A tent sitting in the garage. A pasta maker used twice a year. A formal dress worn once. A ladder that comes out every few years. These things take up space in our homes — and meanwhile, one of our friends is probably heading to the shops or scouring marketplace to buy the exact same thing.

Better Shared is a free platform for friends and family to share the stuff they already own. No buying, no selling, no strangers. Just a simple way to see what your people have, and let them borrow it. It's designed to make life cheaper and more sustainable, and to help you connect more deeply with your community.

How it works

List the things you'd happily lend. Add your friends. When someone needs something, they check here before they buy it — and you lend it to them the way you always would have, just without the "hey do you happen to have a...?" group text chains. This kind of sharing already happens between friends, we're just making it easier.

Feedback

This website is brand new! We'd love your feedback. Please email hello@bettershared.online (or send me a message!)

Terms of Service

BETTER SHARED — TERMS OF SERVICE
Last updated: April 2026

1. About Better Shared
Better Shared is a free platform that helps friends and family share items they already own. It is operated by Mary Pilkinton, based in Australia. By creating an account, you agree to these terms. We do not author, edit, or exercise editorial control over user-generated content before it is published.

2. What Better Shared is (and isn't)
Better Shared is a platform for organising free, voluntary lending between people who know each other. Better Shared is not a party to any lending arrangement between users — we simply provide the tools to facilitate it. It is not a marketplace, rental service, or commercial platform. No money changes hands through Better Shared. By agreeing to these terms and using this service, you agree we are not liable for any loss, damage, or disagreement arising from a lending arrangement between users.

3. Your account
You must be 18 or older to create an account. You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity that occurs under your account.

4. Listing items
By listing an item, you confirm that you own it or have the right to lend it, and that lending it does not violate any agreement you have with a third party (for example, a lease or finance agreement). Do not list anything illegal, dangerous, or that you do not have the right to lend.

5. Borrowing items
By borrowing an item, you agree to return it in the same or better condition by any agreed date, to notify the owner promptly if something is lost or damaged, and to take reasonable care of the item while it is in your possession. Better Shared does not provide insurance for borrowed items. If something is lost or damaged, that is a matter between you and the owner to resolve directly.

6. Disputes between users
Better Shared does not mediate disputes between users. If something goes wrong with a loan, we encourage you to resolve it directly and respectfully. We are not liable for any loss, damage, or disagreement arising from a lending arrangement between users.

7. Your content
By uploading photos or text to Better Shared, you grant us a licence to display that content within the platform. You retain ownership of your content. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to upload anything you post — do not upload photos of people without their consent or content you don't own.

8. Privacy
We collect your name, email address, and any content you choose to upload. We use this information only to operate Better Shared. We do not sell your data or share it with advertisers. Your data is stored via Supabase. This is a personal project, and not a business. While care has been taken to protect your data to the best of our ability, use of this platform, including sharing of any data you enter, is ultimately done so at your own risk. For any privacy questions, contact us at hello@bettershared.online.

9. Limitation of liability
Better Shared is provided as-is. To the maximum extent permitted by Australian law, we are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of the platform, including loss of or damage to borrowed items, injury or death resulting from using a borrowed item, disputes between users, interruptions to the service, and the loss or damaged caused/incurred.

10. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes via the app. Continued use of Better Shared after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

11. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of NSW, Australia.

12. Contact
Questions about these terms? Email us at hello@bettershared.online.

Borrowing from friends is great — until someone's tent comes back with a broken pole and nobody mentions it. Here's how to keep things easy and keep the friendship intact.

Be specific about when you'll return it

"I'll bring it back soon" is how things end up sitting in someone's boot for three months. When you borrow something, name a date. Even a rough one — "I'll drop it back by the weekend" — sets a clear expectation and means nobody has to do the awkward follow-up.

Return it in better condition than you got it

Clean it, charge it, fold it, wash it. Returning something in noticeably good condition is the single best way to make sure you're always welcome to borrow again. It signals that you respect the person and their stuff.

Say something if something goes wrong

Things break. Accidents happen. The rule is simple: tell the person before they find out themselves. A quick "hey, I accidentally scratched it — I'm sorry, can I help fix it?" is so much easier to handle than discovering damage and wondering if the borrower even noticed. Honesty protects the friendship.

Ask, don't assume

Just because something is listed as available doesn't mean right now is a good time. A quick message first — "would it be okay if I borrowed the ladder this Saturday?" — takes 30 seconds and avoids turning up when the owner has other plans for it.

Be realistic about what you're offering

When you list an item, mention anything the borrower should know. If the sewing machine is a bit tricky to thread, say so. If the tent has a small leak in one corner that you've been meaning to fix, mention it. Consider also mentioning if you'd expect the borrower to pay for the item if it gets damaged or broken. Setting honest expectations upfront avoids disappointment and awkward conversations later.

Aim to lend twice, receive once

The spirit of sharing works best when it flows in both directions — but giving more than you take is what makes a community generous. Try to lend to others roughly twice for every time you borrow. You'll find that offering freely, without keeping strict score, makes the whole network richer for everyone.

Only lend what you'd be comfortable lending off the app

Never accept friend requests from strangers. Don't add strangers. Don't lend to someone who you wouldn't lend to if they texted you asking for the item.

Adding Better Shared to your home screen makes it open like a normal app — full screen, faster to load, and able to send you push notifications when friends are active.

📱 On iPhone or iPad

1. Open bettershared.online in your browser.
2. Tap the Share button — it looks like a square with an arrow pointing up.
3. Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen".
4. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
5. You're done! Open the new icon from your home screen. The first time you open it, allow notifications when prompted.

🤖 On Android (Chrome)

1. Open bettershared.online in Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Tap "Install app" or "Add to Home screen".
4. Confirm by tapping Install.
5. Open the new icon from your home screen and allow notifications when prompted.

💻 On desktop (Chrome or Edge)

1. Open bettershared.online.
2. Look for an install icon at the right end of the address bar (a small monitor with a down arrow) — or open the browser menu and choose "Install Better Shared".
3. Click Install to confirm.

Why install it?

Once installed you'll get push notifications when a friend sends you a request, comments on your post, or borrows something — so you don't have to keep checking back. The app also loads faster and works better offline.

A free platform for friends and family to share the stuff they already own. Set up your profile to get started.

Set up your profile

Add photo

Tap to add a profile photo

Username (so friends can find you)

Mobile number (optional) Your location (shows distances to friends' items)

Privacy settings

Show my sharing stats to friends

Show my sharing history to friends

Show my friends list to friends