VanSite
VanSite operates an online marketplace and mobile apps for booking private nature-based camping pitches across 8 European countries, serving campervan and motorhome travelers as well as rural landowners via host commissions, subscription passes, and e-commerce sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBielefeld, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What VanSite does
VanSite UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is a Bielefeld, Germany-based private company that operates an online marketplace and mobile applications for booking private, nature-based camping pitches across 8 European countries (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark). The platform connects individual landowners — primarily farmers and rural property owners offering pitches on private land — with campervan, motorhome, caravan, and tent travelers seeking alternatives to crowded traditional campsites. Listed inventory stands at 1,660+ verified pitches averaging three pitches per location to ensure privacy, with hosts able to list properties, set pricing, and accept bookings directly via the platform.
The core platform is built on Sharetribe marketplace infrastructure hosted on AWS, with native iOS and Android apps and Stripe-powered payments processed through Stripe Connect. VanSite monetizes through three streams: (1) host commissions of a 30% service fee plus 7% transaction fee on overnight prices of €15 and above; (2) subscription passes — JahresPass (AnnualPass) at €249/year providing 365 days free overnight stays at 1,000+ hosts and 25Pass at €29.95/year for a 25% booking discount; and (3) e-commerce sales of the annual Stellplatzführer 2026 guidebook (€29.95) and gift vouchers (€10-200). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, 1-10 employees, and co-CEO leadership by founders Maximilian Buschmeyer and Sebastian S. Siegbert. Distribution is product-led via web and mobile, supplemented by content marketing, country-level SEO, and earned media in Spiegel, Stern, RTL West, WDR, and Deutschlandfunk Nova.
VanSite firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VanSite
- Legal name
- VanSite UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
- Website
- https://vansite.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VanSite operates an online marketplace and mobile apps for booking private nature-based camping pitches across 8 European countries, serving campervan and motorhome travelers as well as rural landowners via host commissions, subscription passes, and e-commerce sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VanSite industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Camping Marketplace
- NAICS
- RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Eco/Nature-Based Campgrounds (Sustainable/Off-Grid) (THAMAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB), Campground & Overnight Facilities Operations (Campsites, Cabins, Backcountry Huts) (THAAAGAE), Camping Furniture & Camp Kitchen Retail (CRAMAMAC)
Keywords
Where VanSite is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bielefeld
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
VanSite business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Host Commission - Service Fee: VanSite charges hosts a 30% service fee on the overnight price plus a 7% transaction fee (applied from overnight prices of €15 and above). This is the primary revenue stream, deducted automatically during billing.
- Annual Pass Subscription: AnnualPass at €249/year provides 365 days free overnight stays at over 1,000 hosts in Europe (50% discount on remaining ~350 hosts). 25Pass at €29.95/year provides 25% discount on accommodation costs for 12 months. Auto-renews via Stripe subscription.
- E-commerce Shop Sales: Sale of physical/digital products including Stellplatzführer 2026 guidebook (€29.95) featuring over 1,500 hosts and route ideas, and value vouchers (€10/25/50/100/200) redeemable for bookings or passes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | AnnualPass - €249/year for unlimited free overnight stays at 1,000+ hosts plus 50% discount elsewhere |
| Subscription | Annual | 25Pass - €29.95/year for 25% discount on all bookings |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Value Voucher - €10/25/50/100/200 denominations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Stellplatzführer 2026 Guidebook - €29.95 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Host Service Fee - 30% + 7% of overnight price |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
VanSite product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VanSite operates an online marketplace and mobile apps that connect campervan, motorhome, caravan, and tent travelers with private landowners offering natural camping pitches across Europe. Hosts list pitches with descriptions, amenities, pricing, and photos; guests discover and book them through a map-based search with filters for equipment, vehicle type, environment, and activities, with real-time availability and Stripe-powered instant booking. VanSite monetizes via host commissions (30% service fee + 7% transaction fee), subscription passes (AnnualPass and 25Pass), and sales of a printed guidebook and gift vouchers.
Product overview
VanSite operates a marketplace platform connecting motorhome, caravan, and campervan owners with private hosts offering natural pitches across Europe. The core product is the online marketplace accessible via website and mobile app, which enables pitch discovery, booking, and communication between hosts and guests. The product portfolio includes subscription passes (25Pass offering 25% discount, AnnualPass providing free stays at 1,000+ hosts), gift vouchers, and an annual parking space guidebook. Additional features include a route planner (Beta), disposal station finder, and a loyalty points system. The platform operates across 8 European countries with over 1,600 listed pitches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Annual Pass holders save up to €32.50 per night at premium pitches (e.g., €65 pitch becomes €32.50)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use VanSite
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
VanSite technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
Feature5 records
VanSite partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- StripecorePayment processing partner handling all transaction payments between hosts and guests. Processes subscription billing for Annual Pass and 25Pass auto-renewals. Operates under Stripe Connect for marketplace payments with automatic fee deduction.
