Top 12 Airbnb Competitors and Alternatives for Hosts

 

Have you ever wondered which Airbnb competitors there are and why you should consider listing your property on sites other than Airbnb? Airbnb is undoubtedly the most popular platform with a market share of almost 20% of the whole vacation rental industry, according to Invezz. With Airbnb’s year-on-year growth, it’s safe to say that this percentage is only going to rise in the years to come.

However, listing your rental properties on other websites as well is a smart method for ensuring your business growth. Promoting your listing across Airbnb-alternative platforms can help you present your property to a larger pool of renters. In turn, it will result in an increase in your occupancy rate and profits. Differentiating your listings also keeps you from relying too much on Airbnb, a company that has seen its fair share of complaints, and even lawsuits, from hosts.

While it sounds like a great idea, finding a new platform to advertise your property on might be another challenge. With such a variety of options, it can be difficult to decide which alternative to Airbnb to use. Check out these Airbnb competitors and learn about the key features to secure your place within the short-term rental market.

1. HomeAway

HomeAway has been dominating the industry for many years now and is one of the most famous Airbnb competitors. You have probably come across it on Google as it can be seen among the top search results for booking sites. There are more than 2 million listings on HomeAway and the platform operates in 190 countries. It was founded in 2005 and became part of the Expedia Group in 2015.

The main difference is the type of properties offered on HomeAway. Unlike Airbnb where hosts may offer shared spaces, HomeAway allows only private vacation homes.

Key Features:

• It caters to an older audience who values comfort and is ready to pay more;
• HomeAway charges $499 for an annual subscription or 5% per booking + 3% credit card processing fee;
• Guests are required to sign a rental agreement and pay 10 – 50% upfront to book your rental;
• Cancelations depend on the rental agreement;
• Security deposit is optional;
• “Free-to-list” option is available with no upfront charge (commission is 10% per booking). However, keep in mind that HomeAway rankings favor listings with paid subscriptions.

2. Vrbo

Another great alternative to Airbnb is Vrbo, which stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. Like HomeAway, Vrbo offers only private homes and apartments.

In 2006, Vrbo was acquired by HomeAway, and as of 2015, the Expedia Group acquired HomeAway, and, thus, Vrbo as well. If you list your property on Vrbo, it will automatically be listed on HomeAway.

Key Features:

• Only privates homes are listed;
• Vrbo charges $499 for an annual subscription or 5% per booking + 3% credit card processing fee;
• Cancelation and payment policies vary by property;
• There are also both paid and “free-to-list” options. The advantage is given to paid ones and they are usually more visible on the site;
• Hosts cannot delete any reviews (both positive and unflattering).

3. Booking.com

Booking.com is ahead of the curve with its guest-friendly, easy-to-navigate user interface and instantly bookable option. This makes it a favorite among inquiring guests. These features mean that it may increase your occupancy rate as more guests will opt for making reservations through the Booking.com website due to its simplified booking process.

Booking.com offers over 27 million listings and covers more than 130,000 destinations in 227 countries.

Key Features:

• Booking.com charges a 15% host fee on completed bookings, upon guest arrival. If guests cancel or don’t show up, no fee will be charged;
• Option to upgrade to Preferred Member service;
• More traveler-friendly because of its flexible cancelation options;
• No booking fees for users;
• Check-in process of a hotel – quick and simple;
• Advanced search and filtering system. It shows guests the results based on exactly what they are looking for. This is useful for hosts to promote their property to the exact audience.

4. Expedia

Expedia is often not the first vacation rental platform that comes to guests’ minds when they are looking for vacation rentals. Thus, it is often overlooked by many hosts. Listing your property on Expedia can help you get ahead of the competition as many hosts don’t have it on their radar.

When you list a property on Expedia, your listing will also appear on other leading online travel sites like Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Wotif, etc.

Key Features:

• Owners pay a commission of 15% of the total amount per booking;
• Last-minute bookings available;
• Localized sites in 33 countries around the world;
• Car rentals, flights, and accommodation are all in one place. It makes Expedia perfect for guests who don’t want to spend a lot of their time researching the best deals.

5. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor’s most prominent feature is providing feedback from the travel community. This is also the number one reason why guests love to search for places to stay through its website. It was founded in 2000 and has a massive number of reviews that have been collected over the years. TripAdvisor is a trusted source of information for many travelers.

With TripAdvisor, your property listing will be automatically translated to 26 languages and appear on 26 TripAdvisor sites. This will help you to expand your reach and attract more international travelers to book your rental properties.

Once listed on TripAdvisor, your listing will automatically appear on FlipKey as well.

Key Features:

• TripAdvisor charges a 3% host fee per booking. This commission is based on the host’s total rent, including any required and optional fees specified for the property;
• Many reviews for accommodations, attractions, and restaurants collected over the years;
• Offers car rentals, best deals on flights, and accommodation, all in one place, making it a favorite among tourists. It is helpful in planning their whole trip and finding the best place to stay;
• It was founded in 2000. With such a history, it is a place with the best recommendations and is a trusted platform among travelers.

