The Best Zipcar Alternatives & Carsharing Services We Rate Highest for UK Drivers

Disclaimer: BudgetFitter may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up for carsharing services or rent vehicles through our partner links. The comparisons provided are based on our independent research and market analysis. Always verify the official insurance policies, excess fees, and real-time coverage maps on the operator’s website before booking a vehicle.

Why Look for Zipcar Alternatives?

With Zipcar winding down operations in the UK, it has left a massive void in the market. Let’s be brutally honest upfront: there is no single service that perfectly replaces Zipcar yet. However, many drivers are urgently hunting for reliable carsharing alternatives to fill the gap in convenient urban mobility. Carsharing services have seen steady growth across the UK, as highlighted by CoMoUK‘s data on existing schemes and operators, and Transport for London‘s reports on car clubs in the capital. We evaluated the surviving options based on availability in key cities, pricing structures, vehicle variety, app usability, and overall suitability for occasional or business use in this evolving UK carsharing landscape.

The Van Void and London’s Carsharing Crisis

It is frankly disappointing that a major European capital like London is currently stuck in such a carsharing vicious cycle. Compared to continental peers like Berlin or Paris, the UK market feels heavily restricted post-Zipcar. One of the biggest pain points for ex-Zipcar users is the loss of accessible Zipcar Vans. People relied heavily on these for moving flats or transporting heavy IKEA furniture. Right now, Enterprise Car Club is one of the only viable options left for hourly van rentals, but we sincerely hope a new, innovative player enters the UK market soon to bring European-level competition back to our streets.

How We Selected the Best Zipcar Alternatives

Our selection process focused on services with solid UK coverage, transparent membership fees, competitive hourly and daily rates, and real user feedback from platforms like CoMoUK. We heavily prioritised company-owned fleets for reliability over peer-to-peer (marketplace) models, as renting vehicles directly from private owners carries a lot of potential hassle and inconsistency. While no service perfectly mirrors the old Zipcar experience, these stand out as sensible choices with clear pros and cons.

1. Enterprise Car Club: The Closest Company-Owned Fleet Option

Because it offers a nationwide network of professionally maintained, company-owned vehicles, Enterprise Car Club is our top-rated Zipcar alternative with a ‘Good’ BFS score on its brand page. Operating as an extension of the global Enterprise Rent-A-Car giant, this club boasts a massive footprint: over 1,500 vehicles spread across more than 200 towns, cities, and communities in the UK. Unlike London-centric apps, you will frequently find Enterprise cars parked in dedicated bays at major National Rail stations, making multi-modal travel a breeze.

Why Enterprise Takes the Crown: Fleet Variety & Professional Standards

Where peer-to-peer platforms give you whatever is parked on your street, Enterprise guarantees professional standards. Every vehicle is regularly serviced, insured, and professionally valeted—meaning you won’t step into a car smelling of someone else’s dog or find personal belongings in the boot. Moreover, the sheer variety is unmatched. Need a compact hybrid for a quick grocery run? A spacious SUV for a family weekend? Or a Transit van to move houses or pick up flatpack furniture from IKEA? Enterprise has them all available to book by the hour or day, with fuel completely included via a card in the glovebox.

💡 BUDGETFITTER INSIDER HACK: Enterprise Car Club frequently runs incredible promo codes (like offering £1 first-year memberships for ex-Zipcar members or giving £20 driving credits to Londoners). Because carsharing brands rotate these introductory offers constantly, always check our Enterprise Car Club discount page for the verified, currently active promo codes before registering to ensure you don’t overpay.

The Catch (And the Clever Workaround): While the fleet is excellent, the mobile app experience is notoriously terrible. We found the booking process to be extremely clunky and outdated compared to what Zipcar users are used to. However, here is the expert tip: Unlike app-only rivals, Enterprise provides members with a physical RFID membership card. If the app freezes, or if you are parked in a deep underground car park with zero 5G signal, you simply tap your physical card against the windscreen reader to lock and unlock the car. It is a brilliant, fail-safe backup that many modern apps lack.

BudgetFitter Math: Car Ownership vs. Enterprise Car Club

Let’s talk real savings. If you use tools like our partner Carwow’s Car Chooser to price up a new or used vehicle, you’ll quickly realise the upfront price tag is just the beginning. The average cost of running a car in the UK (including insurance, MOT, road tax, depreciation, and urban parking permits) easily exceeds £3,000 to £4,000 a year before you even buy petrol. If you live in an urban area and only need a car for a weekend grocery run or a bi-weekly day trip, using Enterprise Car Club is drastically cheaper. Even if you spend £100 a month on hourly rentals (£1,200 a year) plus a membership fee, you are saving over £2,000 annually. Plus, you never have to worry about surprise mechanic bills. However, if your math shows you do drive enough to justify owning a car, we highly recommend using Carwow to guarantee you aren’t overpaying at the dealership.

