Airbnb has been a massive catalyst in the revolution of the travel industry, particularly the vacation rental niche. They opened up the door for travelers to source alternative accommodation for their trips at cheaper prices. On top of that, people can enjoy unique lodgings; a fresh change from the typical hotel rooms that are full of neutral colors and coffee sachets.

But, now that billions are being spent each year on vacation rentals by happy travelers, Airbnb is not the only player on the market. So, we’re going to discuss the top 8 Airbnb competitors that are currently performing excellently…

HomeAway

This absolute giant is arguably one of Airbnb’s main competitors, simply because it has such a wide reach worldwide. With this platform, you’ll be shown a whole heap of properties ranging from luxury to economy, big to small and family-friendly to apartments. To confirm your booking, you must sign a rental agreement and pay 10-50% up front, though.

For hosts, this website is tremendously attractive. Why? Because it tops the Google rankings for popularity, charges start at an acceptable $349 per year, there’s a ‘Free-to-List’ option and the population to earn up to $12,000 per year on average.

FlipKey

You know how colossal TripAdvisor is, right? Well, this is their baby, after they purchased the website back in 2008. When you host, you’ll benefit from exposure to 340 million travelers per month, thanks to the integration with other popular websites. When you’re looking for a place to stay, you’ll be able to narrow your search down using an array of different filters such as a type of trip, price bracket, and standard.

Moreover, the platform boasts of over 300,000 properties in roughly 160 countries, and that’s set to continue rising.

VRBO

Over the past 20-odd years, this platform has built a phenomenal reputation, and it grew exponentially following HomeAway Corporation’s takeover in 2006. Although very similar to Airbnb in the way properties are listed and hosts are treated, it does shine in its own right. You’ll still find two distinct categories as a host, though – paid subscription and ‘Free-to-List’.

In fact, despite having a significantly less number of properties in their inventory, this platform states their members receive an average of 127 inquiries on their listings per year. Pretty impressive, huh?

Tripping

This one hasn’t been dubbed the ‘Kayak for long-term rentals’ for no reason. It’s because it offers travelers a huge selection when trying to find accommodation. We’re talking over 8 million properties in more than 150,000 destinations, and as you can probably guess, they specialize in long-term listings.

In addition, due to their strong links with AARP, Booking.com and other major vacation rental platforms, it allows you to compare prices on the market. That means you can be sure to find the perfect place for as cheap as possible.

VayStays

When you’re searching for a vacation rental, you want a website that empowers you to do so quickly, securely and hassle-free, correct? Then this platform is one that you’ll love. Although, it’s more of a service than a platform, as half of the website is its marketplace, and the other half is a property management tool.

They pride themselves on exquisite quality, and all listings are fully verified to ensure users can pay via credit card without any fear whatsoever. At this point, their focus is mainly on Mexico, Caribbean, U.S and Central America.

HouseTrip

Yes, Airbnb operates in multiple destinations across the globe, which highlights how great they are. But, sometimes a platform which laser-targets one specific area is a better option. You see, with this platform, their bread-and-butter is European vacation rentals, hence why they’ve been given the moniker of ‘Airbnb of Europe’.

However, they don’t take the 3% commission and it’s completely free to list your property. It’s a superb alternative if you’re looking for an unsaturated European market.

Wimdu

Again, this is another rental site where their listings tend to dominate the European scene, rather than looking to take over the world market. Although, they have still cast a wide net. So far, they’ve done an outstanding job, notching up over 300,000 properties in excess of 100 countries, with more than 1 million registered users.

On the listings, you’ll find plenty of reviews, information, and details to help your decision-making process, and the procedure to actually book is very straightforward. The steps are very simple, and the payment is very secure, so you have nothing to worry about.

VacayHero

This is a no-messing-about type of vacation rental platform based in the U.S, as finding and booking a property can literally take minutes. Plus, you have over 13,000 listings to choose from and all are professionally managed. They’re situated in states such as Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Utah and many more.

On the other hand, hosting is brilliant too, as things such as cleaning and service fees are charged with the booking. As the properties are all professionally managed, this website tends to experience very few issues, both in regards to hosts and travelers.

So, there you have it, the top 8 Airbnb alternatives where you can find some amazing vacation rentals. The next time you feel like branching out from the popular Airbnb website, try out one of those listed above.

No matter what vacation rental sites you choose, Hosty is there to help you make sense of all of them. Hosty provides vacation rental management software that gives you access to all of your vacation rental accounts in one easy dashboard. Now, no matter which sites you list your properties on, you’ll always be organized. Ready to get started? Click here to sign up for free!

How many sites should I list on?

Now that you know a little more about top Airbnb competitors, you need to consider how many sites to list on. You surely can’t do them all. Too many is a waste of time, and too few will lead to you missing out on opportunities. We suggest that you put your listing on 3-4 sites for the best results. This way, you’ll have a good reach, without wasting your time filling out profiles for dozens of sites.

Having a good understanding of Airbnb competitors is a great way to better understand the vacation rental industry. The more you know about the industry, the better host you can be.