Booking.com versus Airbnb is a well-known debate in the vacation rental industry and many hosts wonder which site is more worth their time and effort.
Get to grips with the pros and cons of Booking.com and Airbnb to help you decide which platform suits your business strategy.
Key Takeaways
Airbnb attracts younger, experience-seeking travelers while Booking.com appeals to a broader audience that includes working professionals.
Airbnb is more host-friendly overall, but Booking.com provides more marketing support and an easier listing process.
Listing on both platforms boosts exposure but requires tools like channel managers to avoid double bookings and maintain quality.
Airbnb may seem like an obvious choice but Booking.com (now the largest vacation rental platform in the world) is quite a close contender.
In this article, we have put together a list of factors to consider when you decide where you should list your property. We also do a comparison of Airbnb vs. Booking.com, to make it easier for you to decide which platform to go with.
Listing a property on the platforms
Airbnb
Since Airbnb as a platform is designed with underused properties and shared spaces in mind it is easier to list rooms and properties here.
You can opt to list your property as a whole or as individual rooms just as easily Airbnb has a very user friendly platform making listing your property effortless.
Booking.com
Booking.com mainly focuses on hotels and listing properties can be quite taxing. Listing individual rooms can leave you feeling quite drained especially for first-timers.
Stayful Opinion
Airbnb wins with this one they have worked hard to create a user friendly interface that is tailored to short term rental hosts, Booking.com has a 90’s feel to their website when it comes to their listing and is not easy to work with.
How to Create an Account and Listing on Booking.com vs Airbnb?
Vacation property owners who rent on Airbnb are busy people and looking for vacation rental sites where it’s easy to set up a property listing and start making money. It makes sense to explore how to create your own account on both Booking.com and Airbnb.
Airbnb
Creating an account on Airbnb is simple and straightforward. On the Airbnb website, you can click “Sign up” and create an account for your short-term rentals using your email address, phone number, Facebook account, Google account, or Apple ID.
To create a listing, all you need is to fill in essential information about your property, add photos, choose your cancellation policy, and your payment preference.
Airbnb’s interface is also extremely user-friendly, containing prompts and tooltips that help to make the process of creating listings much faster.
Booking.com
Creating an account on Booking.com requires essentially the same steps as on Airbnb.
However, creating a listing on this site is a little more complicated. When creating a listing, you will need to research and select which cancellation policy suits your business, set up an account with a payment processor (unless you accept cash payments), and set up credit card acceptance on your account so guests can input their details.
You will also need to specify how many rooms your property has and whether you want to list each room as a separate unit or one.
Many hosts have complained that after they have created their single listing with multiple rooms, Booking.com has chosen to list these rooms as separate bookable units, similar to a hotel.
On top of this, you will need to wait for confirmation from Booking.com before your listing goes live. Thus, many hosts are put off by Booking.com’s more complicated setup system. However, all your efforts will be worth it once you start receiving bookings.
Bookings & Traffic
According to most property owners who have listed their property on both platforms Booking.com wins the battle of booking frequency by a significant margin. This is mainly due to retargeting and cross-marketing on Booking.com’s part.
Airbnb Marketing
Being the market disruptor, Airbnb’s marketing message is focused on customer experience and has built its own ‘cult culture’ as there are people who only look into Airbnb rather than exploring other options.
Booking.com Marketing
Booking.com aims at securing as many bookings as possible for its properties and its hosts have its hard-core marketing and retargeting practices to thank for this.
Guests who book through Booking.com are sure to get email reminders for property reviews and suggestions of other, similar properties to visit.
Key Differences
Airbnb appeals more to younger guests and those seeking unique stays. Booking.com attracts a broader range of guests, including more business guests and those looking for traditional hotel stays.
Airbnb is pushing its international expansion to diversify its user base, whereas Booking.com has a strong foothold in Europe and is now focusing on growing its U.S. short-term rental market share.
Airbnb is known for pioneering the vacation rental space, while Booking.com has expanded from its hotel booking roots to include a wide range of accommodations.
Stayful Opinion
Booking.com based on our experience is the winner here, as much as Airbnb is fast growing, Booking.com has much more traffic to their site and in turn, more bookings come from them vs Airbnb.
How Does Ranking Work on Both Platforms?
An essential consideration is your visibility after you list your property on Airbnb and Booking.com. It’s important to take a look at how visibility and ranking work on both sites as part of your research.
Ranking on Booking.com
Booking.com offers an additional function called the visibility booster. It improves your visibility and helps your listing to rank higher on their search results in exchange for an amount you pay.
So if you want better exposure on Booking.com, you will need to pay above the commission rate per reservation.
Ranking on Airbnb
Airbnb doesn’t currently offer a built-in tool to help your listings rank better. If you want to boost your rankings, you can do things to demonstrate you are an active host, like updating your calendar regularly, keeping your response rate high, completing your host profile, etc.
Commissions and Pricing
The pricing and commissions models for both platforms cannot be more different. While Airbnb charges from both hosts and guests, Booking.com charges from only the hosts.
Airbnb
Airbnb has two types of charges:
One is the split fee where hosts are charged a fixed 3% commission when bookings are made. A further 13% is charged as guest commissions.
So, if you list your property at £100 to Airbnb the site will charge customers £113 which may take the competitive edge away from your property.
The second is the host-only fees where the host bears the commission which is 15% of the total amount.
Booking.com
Booking.com charges a minimum of 15% from its hosts as commissions. We say minimum because hosts can opt to pay a higher commission in exchange for better visibility on the platform.
