ComparisonHelpling alternative: employ your cleaner yourself instead of paying CHF 42.90 an hour
Since September 2025 Helpling itself employs its cleaners. Employ the same cleaner directly and, with Clino, you pay about CHF 30.47 an hour, all in.
- CHF 42.90/h incl. VAT
- At least 2.5 h per visit
- Direct, 3 h a week: CHF 1'939 less a year
Helpling suits you if you have nobody yet and do not want to be an employer. If you already have your cleaner, employing her directly costs less.
Checked 1 October 2026Reading time: 8 minutes
Helpling or employ her yourself: what do you pay?
Your canton, your hours, your wage. The answer in francs.
Directly you pay about
CHF 1'939less a year
- Helpling, weeklyCHF 558 per month
13.0 h a month x CHF 42.90, incl. VAT
- Employed directly + ClinoCHF 396 per month
Wage with holiday supplement, employer contributions, Clino
She earns CHF 26.81 gross per hour worked, holiday supplement included. Helpling publishes CHF 24.75 gross an hour and does not say whether holiday pay is in it.
Helpling price from helpling.ch, as of 01.10.2026, incl. VAT; a one-off clean costs from CHF 44.90. Helpling includes finding a cleaner and a replacement; employing directly, you organise these yourself.
Already have your cleaner? With these numbers Clino prepares the registration and every payslip, you file them. 30 days free.
Start with these numbers →If you met your cleaner through Helpling: section 5 of its terms forbids employing her directly, for a year after the contract ends too, with a CHF 500 contractual penalty. Read your contract first. § 5
For a broader view, the comparison of hiring models puts platform, agency, direct employment and cash in hand side by side, with cost, effort and responsibility.
Helpling vs direct employment, point by point
The biggest difference is not the hourly price but who the employer is. With Helpling it is Helpling; with direct employment it is you. Almost every other row follows from that.
| Point |  Helpling |  Direct + Clino |
|---|---|---|
| The cleaner's employer | Helpling Switzerland AG | you |
| What you pay per hour | from CHF 42.90 incl. VAT | wage + contributions + CHF 19.90/month |
| Minimum per visit | 2.5 hours | as agreed |
| Always the same person | advertised for weekly bookings | yes |
| Replacement when she is off | Helpling finds one | you organise it |
| You cancel at short notice | 25 to 100 % fee under 48 h | wage still owed (art. 324 CO) |
| AHV, accident insurance, payslips | done by Helpling | Clino prepares, you file |
| Where available | 9 places in German-speaking Switzerland | all of Switzerland |
Helpling as per helpling.ch: price page, terms and cancellation terms, read on 1 October 2026. The cancellation row cuts both ways: a cleaner you employ directly is also owed her wage if you cancel an agreed visit.
Who is the employer, and what follows from it?
With Helpling you buy cleaning hours from a company. With direct employment you employ a person. Both are legal, but the roles differ.
Helpling
Helpling employs, under the CBAYou are never the employer, with no forms and no payslips. In return you pay for Helpling's operation, and you cannot take the person with you.
Clino
Clino prepares registration and payYou are the employer, with every duty that brings. Clino prepares the contract, the registration, the accident insurance and every payslip; you sign and file.
Helpling today: the matching platform has become a cleaning company
Many comparisons still describe Helpling as a marketplace where self-employed cleaners offer their services. In Switzerland that is no longer true. Since its terms of 15 September 2025 the contract is between you and Helpling Switzerland AG, and Helpling's homepage says its cleaners are «fest angestellt und versichert bei Helpling (nach GAV)»: permanently employed and insured by Helpling under a collective agreement.
For you this means Helpling is a cleaning company like Batmaid, not a listings site like Homeservice24. You register nobody and pay no social contributions, but the cleaner belongs to Helpling.
Some things stay open: the site footer still offers logins for self-employed providers and agencies, and Helpling is looking for franchisees. Helpling does not say whether these models are still used in Switzerland.
Where Helpling books
- Place on helpling.ch/staedte
- Direct employment with Clino: all of Switzerland
These are all the places on helpling.ch/staedte. Helpling lists none in French-speaking Switzerland or Ticino. The «over 200 cities» on the homepage count the whole group, not Switzerland.
Sources: helpling.ch (homepage, terms valid from 15.09.2025, /staedte, /apply), read on 1 October 2026.
