Eleven real hosts. Never 493,000 fake ones.
Steward-owned hospitality. Stays are free. Trust and safety is paid. The company cannot be sold. Couchsurfing chose growth over trust. We structurally cannot.
The wedge
Not a general network. Not fifty cities.
A city is not open until fifty verified, responsive hosts exist. Below that, we print the count.
Asheville
North CarolinaGrith isn't open in Asheville yet — 23 hosts so far, 27 to go. Join the founding group.
Responsive hosts. Silence removes a tick.
Boulder
ColoradoGrith isn't open in Boulder yet — 11 hosts so far, 39 to go. Join the founding group.
Responsive hosts. Silence removes a tick.
Portland
Oregon52 responsive hosts in Portland. Availability expires; silence removes you from search.
Responsive hosts. Silence removes a tick.
Events first
Show up in a room before you sleep in a house.
A new city is viable on day one with zero hosts. Gatherings build the trust graph. Stays follow along it, not between strangers.
Material, not vibe
Profiles lead with how you would stay.
Sleeping arrangement. House rules. Languages. Reference depth. No social feed, no compatibility algorithm, no photo-maximal dating card.
How Grith works →
Bet 1
Narrow beats broad
Warmshowers held ~52% hosts by restricting who belongs. Couchsurfing opened to everyone and decayed to ~2.6%. We launch on trail.
Bet 2
Reciprocity is structural
Standing is earned by hosting, gathering, vouching. It cannot be bought. It gates priority, never access. Stays remain free.
Bet 3
Liveness is the product
Availability is a calendar window with an end date. Dormant accounts leave search. We never show a dead profile to make a map look full.
Journal
Written for the queries hikers actually type.
Warmshowers is for cyclists
Their FAQ sends hikers away. This is the network that exists instead.
Alternatives that do not charge
BeWelcome, Couchers, Trustroots, Grith — who pays for identity, who sells ranking.
Side by side
Couchsurfing vs Warmshowers vs BeWelcome vs Couchers vs Grith, without a waitlist pitch.