2. Peer-to-Peer & Eco-Friendly Rivals: Hiyacar, Turo, and Co Wheels

If Enterprise doesn’t cover your street, or if you simply prefer a different model, the UK market has three other major players. They each serve very specific niches in the post-Zipcar landscape:

Hiyacar: The Best “Local” Peer-to-Peer Option

Operating as an “Airbnb for cars,” Hiyacar connects you with private car owners in your neighbourhood. It shines for budget-conscious locals seeking extreme variety at lower rates. What elevates Hiyacar above a basic marketplace is their QuickSmart technology and generally good app experience. Many cars on the platform have a smart box installed that lets you unlock the vehicle directly from your phone—meaning you don’t have to suffer through awkward key handovers with the owner. The downside? Dealing with private owners still carries risks. Vehicle cleanliness is wildly inconsistent, hosts can cancel last-minute, and it lacks the corporate uniformity Zipcar provided.

Turo: The Premium Choice for Multi-Day Trips

While Hiyacar is great for an afternoon errand, Turo is the global heavyweight for longer trips. If you are planning a weekend getaway to the Cotswolds or a road trip to the Scottish Highlands, Turo allows you to rent specific, often premium models (think Teslas, vintage convertibles, or high-end SUVs). It comes with robust, built-in insurance options to ease your mind and an excellent, incredibly slick mobile app. However, it is fundamentally designed for daily rather than hourly rentals, so it won’t help you with a quick 2-hour B&Q run.

Co Wheels: The Eco-Friendly Fleet

If you loved Zipcar’s push towards electric vehicles, Co Wheels is your best match. Operating as a community-focused social enterprise, they own their fleet (just like Enterprise) ensuring high reliability. They heavily prioritise low-emission, hybrid, and fully electric vehicles. Their app is generally functional and not bad, and their pricing is extremely transparent. The catch? Their footprint is largely regional. While they dominate in specific cities like Bristol, Newcastle, and Oxford, they don’t have the omnipresent blanket coverage of Enterprise in major capitals.

Note on Emerging Brands: According to CoMoUK’s official directory, newer names like Leap Car Club and Zimbl are also entering the space. However, their fleet sizes are very small, and their long-term reliability remains largely unproven, so approach them with caution until they scale up.

BudgetFitter Travel Hack: The “Heathrow Metro Loophole”

What if you need a car for an entire weekend getaway (like driving up to the Lake District), but you don’t want the hassle of peer-to-peer marketplaces? You might instinctively look at traditional car rental branches (like Europcar, Green Motion, Avis or Hertz) in central London hubs such as Kings Cross, Euston, or Battersea.

Don’t do it. Central city rental depots charge heavily inflated premium rates. For a more economical option, take the London Underground (Piccadilly or Elizabeth Line) directly to Heathrow Airport rather than the pricey Heathrow Express. Renting a traditional, fully insured company car from an airport branch is often significantly cheaper, safer, and much more reliable than paying central city premiums or risking a peer-to-peer carsharing vehicle for a multi-day trip. You can explore standard rental deals via our Car Hire category.

Comparison Table: Which Service is Right for Your Journey?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do I have to pay for petrol or electric charging?

No, one of the biggest benefits of company-owned car clubs like Enterprise and Co Wheels is that fuel and electricity are included in the price of your rental. You will find a fuel card inside the vehicle (usually in the glovebox). If the tank drops below a quarter, you simply use the card to fill it up at a partner petrol station without paying out of pocket.

Are the London Congestion Charge and ULEZ included?

This is a major selling point. Almost all company-owned car club vehicles are strictly ULEZ-compliant, meaning you will not face the £12.50 daily emissions charge. Furthermore, if the car’s designated parking bay is inside the Congestion Charge zone, the operator typically covers that cost too. However, always verify this on the app before driving through Central London.

Can I drop the car off anywhere (one-way trips)?

Unlike some of the flexible models Zipcar experimented with (Zipcar Flex), most surviving UK car clubs currently operate on a “round-trip” basis. This means you must return the vehicle to the exact same dedicated parking bay where you picked it up. You cannot do one-way trips to the airport and leave the car there.

Final Verdict and Next Steps

Our verdict: Enterprise Car Club is the most sensible choice as the closest Zipcar stand-in due to its scale and vital van fleet, but be prepared to fight with a terrible mobile app. If you just need a car for a weekend away, skipping the carsharing hassle entirely and taking the tube to Heathrow for a traditional rental is a top-tier BudgetFitter strategy. Check CoMoUK or TFL for your postcode’s exact options, weigh your needs—IKEA run or premium getaway?—and grab a verified promo deal from our brand pages before you book.