If you're having trouble reserving a rental car, alternatives like Kyte or Turo might have some availability.

If you're thinking of renting a car for an upcoming trip, and find the prices too expensive at traditional companies like Avis and Hertz, you'll be pleased to know that a number of nontraditional rental car companies have proliferated in recent years, which may offer better prices.

1. Turo

What it is: Turo is basically the Airbnb for cars, where you rent out a car — booked online or through the Turo app — from the car’s owner. You usually pick up the car at a pickup location, which could be the owner’s house, or a public area like a park or shopping center. Turo certainly has its pros and cons, but it can be one of the best ways to rent a car if you don't want to g with traditional car rental agency.

Some owners offer the option to deliver the car to you (usually for an additional fee), which can be handy if you’d like them to meet you at the airport or your hotel.

There are also a few cars that offer a feature called Turo Go, where you can unlock the car via an app, allowing you to start the trip without ever meeting your host.

Turo can also be fun for aspirational travelers given how it prominently highlights its selection of unique cars. That's through a feature rolled out in June 2024 called limitless search. If you're interested in a particular vehicle, limitless search allows you to find where in the world that specific make and model is available for rent.

Minimum age: 21 for most trips and car types, although some cars can be booked at age 18 with an additional young-driver fee.

Why we like it: The option to have your car delivered is especially handy — and a potential money saver. We tested Turo on a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. The trip started at a fancy resort with expensive parking, so taking a cab to the hotel and staying a couple of nights on the resort grounds, sans car, was fine. When it was time to drive to the other side of the island, we had our Turo host meet us at our hotel, so we never had to pay exorbitant hotel parking prices. After the trip, we were able to leave the car at the airport, making drop-off convenient.

Cancellation policy: You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your trip.

Potential drawbacks: Since you’re renting the car directly from the owner, quality may vary. With a rental car, you’re generally guaranteed to have a fairly new, just-washed car. Since Turo cars are owned by regular people, the car’s condition is a bit of a gamble.

2. Zipcar

What it is: Zipcar, which actually shares the same parent company as both Avis and Budget, allows you to book rental cars by the hour or day. The cars are usually parked in small lots or designated Zipcar parking spaces around the city, and can be unlocked via the Zipcar app. When you’re done with the trip, just return it to the same place.

Minimum age: 21 (or 18 if a student or where required by law).

Why we like it: Zipcar provides the best of both worlds. You can pick up cars all around your city for hourly intervals, enabling you the flexibility to rent a car for day trips without worrying about paying for overnight parking. And, since the cars are operated by Zipcar, you can almost guarantee high-quality cars (as opposed to renting from a person who owns the car and might not have cleaned or maintained it to traditional rental car standards).

Cancellation policy: You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your trip for trips eight hours or longer, and you can cancel up to three hours before the trip for trips less than eight hours.

Potential drawbacks: You need to purchase a membership in order to actually rent Zipcars, and that’s on top of a bunch of other fees, including a one-time $25 application fee when you apply for membership.

3. Kyte

Kyte stands out as a car rental alternative because of its delivery service. At your "pickup" time, you stay put. Instead, a Kyte employee delivers your car to you and picks it up when you're done.

Unlike alternatives such as Turo, you’re not renting another person’s car. With Kyte, you're renting SUVs, sedans and all-wheel-drive (AWD) cars much like what you'd get with a traditional car rental company. Kyte says it keeps cars for 18 to 24 months, so rentals are relatively new. That's a welcome contrast to peer-to-peer rentals that can often arrive worse for wear.

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