Airbnb Competitors – Overview of Top 7 Alternatives

Airbnb is no longer a mattress-renting platform like when it started. 

Started back in 2007 by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, it has now become the world’s largest online marketplace to rent out homes and other properties to travellers. 

Airbnb is spread worldwide, with 220+ listed countries and regions. There are more than 8 million active listings on the platforms, and don’t forget 5+ million hosts who make this happen. And the popularity is still growing in terms of numbers. 

However, along with more than 29% market share, this platform also comes with a challenge: the competition for the hosts to rank higher in the search results. 

The solution? Use Airbnb competitors to expand your audience and get more bookings.

Do you want to look into the other companies you can use as a host? Or, if you’re a customer, which platforms can help you find better deals? Read on to learn!

1. VRBO
2. Booking.com
3. Expedia 
4. TripAdvisor
5. Plum Guide
6. Marriott Homes and Villas
7. 9flats

1. VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owners)

VRBO, founded in 1996, is one of the oldest vacation rental platforms. It is the very first one to allow homeowners to rent their properties directly to travelers.

With more than 2 million listings of whole homes in 190 countries around the world, VRBO stands as the next-in-line platform to compete with Airbnb. 

Since playing in the same vacation rental sector, both platforms share many similarities. 

For example, both allow homeowners to put their properties in front of customers via their websites. They list various properties, such as mentions, villas, mountain cabins, beach houses, treehouses, boards, and so on. 

However, the difference lies in how properties are rented out.

VRBO rents out entire properties, whether an apartment, house, or villa. In contrast, Airbnb offers the option to do property/house share.

As an outcome, VRBO lists more high-end, larger properties. 

This makes VRBO ideal for travelers who want privacy and space, such as families or groups.

It also has a strong grip on excellent customer service. For example, it offers a “Book with Confidence” guarantee that protects payments and ensures secure transactions.

The platform is popular in both the U.S. and Europe. It provides a more traditional vacation rental experience with homeowners managing properties.

Best For: Families, groups of friends, or travelers (with higher budgets) who want to book entire vacation properties rather than shared premises.

Good Things About VRBO:

• Known for long-term rentals in the United States
• Makes it easier to manage listing with many tools and strategies
• Every listing is a full home to ensure privacy
• Offers excellent customer service

2. Booking.com

Booking.com started as an Amsterdam-based startup in 1996. It originally offered hotel accommodations but is now a mix of hotels, resorts, hostels, and vacation rentals. 

This platform is a part of The Priceline Group and one of the world’s most popular online travel agencies. It has listings from 227 countries with a support of 40+ languages. 

While Airbnb is widely used in the United States, Booking.com is more prominent in Europe. 

According to a study on online travel agencies (OTA) by Statista, Booking.com holds the highest market share, with a whopping 69.3% share. 

Booking.com is a one-stop shop for accommodating types, from luxury resorts to budget hotels. And along with accommodation, anyone can use this platform to book rental cars, airport taxis, attractions, flights, hotel combination deals, and much more. 

Another difference is that Booking.com is still more about reserving hotel rooms. In contrast, Airbnb focuses on homeowners to rent spare rooms or properties. 

One downside of this platform is the 10-25% commission it charges to hosts, which is higher than many Airbnb competitors.

Best For: Book everything necessary from one platform—from vacation rentals to cars, attractions, flights, and other amenities. 

Good Things About Booking.com:

• Flexible cancelation policy
• Suits a broader audience, including business travelers and families
• Frequent users get discounts, free breakfast, and room upgrades
• Instant booking of all listings with no host approval delay
• Frequent deals and discounts

3. Expedia 

Expedia started in 1996 as a Microsoft division to operate as an online travel agency. 

It now offers its services in more than 70 countries. Along with providing accommodations, it offers flights, car rentals, hotels, vacation packages, and vacation rentals. 

Unlike Airbnb, which focuses on short-term rentals, Expedia is a full-service, giant travel platform that helps travelers book everything necessary in one place. It is designed to provide a comprehensive travel experience. 

The main focus of Expedia is hotels and travel packages. 

It also has more audience than Airbnb—the credit goes to its wide range of services.

Combining all the aforementioned attributes, it is clear that Expedia will be less competitive than Airbnb in terms of vacation rental. It also means that people might not be looking specifically for vacation rentals on the platform. 

As a host, it is important to consider all these aspects when finding an Airbnb alternative. 

But one thing is certain: it is a much preferable option for travelers who want to book everything at once. Doing so also saves a lot of money, which is another plus. 

One major drawback is the commission of 15-22% as per the property location. So, you might end up spending the money you saved earlier. Still, give it a try!

Best For: Find the best bundled deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals in one place.

Good Things About Expedia:

• Discounts on flights, hotels, and car rentals when booked together
• Offer points on bookings that can be used for future travel
• Convenient for booking entire trips in one place
• Notifications for price drops, special offers, and travel updates
• Includes “Pay Later” options and multiple payment methods

4. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor, started in 2000, now helps 490 million travelers every month in 49 markets and 28 languages. It has made an impressive journey so far. 

It covers almost 41.29% of the market share, which is higher than Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia, and many other OTA platforms available to date. 

It lets users book flights, accommodations, restaurants, and experiences in one place. They can filter listings based on location, reviews, price, and amenities to find something suitable. 

It also provides a booking platform for various accommodations, including vacation rentals.

But do you know what makes it stand out? More than 795 million reviews, if put simply. 

The prime focus of TripAdvisor is user-generated content (reviews and ratings) that anyone can use to make the right decision when choosing hotels, restaurants, and more. 

If we put TripAdvisor against the other vacation rental sites, it is suitable for guests if they want to discover hidden gems via its reviews (as mentioned earlier).

