CasaRadar vs Badi: finding a room in Barcelona without paying to be noticed (2026)
By Marc Ferrer3 min read
The short answer
If you are looking for a room in a shared flat in Barcelona, Badi is one of the largest sources. But Badi's business model works against speed: listers only get their first match free, so many requests from tenants go unanswered, and Badi sells tenants a €9.99 "Fast-Track" to jump the queue. CasaRadar takes a different route: it alerts you the moment a room appears on Badi, on other sites or in private WhatsApp and Facebook groups, so you can be the first request in the inbox without buying a boost.
How Badi works for tenants
- Search rooms and flats by city, dates and filters; stays from about one month to long term.
- To contact a lister you send a chat request with a short intro (50 to 500 characters). The lister must accept before a chat opens. One request per listing.
- Fast-Track (€9.99, one-off, valid 30 days, automatically extended 30 days if you have not found a room): your requests are pinned at the top of the lister's inbox and listers can always reply to you, even on the free plan.
- New-listing alerts: Badi's help centre only describes filters and chat notifications. We found no documented saved-search alert for new rooms.
- Lister side: listing is free, but only the first match is free; Badi Gold (€19.99 per listing per 30 days) unlocks unlimited matches, a visibility boost and recommended tenants. This is why unpaid listers often cannot answer you.
- Badi Plus (plus.badi.com) is a separate brand of Badi-operated furnished rooms with a €100 cleaning fee, deposit at reservation and no in-person viewings.
How CasaRadar works for room hunters
- Set your criteria once: neighbourhoods, budget, room or flat.
- CasaRadar watches Badi, Idealista, Fotocasa, Habitaclia, Pisos.com and other sites, plus 40+ private WhatsApp and Facebook housing groups and 20+ colivings, and sends an instant alert by email, Telegram or push.
- You contact the lister where the room is published. Being first is free; there is no pay-to-be-seen.
- Free to start, then PRO at €19.95 per month, billed €39.90 per 2 months.
Side by side
Badi | CasaRadar | |
|---|---|---|
What it is | Room marketplace | Alert service across portals and groups |
Sources | Badi only | Badi, portals, agency sites, 40+ WhatsApp/Facebook groups |
New-listing alerts | Not documented | Instant: email, Telegram, push |
Tenant cost | Free requests; Fast-Track €9.99 / 30 days | Free to start, then €19.95/month (billed €39.90 per 2 months) |
Contact | Chat request, lister must accept | On the source site or group |
Rooms vs flats | Mostly rooms | Rooms and flats |
Trustpilot (2026-11-01) | 1.4 / 5 (168 reviews) | – |
Safety note
Rooms are where most Barcelona rental scams happen: deposits requested before a viewing, "landlords abroad", copied photos. Badi publishes its own safety tips, and the same rules apply everywhere: never pay before you have seen the room and the ID of the person renting it. CasaRadar's guide on avoiding rental scams in Barcelona lists the seven red flags.
Sources
- Badi help centre: "Searching for a room or flat", "What is Fast-Track", "What is a priority candidate", "What is Badi Gold", "Chat requests and contacting listers", "Consejos para usar Badi de forma segura" (seen 2026-11-01)
- plus.badi.com/faqs (modified 2024-11-28)
- Badi on the App Store (in-app purchase list) and Google Play (seen 2026-11-01)
- Trustpilot, badi.com (seen 2026-11-01)
Get new rooms in your barrio the moment they are posted
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Frequently asked questions about casaradar vs badi
Here are answers to some of the most common questions we receive.
Badi's help centre does not document saved-search alerts; notifications cover chat messages. If you want to know about new rooms the minute they appear, use an alert service.
It helps your request get seen by listers who would otherwise not be able to reply. It does not help you see rooms earlier. Speed is what CasaRadar covers.
No. You still send the request on Badi. CasaRadar only tells you about the room first.
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