Where does your money go? One hour, worked out twice
Helpling publishes the price and the cleaner's wage, but no breakdown in between. So we show only what is established and leave the rest as what it is: not published.
Helpling: one hour, booked weekly
Price incl. VAT, wage as per helpling.ch/apply
Total per hourCHF 42.90
- Cleaner's gross wageCHF 24.75
- Contributions, insurance, operation, margin: not publishedCHF 14.94
- VAT (8.1 %)CHF 3.21
Employed directly + Clino: the same hour
Zurich, 3 h/week, CHF 24.75 + 8.33 % holiday supplement
Total per hourCHF 30.47
- Gross wage incl. holiday supplementCHF 26.81
- Employer contributions (AHV/IV/EO, ALV, FAK, BU)CHF 2.13
- Clino flat fee over 13 hours a monthCHF 1.53
Employed directly, the cleaner even gets slightly more per hour, and you still pay less. The difference is the VAT, which a private employment does not carry, and the running of a company, which you pay for with Helpling.
Batmaid publishes these figures, Helpling does not. To see how a cleaning company splits its hour, Batmaid's own breakdown is in the Batmaid comparison.
Direct column worked out with Clino's wage calculator: canton of Zurich, 3 hours a week (13 hours a month), 4 weeks' holiday, simplified procedure. What you carry yourself when employing directly: finding someone, cover when she is off and, if you want it, sickness benefit insurance.
The fine print that changes the price
- more than 48 hfree
- 24 to 48 h25 %of the invoice
- 12 to 24 h50 %of the invoice
- under 12 h100 %of the invoice
visit gets closer
Even without cancelling: if you are not home and cannot be reached when the visit starts, the flat cannot be accessed or the name on the doorbell is wrong, section 4 of the terms counts it as a cancellation at the time of the visit. That costs 100 %.
- VAT: Helpling quotes its prices including VAT, Batmaid without. Without VAT Helpling costs CHF 39.69; Batmaid Standard with VAT about CHF 40.97. So the real gap is about CHF 2 an hour, not about CHF 5.
- Damage: the price page says all its staff carry liability insurance («Alle unsere Mitarbeiter sind haftpflichtversichert»). Section 6(2) of the terms limits Helpling's own liability to intent and gross negligence, and defects must be reported in writing within 48 hours. If something is damaged, ask straight away which insurer pays.
- Booking and rebooking: visits can be booked up to 36 hours ahead, regular visits moved for free up to 48 hours before. You provide the cleaning products.
- Paying: by credit card, Helpling reserves the amount when you book and charges it after the clean; other instant payment methods are charged when you book. Helpling may charge a fee for some payment methods, shown only in the booking flow (section 7 of the terms).
What Helpling does not publish
- How the CHF 42.90 splits between wage, contributions, operation and margin.
- Whether the CHF 24.75 gross already includes holiday and public-holiday pay.
- Which collective agreement «nach GAV» refers to.
- Which insurer covers damage, and up to what amount.
- What the cleaner takes home net.
- Whether the logins for self-employed providers are still in use.
What do Helpling customers say? A look at Trustpilot
On Trustpilot, Helpling Schweiz scores 2.5 out of 5 from 236 reviews (as of 1 October 2026). Trustpilot notes that Helpling has not asked for reviews recently and has not replied to negative ones, so the sample is small and not necessarily representative.
From the sign up, booking and confirming the cleaning staff according to my wishes: super efficient and reliable. The cleaning staff was very punctual, friendly and professional.
We were very disappointed with our experience with Helpling Zurich. The first cleaner we booked changed the date just two days before and then delivered a very poor cleaning. To their credit, cust…
Real reviews from trustpilot.com/review/helpling.ch, read on 1 October 2026. Quotes shortened.
Honestly: what suits whom?
Who is better off with which option
Helpling suits you if
- you have no cleaner yet and do not want to look for one
- you live in one of Helpling's 9 places
- you want a replacement when she is off and never want to be an employer
Employing directly suits you if
- you already know your cleaner (not through Helpling)
- you want the same person long term and set your own times
- you want to pay less and have more of it reach her
The limits, ours first
Clino does not replace a cleaning company. Where direct employment does worse, we say so.
Direct + Clino
- Clino does not find a cleaner for you.
- If she is off, you organise cover yourself, and her wage continues as the law says.
- You are the employer: registration, insurance and deadlines are yours; Clino prepares them.
- If you cancel a visit, you still owe the wage.