Best For: Read reviews and check ratings of rental properties, restaurants, and other amenities you want to book for trips or any reason.

Good Things About TripAdvisor:

• Millions of reviews to find suitable rental accommodation
• Book the whole trip in one place, from flights to restaurants to accommodations
• Filter listing based on budget, price, location, and amenities

5. Plum Guide 

Plum Guide is a new yet luxurious vacation rental platform that started in 2015. 

It recently became popular in the vacation rental industry and is growing continuously. With 30,000 listings in 30 countries, it is a small but exclusive rental website.

Plum Guide is like a premium alternative to Airbnb, with only a few hand picked selections of homes. Its commitment to exceptional quality and hospitality sets it apart.

While Airbnb can list any property, Plum Guide presents only the top 1% of homes to users. 

The credit goes to the 150-point inspection a property must pass to be listed on the platform. They call this criterion “the science behind the perfect stay” set by a group of interior designers, travelers, architects, and psychologists. 

The result? Out of all the homes that apply to be listed, only 3% pass the set criteria and get a chance to show up on Plum Guide. 

If your listing passes the assessment, it earns a prestigious badge of quality and stands out in a competitive market. For hosts, it guarantees a comfortable and premium stay. 

The only downside of the platform is the availability of fewer listings. The available ones are accessible only to those with a higher budget.

Best For: Find high-quality, luxurious, verified vacation rentals that are best in terms of comfort, design, and service. 

Good Things About Plum Guide:

• No hidden fees—clear, upfront cost when booking
• Strong focus on quality over quantity
• Every property is inspected for quality and design.

6. Marriott Homes and Villas

Home & Villas by Marriott launched in 2019 to offer a unique mix of vacation rentals. 

According to vice president Jennifer Hsieh, the platform saw a massive growth of 14% to 38% of the total in the year 2024. The total listing expanded to almost 160,000 homes globally. 

This shows people trust the brand internationally for providing comfortable stays. 

Home & Villas by Marriott lists some of the most premium and luxury vacation rentals, which Airbnb may not provide to travelers. Each property undergoes strict assessment to ensure a higher level of comfort for the visitors.

Another difference is that it only targets those travelers who can spend a few more bucks to get exclusive accommodation and privacy.

The platform also combines reliable and excellent service—a key offering of Marriott. 

But it doesn’t mean Marriott Homes and Villas isn’t different from Plum Guide. 

Homes & Villas has more properties listed than Plum Guide. Anyone can easily find something that suits their choice. Moreover, its key focus is homes, while Plum Guide is into apartments, condos, cottages, and other properties. 

The biggest advantage is earning and redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points for vacation rentals. 

Airbnb and other rental companies don’t have any reward programs. On the other hand, Homes and Villas lets users use points to book a “free” vacation rental. Isn’t it amazing? 

However, this platform only works with property management companies, not independent hosts. This is the only drawback of this platform. 

If you’re an individual host who wants to jump into the rental industry, Airbnb is a good choice. Guests, on the other hand, can find better yet luxurious homes here. 

Best For: Frequent travelers who want to book premium, luxurious homes but also want to earn and redeem Marriott points for future use. 

Good Things About Marriott Homes and Villas:

• High-quality, better properties with premium stays
• Integrated with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program
• Offer personalized recommendations to enjoy local activities
• Have the largest number of premium-category listings

7. 9flats

9flats is a European-centric platform for renting apartments, guest houses, rooms, etc. 

Founded in 2010, it operates in 100 countries with more than 6 million accommodations in both urban and rural areas. It is a smaller competitor of Airbnb but a unique and affordable option for budget-conscious travelers. 

9flats promotes authentic, local experiences with a greater focus on European destinations. It also offers unique stays in lesser-known, hidden gem locations for a more immersive experience.

The main difference between the two platforms is their rental focus.

Airbnb mainly focuses on vacation rentals, while 9flats also offers short-term rentals. This means 9flats is not just for vacationers but also for people looking for other types of stays, including leasing options.

With 9flats, you can find both short-term and long-term rentals.

The most interesting part is that the guest doesn’t need to pay any fees, only the accommodation cost for the property. 

However, the host has to pay a 12% to 15% commission fee as per the booking type. 

Best For: Vacation and short-term renters who want affordable accommodation in urban/remote locations. Perfect for experiencing local culture. 

Good Things About 9flats:

• Strong urban and rural presence in European cities
• Budget-friendly options for solo travelers and small groups
• Offers a lot of local, lesser-known locations
• Suits short-term and long-term stays 

Market Share: Airbnb Vs Its Alternatives

While Airbnb has a market share of 29.17%, here is how its competitors compare:

Commission Fees Comparison of Airbnb and Its Competitors

Here is the list of Airbnb alternatives and commission fees each charges:

NOTE: Plum Guide also offers a Host-Only fee structure. In this structure, the host pays 16.5% of the total accommodation charges as commission, but nothing is charged to the guest. 

Conclusion

Airbnb is quite a reputed platform for vacation rental and it has major competitors.

However, it is quite impossible to say which is the best one. This is because all the aforementioned sites have their own unique selling points (USPs) and advantages. 

For example, TripAdvisor shows reviews, VRBO focuses on family privacy, and Booking.com is perfect for bundled deals. On the other hand, Plum Guide and Marriott Homes & Villas suit those travelers who want to enjoy premium luxury at a cost. 

The best strategy for choosing a platform to replace Airbnb (as a host) is to assess which platform’s criteria your property meets and list it accordingly.

And if you’re a guest, decide what type of accommodation you want and what your requirements are. Then, select a platform that offers such rental options.