5 Top Alternatives to Airbnb to List your Property

Do you have a property and are looking for the best listing platform rather than Airbnb? You have come to the right place. Here, we have enlisted 5 top alternatives to Airbnb. In 2008, when Airbnb was founded, it was more than just a rental vacation service; it aimed to connect travelers with local people’s homes. Stay with them and engage in some cultural exchange, allowing locals to earn some cash. However, after 2022, the primary difference between Airbnb and hotels was that Airbnb could offer a kitchen. 

5 Best Alternatives to Airbnb You Must Know

So, people started looking for other alternatives to Airbnb. Whether you are looking for a comfortable apartment or a family-suitable house, or a Villa. Here we will discuss the best 5 alternatives to Airbnb, where you will get the aim back of Airbnb, which was an edgy alternative to traditional hotels.

VRBO

Vrbo offers entire home rentals, a vacation rental platform. It is a part of the Expedia group and is strongly visible in North America and Europe. We can not say Vrbo as an alternative to Airbnb; we may call Airbnb an alternative to VRBO. The major difference between these two platforms is that Airbnb offers shared spaces or private rooms, while Vrbo offers only entire homes or apartments for rent. It is good for those hosts looking for a vacation rental platform for families or big groups who want privacy. 

Features for Hosts in VRBO

VRBO offers a user-friendly dashboard, where hosts can manage bookings and see performance insights. If a guest damages your property, you will see damage protection options to secure your property. If you are a host, you can get the premier host program. In this program top top-rated listings will show up. 

Requirements for listing Property on VRBO

Before signing up to VRBO, you will need the following information about your property: 

• Right Property Address
• Contact information for ongoing communication
• Prepare a headline and description for your listing
• Type of Property
• No of rooms and bathrooms
• No of people living there
• Also, check your local laws for licensing requirements

Before listing your property on VRBO, add as many details about the property as possible, as it will help attract the right guests for you. When you start filling in the property description, you will see the details from travelers often want. Like your specific home features and facilities you will offer.

Pricing on VRBO

You don’t have to pay any fees during signing up and listing your property. Listing a property is completely free. You will only know when you get a reservation. Then you will pay 3% payment processing fee and 5% commission fee, so this will be the total booking cost for hosts.

You can set your rate on the basis of pricing suggestions from the platform, based on real market data, including historical booking trends. 

Booking.com

Another alternative to Airbnb is  Booking.com, which offers hotels with vacation rental properties. So, hosts can attract a wide range of guests through this. It provides side-by-side hotel listing options, which attract those travelers who are searching for long-term rentals and are different from Airbnb and VRBO. 

Features for Hosts 

Booking.com offers different tools to make hosting easier and profitable. It offers instant booking and Request to Book for hosts. It also offers pre-booking messaging. Hosts can communicate with guests before booking and can set clear expectations before accepting a stay. 

Partner Liability Insurance protects hosts from guest- or neighbor-related claims, along with a selection of damage protection options by offering up to €/$/£1 million in coverage.

Requirements for Listing Property

• You can list your property simply by starting with registration on the website.
• You can import important property details from other travel platforms to avoid double bookings, which may occur due to calendar syncing.
• You may be asked for property verification before you list your property at Booking.com.
• During the listing of your property, you may find some extra settings and create house rules for guests.
• Once the setup and verification are completed, you can open your property for booking immediately.

Pricing

You can list your property on Booking.com for free. It works on commission-based models. You have to pay commission to the platform only when you get a reservation. The commission percentage varies according to the region and property type. The payment process is simple here. Booking.com collects payment from the guests and then allows you to get the payment once the guest pays. It guarantees payouts for prepaid stays. 

Hosts can choose their payment method and timing based on local availability. In many markets, hosts can get daily payouts. Booking.com also protects against fraud, chargebacks, and payment complications, so hosts can focus on running their rental without worrying about financial risks. 

Plum Guide

If you have a luxurious property and are looking for the best listing platform rather than Airbnb, then Plum Guide is the best alternative to Airbnb, which focuses on quality over quantity. Which is known as the “destination for booking exceptional homes,” it accepts only the top 3% of properties that apply. 

Plum Guide is a high-end vacation rental platform that contains only the world’s best properties. Hosts who join Plum Guide become a part of an exclusive collection of upscale rentals. You will benefit from mature and long-staying travelers.

Features for Hosts 

On this platform, hosts can benefit from the following features: 

Plum Guide guests tend to book longer stays than other platforms, so you will benefit from fewer changeovers and more consistent occupancy. It has reported a 30% lower cancellation rate than other platforms. Its travelers are often older, mature, and responsible, who mostly book special occasions. 

