Premium member contacts you first, you can reply for free.

1 saved search with email alerts

Save your most important search criteria and get daily notifications.

3 shortlisted listings

Bookmark your top picks to review later from your dashboard.

Match percentage on every listing

See how well each listing matches your swap preferences.

Set your urgency and preferences

Tell other tenants what you're looking for and how quickly you want to move.

All guides, tools, and calculators

Full access to our help centre, guides, and rent comparison tools.

Everything Premium adds

Premium is for tenants who are actively pursuing a swap. It removes limits and unlocks tools that help you move faster:

Send messages first

Contact any tenant directly through our inbox — don't wait for them to find you.

Upload up to 15 photos

Show every room, the garden, the street, and nearby amenities.

Swap tracker + landlord documents

Track your swap from agreement to moving day. Generate professional documents for your landlord.

Chain builder

Create and manage multi-party swap chains with up to 10 members.

See who viewed and saved your listing

Spot interested tenants who haven't messaged you yet.

Unlimited saved searches

Save as many different search criteria as you need, each with its own email alerts.

Unlimited shortlisted listings

Bookmark every listing that catches your eye, no limit.

Read receipts on messages

Know when your messages have been seen by the other tenant.

Boosted visibility in search

Your listing appears with a subtle priority boost so more people see it.

Side-by-side comparison

Feature Free Premium
Create listing & publish
Browse, search, and filter
Map view
Match percentage
Set urgency & preferences
Guides, tools, calculators
Reply to messages
Photos 3 15
Saved searches 1 Unlimited
Shortlisted listings 3 Unlimited
Send messages first
Swap tracker & landlord docs
Chain builder
Who viewed / saved your listing
Read receipts
Boosted visibility

Pricing and early access

FREE

Until September 2026

No card required. One-click activation.

£1.99/month

After September 2026

Cancel anytime. No long contracts.

We're currently in early access, which means every Premium feature is completely free until September 2026. No credit card, no trial period, no catch. Just go to your subscription page and click activate.

After September, Premium will cost £1.99 per month via Stripe. You can cancel at any time and your account will revert to a free tier at the end of the billing period. We chose this price because we want Premium to be accessible to everyone — it's less than a cup of coffee.

What happens after September 2026?

If you don't subscribe after early access ends, your account automatically reverts to the free tier. Here's what that means:

Your listing stays live. Nothing changes with your published property.

Your data is kept. Saved searches, shortlisted listings, messages, and swap tracker history are all preserved.

Limits apply. Photos beyond 3 stay uploaded but won't display. Saved searches beyond 1 are paused. Shortlists beyond 3 are preserved but hidden.

Premium tools lock. You can no longer send messages first, use the swap tracker, create chains, or see who viewed your listing.

You can re-subscribe at any time and everything unlocks again immediately — nothing is ever deleted.

When should you upgrade?

There's no pressure to upgrade until you need to. Here are the moments when Premium makes the biggest difference:

1

You've found someone you want to message

Free accounts can reply to messages but can't send the first one. If you've spotted a perfect match and want to reach out, Premium lets you make the first move.

2

You want to track a swap in progress

The swap tracker guides you through every stage from agreement to moving day, and generates the landlord documents you need for your mutual exchange application.

3

You're building a chain

The chain builder is a Premium tool. If a direct swap isn't available, chains with 3+ people dramatically increase your options. See our chain swap guide for details.

4

Right now — because it's free

During early access, there's genuinely no reason not to activate Premium. It costs nothing, requires no card, and gives you every tool we offer. Activate now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. You can create a listing, browse every property on the platform, use all search filters, reply to messages, and access all our guides and tools without paying anything. Free accounts have some limits on photos, saved searches, and shortlists, but the core functionality is completely free.

Premium is currently free during early access (until September 2026). After that, it costs £1.99 per month, paid via Stripe. There are no annual contracts — you can cancel at any time.

Go to your subscription page and click the activation button. No credit card is needed. It takes one click and Premium features are available immediately.

No. All your data is preserved — messages, swap tracker history, saved searches, shortlisted listings, and extra photos. Some features will be locked and some limits will apply, but nothing is deleted. Re-subscribe and everything unlocks again.

Yes. There's no minimum commitment. If you cancel, Premium stays active until the end of your current billing period, then your account reverts to the free tier.

No. If a Premium member sends you a message, you can read and reply for free. Premium is only required to send the first message in a conversation.

If you're actively swapping, yes. The ability to message first, track your swap, generate landlord documents, and build chains saves time and stress. At £1.99 per month, it's less than a cup of coffee and it's the only cost on the platform — there are no hidden fees.

We use Stripe for payments, which accepts all major debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). Payments are processed securely — we never see or store your card details.

Activate Premium for free — while you still can

Early access ends in September 2026. Every Premium feature is free right now — no card, no catch. One click to activate.

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