7 Best Airbnb Alternatives in 2024

Airbnb hit the right spot when it came up with the initiative to make it easy for travelers to find places to stay and property owners to rent out rooms. Airbnb offers variety, unlike traditional hotels. Looking to spend your holidays with your extended family in a property with a pool and spacious yards? Airbnb will help you find something exactly like that. Intrigued to find out what spending the night in a treehouse feels like? You can find out the related property listings. While Airbnb is great, you might be missing out on the benefits other platforms like Airbnb have to offer. Yes, you read it right. Airbnb is not the only site that will help hosts rent out their rooms and guests find their stays. We have put together a list of the seven best Airbnb alternatives here.

Why is it Fair to Start Exploring the Best Airbnb Alternatives?

Airbnb has its downsides, too. Come on, we have had our fair share of moments when we felt Airbnb charged too high a fee or cancellation policies were not as flexible as we like them to be.

Also, there may be times when the listing you like is unavailable, and that is when you realize exploring other options can be a good idea. This blog helps you with that, and as you read, you will find the best Airbnb alternatives in no particular order and what they offer.

7 Best Airbnb Alternatives

1. Vrbo

Vrbo is short for Vacation Rentals by Owner and has been around even before Airbnb entered the market. Launched in 1995, Vrbo is considered the best Airbnb alternative that connects homeowners with vacationers looking for rentals.

Vrbo has about two million listings in over 190 countries on the site. HomeAway, another vacation rental booking platform, acquired Vrbo. And in 2015, the Expedia Group acquired HomeAway. Vrbo has a loyalty program, namely, One Key. It lets users earn rewards for bookings made through the platform.

Pros

The powerful search tools on the app help users narrow their searches smoothly.
The loyalty program lets users earn rewards.

Cons

Vrbo does not let guests rent shared spaces.
Cancellation policies of Vrbo are complex.

2. Vacasa

Vacasa is a vacation rental management company that has been operating since 2009. It does more than just list properties. The Portland-based Airbnb alternative provides end-to-end professional property management services. Vacasa achieves this by partnering with property owners to ensure properties are clean and well-maintained between stays.

Vacasa provides a virtual tour of the property to users interested in that particular property. Over 40,000 vacation home listings are on the platform from the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, etc.

If you are fastidious or a compulsive organizer, Vacasa may be your go-to!

Pros

Vacasa provides a seamless app experience to its users.
Guests can enjoy stays in well-maintained properties where homeowners follow rigorous cleaning protocols.

Cons

There are fewer options compared to Vrbo.

3.Booking.com

It is another alternative to Airbnb, which dominated the online accommodation sector even before the former entered the market. It was initially Bookings.nl that later became part of Booking Holdings after mergers. Booking.com offered only air travel booking and hotel accommodation services earlier but has since expanded to provide short-term housing and apartment rentals.

Witnessing growth over the years, about 89% of Booking Holdings’ gross profit came from Booking.com in 2017. Users can find over 28 million listings on Booking.com.

Booking.com provides professionally managed properties. So, the next time you want to book a hotel room with good deals, you know where to look!

Pros

Renters have myriad options as the site lists places from as many as 228 countries.
Booking.com is the best alternative for traveling internationally, as multiple international properties are listed, all professionally managed.

Cons

Commission fees for hosts are usually high on Booking.com.
Booking.com offers limited insurance protection for hosts.
Strict cancellation policies and renters charged high accommodation fees.

4. Marriott Homes and Villas

Marriott, the renowned hotel brand, launched a six-month program as Tribute Portfolio Homes before becoming Marriott Homes and Villas in 2019. With about 140,000 listings, Marriott Homes and Villas is an alternative to Airbnb, which offers a well-curated collection.

Marriott partners with home management companies and aims to maintain good standards. The platform ensures the listed properties include 24/7 support and amenities like high-speed Wi-Fi, smoke detectors, and kitchen and bathroom essentials.

Marriott also lets users redeem points for the bookings made.

Pros

Users can earn Marriott Bonvoy points during their stays.
Vacationers can get a hotel-like experience in well-maintained spaces.

Cons

Limited catalog with fewer low-priced listings.

5. Hipcamp

Hipcamp, popularly called the Airbnb of the outdoors, lets campers discover and book campsites. It lets people search for suitable places for their preferred activities, like camping, fishing, trekking, or hiking. They can book cabins, treehouses, etc.

Hipcamp covers all national parks in all the 52 states of the US. Also, campers can find listings in Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. Hipcamp ensures the safety of guests since they may have to venture into unknown grounds by setting standard protocols.

It is one of the Airbnb alternatives that is affordable. So what are you waiting for? Find your next getaway at Hipcamp and embrace the outside experience.

Pros

Suitable for budget travelers.
A great option to consider for exploring outdoors.

Cons

The quality of the listings is not up to par.

6. Plum Guide

Plum Guide differentiates itself from Airbnb and other platforms by listing the places that strictly meet its standards. It filters only the best ones from the many listing requests from hosts. They undergo thorough vetting to check if they meet the set criteria before getting listed on the platform. As a result, Plum Guide lists only 3%-5% of the properties that apply in any given location.

Plum Guide is a good Airbnb alternative if you do not mind paying higher, as it mainly offers luxury rentals.

Pros

Plum Guide does not compromise on the quality.
Plum Guide is a suitable alternative for guests seeking a sophisticated experience during their stay.

Cons

There are no reviews of properties on the platform, which may make decision-making difficult.
Prices are higher than an average vacation rental listed on other platforms.

7. Agoda

With headquarters in Singapore, Agoda has many listings across Asia on the platform. There are over nine million rentals listed on the Agoda site. Guests can find many categories to choose from, like apartments, luxury villas, and bungalows.

Agoda is a good Airbnb alternative in many regards. Solo travelers can benefit from the platform by availing discounts. Not to say, guests traveling in groups can also receive deals.

Pros

Agoda offers many deals for its users.
Competitive pricing and flexible cancellation policy.

Cons

Customer service is not satisfactory.
There is some lack of clarity on the pricing.

These are top picks for the best seven Airbnb alternatives. So the next time you are looking for a vacation rental platform that is not Airbnb, you can consider any of these seven Airbnb alternatives, and we guarantee you will have the best experience.

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