Travel · head to head
Careem vs Chekin
Careem
Travel
Middle East ride hailing super-app, owned by Uber since 2019 but operated as a separate brand across the region
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Chekin
Travel
Guest check-in, identity verification and police registration for European rentals
- From
- €3.95/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Careem has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Careem despite Uber owning Careem since 2019, the two apps remain fully separate with different pricing, driver networks and accounts, so a rider gets no combined benefit or shared account between them despite the common ownership.; Chekin there is a three unit minimum on the published plans, so a single-property host cannot buy the entry tier at the advertised rate.
- They diverge on capability: Careem covers Ride hailing, Chekin covers Police and authority registration.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Careem and Chekin actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Careem
- Ride hailing
- Careem Now
- Careem Pay
- Careem Box
- Bus and mass transit booking
- Careem Bike
Only in Chekin
- Police and authority registration
- Identity verification
- Tourist tax calculation
- Self check-in and digital keys
- Deposits and damage protection
- Upsells and branded guest app
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Careem
- A rider in the Middle East or North Africa comparing Careem against Uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownershipnot Chekin
- Someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through Careem Nownot Chekin
- A rider in a market where Careem has stronger local driver supply than Ubernot Chekin
- A traveller wanting Careem Pay wallet integration for in-app and, in select markets, other paymentsnot Chekin
Chekin
- A manager with twenty apartments in Barcelona who must file guest data with the Ministry of the Interior for every arrival and cannot do it manually at scalenot Careem
- An Italian host needing Alloggiati Web submissions and city tourist tax collected from the guest rather than absorbednot Careem
- A property with no staffed reception issuing door codes only after identity documents have been verifiednot Careem
- An operator wanting damage deposits taken and released automatically instead of chasing bank transfersnot Careem
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Careem
- Despite Uber owning Careem since 2019, the two apps remain fully separate with different pricing, driver networks and accounts, so a rider gets no combined benefit or shared account between them despite the common ownership.
- Coverage, while strong across the Middle East and North Africa, does not extend meaningfully outside that region, so it is not a relevant option elsewhere.
- Fares are dynamic with demand-based surge like the rest of the category, and no published flat rate card makes advance cost estimation difficult during peak periods.
- Feature availability, including Careem Now delivery, Careem Pay external payments and bus ticketing, varies significantly by country and city within the region.
- As with other ride hailing platforms operating under a large parent company, driver classification and commission structures have drawn periodic regulatory and labour scrutiny in some of its markets.
Chekin
- There is a three unit minimum on the published plans, so a single-property host cannot buy the entry tier at the advertised rate.
- The compliance value is regional; outside Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece there is often no authority integration to use and the product becomes an ordinary check-in form at a per property price.
- Transaction fees sit on almost every money-handling feature, including 1.5% plus EUR 0.99 on payments and 10% on unified inbox transactions, so the effective cost is far above the subscription for anyone using them.
- It is a layer on top of a PMS rather than a replacement, so you are paying a second per property subscription alongside your existing platform and reconciling two sources of guest data.
- Identity verification and self check-in sit behind the Premium tier and Premium only includes one premium feature, so an operator wanting both verification and digital keys must move to Enterprise.
Pricing, plan by plan
Careem
Free- CareemFree
- App is free; riders pay per trip at dynamic, demand-based fares
- Fares vary by country and city across the Middle East and North Africa
- No published flat rate card, fares vary by city, time and route
Chekin
€3.95/month- Basic$3.95/month
- Minimum three units
- Online check-in and legal compliance filing
- Tourist taxes
- Premium$5.95/month
- Everything in Basic
- One premium feature of your choice
- Options: identity verification, self check-in and digital keys, branded guest app, digital guidebooks or e-invoicing
- Enterprise$7.95/month
- All premium features included
- Identity verification, self check-in, branded app, guidebooks, e-invoicing
- Custom pricing above volume thresholds
Which should you pick?
Choose Careem if
- You need ride hailing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want careem now.
Choose Chekin if
- You need police and authority registration.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want identity verification.
Questions people ask
- Is Careem or Chekin better?
- Neither clearly leads. Careem starts at Free and Chekin at €3.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Careem or Chekin?
- Careem has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Careem and €3.95/month for Chekin.
- Does Careem or Chekin run on more platforms?
- Careem runs on iOS, Android. Chekin runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Careem for free?
- Yes. Careem has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chekin starts at €3.95/month.
- What is Careem best used for?
- Careem is most often used for a rider in the middle east or north africa comparing careem against uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownership, someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through careem now, a rider in a market where careem has stronger local driver supply than uber, a traveller wanting careem pay wallet integration for in-app and, in select markets, other payments. Of those, a rider in the middle east or north africa comparing careem against uber, since both operate as separate apps in overlapping cities despite common ownership and someone wanting food or grocery delivery alongside rides in one app through careem now are not what Chekin is typically brought in for.
- What can Careem do that Chekin cannot?
- Careem covers Ride hailing, Careem Now, Careem Pay, Careem Box. Chekin covers Police and authority registration, Identity verification, Tourist tax calculation, Self check-in and digital keys.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Careem: Is Careem the same as Uber?
No. Uber acquired Careem in 2019 for roughly 3.1 billion dollars but operates it as a separate brand with its own app, pricing and driver network rather than merging it into the Uber app.
Chekin: Why would I buy this rather than use my PMS check-in form?
Because it files guest data with national police registration systems and calculates local tourist tax, which PMS check-in forms do not do.
Careem: Where does Careem operate?
Primarily across the Middle East and North Africa, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan among other countries in the region.
Chekin: What does it really cost?
From EUR 3.95 per property per month with a three unit minimum, plus 1.5% plus EUR 0.30 on deposits, 1.5% plus EUR 0.99 on payments, 1% on upsells and 10% on unified inbox transactions.
Careem: Can I use my Uber account on Careem?
No, they are separate apps and accounts despite common ownership; you need a distinct Careem account to use the service.
Chekin: Does it work outside southern Europe?
The check-in, verification and key features do. The automated authority filing that justifies the price largely does not.
Chekin: Can I get both identity verification and digital keys on Premium?
No. Premium includes one premium feature. Both requires Enterprise at EUR 7.95 per property per month.
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