- SharetribecoreE-commerce platform provider hosting the VanSite marketplace website. Provides the technical infrastructure for listings, bookings, and user accounts.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreCloud hosting provider for VanSite's platform infrastructure, ensuring scalable and reliable website availability.
- Deutsche Schutzbrief Gesellschaft mbHminorInsurance partner for optional VanSite travel protection. Provides coverage for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and vehicle issues when users opt into the protection during booking.
- Google MapscoreMap service integrated into the platform for pitch location display with 500m radius visibility. Powers the interactive map search functionality.
- SendGridcoreEmail service provider for newsletters and system notifications. Handles transactional emails for booking confirmations and account communications.
- ShopifycorePowers the VanSite Shop (shop.vansite.eu) for selling guidebooks, vouchers, and subscription products.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VanSite competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Roadsurfer: Large European campervan rental brand with a curated network of pitches and partner campsites. A broader incumbent in the same outdoor-travel value chain, with overlap in trip-stay curation but primarily competes in rentals rather than pitch marketplace.
Broad incumbents
- ACSI (Auto Camper Service International): Established European camping-card network offering discounted stays at thousands of campsites. A broad incumbent in the same end market, but focused on formal campsites rather than the private-pitch niche VanSite serves.
- Camping.info: One of Europe's largest camping and campsite directories, ACSI-affiliated, with broader coverage of formal campsites than VanSite. Competes for the same traveler but from a traditional-campsite rather than private-pitch positioning.
Direct peers
- Campercontact: European motorhome stop and campsite database with a paid subscription product (Campercontact Premium) that unlocks curated overnight locations. Highly comparable to VanSite's Annual Pass model and DACH + Benelux focus.
- iOverlander: Crowd-sourced global database of camping, wild camping, and accommodation spots for overlanders and campervan travelers. Overlaps with VanSite's private-pitch use case, particularly in southern Europe.
- Hipcamp: US-based marketplace for booking private-land camping, glamping, and RV sites on landowners' property. Operates the same two-sided marketplace model as VanSite in a different geography, making it the closest global business-model analog.
- Park4Night: The leading European app and community for discovering campervan, motorhome, and van overnight stops, including private pitches and wild camping spots. Directly competes with VanSite on the same supply (private/natural pitches) and the same European outdoor-traveler customer.
- Free2Camp: App-based directory of free and low-cost motorhome overnight locations across Europe. Targets the same value-conscious, nature-seeking campervan demographic as VanSite and competes on inventory depth.
Emerging players
- Yescapa: European peer-to-peer motorhome and campervan rental marketplace. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but serves the same European outdoor-traveler customer and increasingly bundles trip-planning/stay products.
- Goboony: European peer-to-peer campervan and motorhome rental platform headquartered in the Netherlands. Comparable audience and European focus; differs in renting vehicles rather than pitches but shares the outdoor-traveler customer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VanSite social profiles
Digital presenceVanSite financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VanSite leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
VanSite funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VanSite M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about VanSite
What does VanSite do?
VanSite operates an online marketplace and mobile apps that connect campervan, motorhome, caravan, and tent travelers with private landowners offering natural camping pitches across Europe. Hosts list pitches with descriptions, amenities, pricing, and photos; guests discover and book them through a map-based search with filters for equipment, vehicle type, environment, and activities, with real-time availability and Stripe-powered instant booking. VanSite monetizes via host commissions (30% service fee + 7% transaction fee), subscription passes (AnnualPass and 25Pass), and sales of a printed guidebook and gift vouchers.
Is VanSite a public or private company?
VanSite is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VanSite founded?
VanSite was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VanSite based?
VanSite is headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does VanSite make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Host Commission - Service Fee is the primary driver. The others are annual Pass Subscription and E-commerce Shop Sales.
Who are VanSite's main competitors?
Roadsurfer is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are ACSI (Auto Camper Service International) and Camping.info. Direct peers are Campercontact, iOverlander, Hipcamp, Park4Night and Free2Camp. Emerging players are Yescapa and Goboony.
Does VanSite have an API?
No public API is recorded for VanSite.
What industry is VanSite in?
VanSite's product category is Online Camping Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMAJAK, Eco/Nature-Based Campgrounds (Sustainable/Off-Grid), with a secondary code of THAMAJAB, Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use). Its NAICS code is 721211 and its SIC code is 7000.