For property owners who end up listing at the same price at both platforms, hosts may end up receiving more from Airbnb for each booking.
Stayful Opinion
Even though booking.com is bigger, it is also generally easier to rank higher on their platform providing you focus on providing quality to the guests, Airbnb have many different factors which their account managers do communicate with you to improve unlike booking.com, but it is very challenging to do so.
How Do the Cancellation Policies Compare ?
When it comes to cancellation policies, there are a few differences between Booking.com and Airbnb. Airbnb currently has six cancellation policies that vacation rental owners can choose to use:
Flexible
Moderate
Strict
Super Strict (30 Days)
Super Strict (60 Days)
Long-term
Each of these policies varies depending on how soon to the check-in date a guest is allowed to cancel and receive a refund. Each policy has its pros and cons, and Airbnb allows rental owners the freedom to choose their cancellation policy at their discretion.
Booking.com
With Booking.com, there are not as many options when it comes to cancellations. On Booking.com, property owners can offer 3 types of booking options for reservations:
Fully flexible policy — Guests will only pay while staying at your rental and can cancel for free, provided it’s in the time frame you have selected.
Customisable policy — This policy lets you choose how much guests will be charged if they cancel after a certain date.
Non-refundable policy — If you opt for this policy, guests will still be charged the full price if they cancel, make changes, or are a no-show on the check-in date.
After choosing your preferred option, you can also choose between:
Charging a deposit — Guests who opt for free cancellation generally pay a deposit when they book that they will get back if they cancel within the free cancellation period. After this period, they will forfeit the deposit if they cancel.
Charging a prepayment — For partially refundable and non-refundable bookings, guests can either pay a portion of or the full amount. If they cancel after reserving and paying they will not get the prepayment back, so you do not lose out on revenue.
Pre-authorising a hold on an amount — For non-refundable and partially refundable bookings, you can also choose to pre-authorise and hold a certain amount on a guest’s card and charge them for it at a later stage.
You can hold this amount as a guarantee in case the guest doesn’t show up. If they don’t, you can either charge them or return the amount to the guest.
Airbnb vs. Booking.com cancellation policy payouts a Regardless of which option you choose, you will need to pay your commission when:
You charge guests who have canceled on a non-refundable or partially-refundable booking or are a no-show on check-in day.
You charge for a canceled reservation after the free cancellation period has ended.
Stayful Opinion
Between the two sites, Airbnb cancellation policies are generally more straightforward and easy to follow.
On Booking.com, there is less structure regarding booking cancellations for vacation rentals, and it’s left up to you, as a host, to research and identify the best combination of settings for your listings.
Should You List on Airbnb, Booking.com, or Both?
Cross-listing your short-term rental property will make your property accessible to a broader range of guests than listing on Airbnb alone. However, you must weigh this benefit against the added complexity of managing multiple booking platforms.
If you host part-time, operate your STR remotely, or you’re already struggling to efficiently manage your listing on one platform, consider whether it’s time to hire an holiday let management company or focus your efforts on a single platform.
We’ve outlined the pros and cons of listing on Airbnb, Booking.com, and both so property owners can make an informed decision:
Listing on Airbnb Only
Benefits:
More control over guest vetting
Potentially lower fees (3% host fee vs. Booking.com’s 15% commission)
Attracts guests seeking unique, local experiences
User-friendly platform for hosts
Drawbacks:
May miss out on Booking.com’s larger user base
Less appealing to business travelers
Potentially fewer bookings in some markets
Listing exclusively on Airbnb may apply more to:
Hosts with unique or niche properties (treehouses, tiny homes, boutique apartments) that attract experience-seeking guests.
Properties targeting younger, leisure travelers looking for local experiences and longer stays.
Properties in areas popular for tourism and leisure travel, such as coastal towns, national parks, or cultural hubs.
Listing on Booking.com Only:
Benefits:
Access to a larger, more diverse user base
Attracts more business travelers
Integration with other travel services (flights, car rentals)
Potentially higher booking frequency in urban areas and European markets
Drawbacks:
Higher commission fees
Less control over guest vetting
May miss out on Airbnb’s experience-seeking audience
Listing exclusively on Booking.com could be the best fit for:
Hosts with more conventional properties (hotels, serviced apartments, guesthouses) that cater to a broad range of guests.
Properties that appeal to business travelers who prioritise convenience and amenities.
Urban areas and regions with high business travel activity, particularly in Europe and major cities worldwide.
Stayful Opinion
You should list your property on both platforms, being too dependant on one platform for your business is a dangerous venture as if anything happens with them you have lost your business very quickly, you need to focus on using both, if you do not want to deal with multiple listings you can hire an holiday let management company to help.
Tips for Listing on Multiple Platforms
If you decide to list on both Airbnb and Booking.com, consider the following strategies:
Use a Channel Manager: Invest in software that synchronises your listings across platforms, automatically updating calendars and availability to prevent double bookings.
Standardise Your Listings: Create a consistent brand across platforms, but tailor your listing titles and descriptions to each platform’s audience.
Optimise Pricing: Consider setting slightly different prices on each platform based on their fee structures and typical guest expectations. Utilize AirDNA’s dynamic pricing tool to set data-driven rates.
Leverage Platform Strengths: Use Airbnb for promoting unique experiences and longer stays and leverage Booking.com for shorter stays at more traditional properties.
Manage Reviews Carefully: Maintain high standards across both Airbnb and Booking.com, as positive reviews will boost your visibility on each platform.
Hire a holiday let management company: Getting some expert advise through an serviced accommodation or holiday let management company could be the answer that you need, Stayful provide this service.