In-house experts at Plum Guide suggest travelers best homes for them, helping hosts find the best fit for their property. 

The onboarding fee will include professional photography, full merchandising of your property,  and high-quality listing descriptions, which will ensure your home is presented at a luxury standard. You can also list your property on other platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, or any other. Plum Guide only requires syncing calendars using iCal to prevent double bookings.

And, you get paid on the Friday after guest check-in.

Requirements for Listing Your Property

As Plum Guide accepts only luxurious properties, its requirements are strict. Although they accept first-time hosts, your home must: 

• Premium design quality or unique architectural value
• Should offer exceptional cleanliness 
• Meet Plum Guide’s vetting criteria
• Should be able to provide the best professional guest experience
• Agree to their onboarding process

Pricing

You have to pay 3% service fee plus applicable local sales taxes on each booking. Hosts also pay a one-time onboarding fee of £300 / €300 / $400, which is deducted after the first booking. While hosts themselves pay a 3% fee, so overall platform commission fee ranges from 3–15%, with up to 12% passed on to the guest, depending on the property and location.

Expedia

Expedia Group is one of the largest travel marketplaces in the world. It is not only a vacation rental platform, but it also offers accommodations, flights, and car rentals. So, it is the best alternative to Airbnb. When you list your property on Expedia, it automatically shows on other sites such as  Hotels.com, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif, and others, vastly expanding your potential reach.

Features for Hosts  

Once you sign up on Expedia Group, your property will be listed on many other travel brands without signing up individually. Guests booking flights, hotels, and car rentals often convert at higher rates and stay more consistently. In the Partner Central Dashboard, you can see data-driven insights, market comparison features, and dynamic pricing options. 

Expedia offers Rewards for bookings, which increases the likelihood.

Requirements for Listing Your Property

Expedia is flexible as compared to other luxury platforms, making it accessible for many property types. So, it has some basic requirements: 

• A legally operable rental property (hotel, guesthouse, private residence, vacation rental, etc.)
• Photos of your property in high quality and a unique description
• Be able to manage the Partner Central dashboard to manage availability and rates 
• Should meet Expedia’s property quality standards (cleanliness, safety, amenities)
• Reliable customer support and communication

There is no strict vetting process, so it’s easy for hosts to join.

Pricing

Expedia charges a commission-based model, 15-20% commission per booking. This commission may vary on the basis of property type, region, and listing brand, such as VRBO or Expedia, etc. As its commission rate is higher than Airbnb’s, it also offers some distinct opportunities from Airbnb. It has broad exposure across dozens of travel brands or access to package travelers booking complete trips.

Expedia does not charge any onboarding fee or sign-up fee. 

Glamping Hub

Glamping Hub is another alternative to Airbnb, which offers unique accommodations in nature. Glamping hub gives opportunity to those hosts to reach travelers who seek treehouses, yurts, domes, cabins, safari tents, and other outdoor-focused stays. The Glamping hub is built entirely around nature stays.

Features for Hosts 

Glamping Hub offers several benefits in increasing global visibility of your listing and reducing management efforts. 

Once you complete your listing on the Glamping Hub, it immediately distributes on other platforms like Booking.com, Google Travel, Vrbo, Kayak, HomeToGo, and Trip.com.

Direct API integrations update availability automatically across all OTAs, preventing double bookings. Your listing will show up actively to the travelers who are searching for unique stays in outdoor destinations. You don’t have to pay any subscription fee; you only pay small commissions on bookings.

If you want to list cabins, domes, tents, treehouses, and eco-lodges type properties, Glamping Hub is the best option; on other platforms, this category may be overlooked.

Requirements for Listing Your Property

As this platform focuses on nature specific properties, you must have nature specific property to list on this platform. There are basic requirements:

• A property located in a natural environment
• High quality photos and description
• Compliance with local permits
• Be able to provide a comfortable and guest-ready outdoor experience

Pricing

Glamping Hub offers a flexible, low-cost pricing model. It does not require any subscription fee, no listing fees, and no charges until you get a booking. You have to pay 4% host commission on a booking. Travelers have to pay 6-12% guest servcommissionsion. 

Conclusion

Here we have discussed 5 different options, whether you have a nature-specific property, luxurious property, or any other, you will find the best alternative to Airbnb for listing. Every platform offers different criteria and opportunities to find you the best fit for your property. The vacation rental industry is improving day by day and offers you more flexible options. 

It is recommended to list your property on multiple platforms to reach a diverse audience. Do consider having property management software and guest communication apps to improve your hosting.