Helpling
- About CHF 2 an hour dearer than Batmaid Standard once VAT is treated the same.
- Bookable in only 9 places in German-speaking Switzerland.
- At least 2.5 hours per visit; cancelling under 48 hours costs 25 to 100 %.
- You cannot employ the cleaner directly for a year after the contract ends.
How to switch in 3 steps
Check first: Helpling's no-poaching clause (section 5 of its terms)
With Helpling, Helpling Switzerland AG is the employer. Section 5 of its terms forbids customers to poach its staff or engage them outside Helpling, during the contract and for a year after it ends.
For a breach, Helpling sets a CHF 500 contractual penalty, a duty to end any contract with the person immediately, and further damages if they are higher.
- While you book through HelplingEmploying her directly or engaging her outside Helpling: forbidden
- 12 months after the contract endsStill forbidden. If breached: CHF 500 contractual penalty, end the contract with her at once, possible damages
- After thatThe clause has expired
We do not show you how to get round this clause. The direct employment in this article is for households that find their cleaner themselves or are not bound by such a clause. Read your own contract before you act.
Source: helpling.ch/nutzungsbedingungen, terms valid from 15.09.2025, section 5, read on 1 October 2026. This article is not legal advice.
- 1
Check the contract, find the person
First check whether a clause like section 5 binds you. Then find your cleaner yourself, through friends, ads or local groups.
- 2
Agree the wage
Helpling pays CHF 24.75 gross an hour. With that wage plus the 8.33 % holiday supplement your cleaner is at least as well off. Check your canton's minimum wage.
- 3
Sign up with Clino
Clino prepares the contract, the AHV registration, the accident insurance and every payslip. The first 30 days are free. Try 30 days free
A detailed guide is here: how to register your cleaner.
Already have your cleaner?
Then you do not need a cleaning company, only the paperwork. Clino prepares it, for CHF 19.90 a month.
Try 30 days freeFrequently asked questions
Is Helpling legit?
Helpling is a real company, Helpling Switzerland AG in Zurich, and has employed its cleaners itself since its terms of 15 September 2025. On Trustpilot Helpling Schweiz scores 2.5 out of 5 from 236 reviews, with many complaints about moved visits and billing. Legit here means legal and insured. Whether the service suits you depends a lot on the place and the person.
Who is the employer at Helpling?
Helpling Switzerland AG. Under its terms the contract is between you and Helpling, and the homepage describes the cleaners as permanently employed and insured by Helpling under a collective agreement. You are not the employer and have nobody to register with the AHV.
How much does Helpling cost per hour?
From CHF 42.90 an hour for weekly bookings and from CHF 44.90 for a one-off visit, both including VAT, at least 2.5 hours per visit. At 3 hours a week that is about CHF 558 a month. Employed directly, the same time at the same wage costs about CHF 30.47 an hour, all in.
Can I employ my Helpling cleaner directly?
Not simply. Section 5 of the terms forbids it during the contract and for a year after it ends, with a CHF 500 contractual penalty and a duty to end the contract immediately. You are free if you find your cleaner independently of Helpling.
Wecasa or Helpling: what is the difference?
At Helpling, its terms make Helpling the employer. For Wecasa we could not confirm an employer model for Switzerland on its own pages. Before booking, ask in writing who employs and insures the cleaner. If you already have a cleaner, you need neither platform.
Is Helpling available in French-speaking Switzerland or Ticino?
Not according to helpling.ch/staedte. Helpling lists Aargau, Basel, Bern, Dübendorf, St. Gallen, Uster, Winterthur, Zurich and Zug. In French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino the simplest route is to employ your household help directly.
How much does a cleaner earn at Helpling?
Helpling publishes CHF 24.75 gross an hour. It does not say whether holiday and public-holiday pay are included. Employed directly at the same base wage, she also gets the 8.33 % holiday supplement, about CHF 26.81 an hour.
Read next
Other providers compared: Clino vs quitt: head-to-head·quitt review & pricing·Fairboss alternative·Klara Home alternative·Batmaid alternative·Homeservice24 review·Chèque-Service vs Clino (Romandie)
Checked: Every Helpling detail comes from helpling.ch (homepage, prices, terms, cancellation terms, cities, application page) and trustpilot.com, read on 1 October 2026.
Disclaimer: Clino publishes this article and is therefore not neutral. Prices may vary by place and availability. This article is not legal advice.