6. FlipKey

FlipKey is a subsidiary of TripAdvisor and offers a wide range of vacation rental options to guests.

The most unique feature of FlipKey is its pay-per-booking pricing model. This means that you will only pay when you get a reservation.

Key Features:

• FlipKey charges a 3% host fee per booking. This commission is based on the host’s total rent, including any required and optional fees specified for the property;
• Different booking methods: instant book, inquiries, booking requests;
• “Free-to-list” option available;
• Great filtering options for searches (low-cost, luxury, family-friendly filters, etc.). This can help you focus on your target audience and choose the right category for your listing.

7. 9flats

It works the same as other Airbnb competitors. You have the ability to optimize your listing by adding photos, spelling out the minimum and maximum-stay policies, the number of rooms, etc.

9flats has over 30,000 hosts in 104 countries.

Key Features:

• 9flats hosts pay a 15% commission on the total booking amount;
• Operates on almost every continent, Oceania excluded;
• Simple booking via “Book” and “Instant Book” options for guests.

8. Outdoorsy

Outdoorsy is the world’s largest marketplace for motorhomes, RVs, campervans, in fact, all accommodations on wheels. It is considered somewhat of the Airbnb of the motorhome world as it focuses exclusively on the RV space.

Outdoorsy is another amazing Airbnb competitor and an alternative to running a vacation rental business without a property to rent. This vacation rental site comes in handy to target guests who are willing to explore the outdoors, i.e., by renting an RV.

Key Features:

• Host/owner fee: 20% of the booking amount. It includes the nightly rate plus cleaning and any other fees, excluding the Outdoorsy fees and taxes;
• Reviews by previous drivers that can showcase your efforts to provide an amazing guest experience;
• An unusual experience that will widen your targeted guests and attract a more specific audience.

9. Homestay

What makes this Airbnb competitor stand out is that it focuses exclusively on hosted housing where the host is present.

Here you can rent out a private or shared room, or bed at prices that are more suited for small budgets. If you’re just starting out and have an extra room to rent, this may be a good place to start.

Key Features:

• A small host service fee (3% of deposit/minimum charge $1);
• Great platform for hosts who are just starting their business;
• Attracts more students and younger people. Promoting on Homestay will make your rental visible if your goal is to attract those in need of affordable accommodation.

10. onefinestay

This Airbnb competitor has a different approach to the vacation rental business. It offers luxury rentals in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Milan, Florence, Rome, Paris, and Sydney.

Listing your property on onefinestay will help you attract more upscale guests. This will take your vacation rental business to a whole new level.

Property owners who list their rentals on onefinestay can rent them effortlessly without managing them alone. onefinestay assists in not only property management activities but also in marketing, PR, etc.

Key Features:

• onefinestay models your expected income based on such factors as the size, design, and location of your property;
• Hosting fees are discussed individually;
• Specially designed for promoting your luxurious vacation rental;

11. Kid and Coe

If your rental is family-friendly and your plan is to attract more families, this is an excellent Airbnb alternative that can bring you more guests.

This Airbnb-competitor platform focuses on family-friendly accommodations and providing a flawless experience for families with kids. Therefore, promoting your rental on Kid and Coe will ensure that more such guests see your offer and book your rental.

Key Features:

• Hosts are to pay an initial fee of $99 to list a property. The Kid and Coe host fee depends on how your property is classified. Thus, Professional Partners, or those with dedicated websites promoting their home, pay a 12% commission on bookings. All other private listings pay a 10% processing fee on all bookings;
• Professional photo editing services to help your property look its best;
• The Kid & Coe Community Protection Program provides further insurance for your business in addition to your  home insurance for short term rentals.

12. HomeExchange

As the name of the website suggests, HomeExchange is a platform facilitating home exchanges. It offers over 400,000 homes in 187 destinations. By paying a $150 annual subscription, you are entitled to unlimited exchanges throughout a year.

HomeExchange has a special system of “guest points” that hosts can earn and then use for a stay at another member’s home in the destination of their choosing.

HomeExchange can hardly be considered an Airbnb competitor in terms of its ability to help you establish your vacation rental business. However, it gives you a chance to improve your hosting skills and join a community of like-minded fellows.

Key Features:

• Hosts should pay a $150 annual subscription fee to get the unlimited number of home exchanges;
• Platform assistance in case of a cancelation;
• Property damage coverage.

Conclusion

To establish a successful vacation rental business and draw more attention to your property, you might want to consider using the aforementioned Airbnb competitors. Promoting your listing across various rental websites will help you attract more guests, increase your occupancy rate and profits.

iGMS offers integration with some of the most prominent Airbnb competitors to make your job a lot easier. You can use our software to manage multiple properties listed across various rental platforms.

• Manage reservations from Airbnb and its competitor platforms with the advanced iGMS channel manager and control everything from one dashboard.
• Automate operations such as messaging, pricing, and guest reviews management.
• Be in full control of the task management and cleaning by automating team operations.
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