Airbnb vs. VRBO – I Tried Both To See Which is Better

So, you’re planning your next vacation and trying to figure out the best place to stay, right? If you’re looking for apartment or home vacation rentals, you’re likely coming across two options: Airbnb and VRBO.

I started off as an Airbnb loyalist when searching for an affordable place to stay in Auckland and finding a much better deal on Airbnb than any hotels could offer. Best of all? It had a kitchen and a fabulous view! But over the years, Airbnb’s fees have increased, and all of the rules and horror stories have left vacationers like me wondering what else there is.

After trying out VRBO, I generally find it cheaper, but it’s not all perfect. Here’s everything to consider when booking with Airbnb vs. VRBO:

TLDR: Research on Airbnb but book on VRBO.

A Comparison of Airbnb vs. VRBO Fees

Let’s talk money first, because who doesn’t love saving a few bucks, am I right? Airbnb and VRBO both charge fees, but they’re a bit different.

Airbnb usually charges a service fee to guests that’s around 5-15% of the total reservation cost. Hosts also pay a service fee, which can be around 3-5% per booking. There are almost always cleaning fees, and they can easily be several hundred dollars depending on the listing.

Due to the recent uproar over fees, Airbnb has started listing total pricing so there are no surprises when the fees make the total price double, and have pushed back against hosts who assess fees but expect guests to clean. (To be honest, I never was willing to clean even when I saw such instructions).

On the other hand, VRBO tends to have a bit more straightforward fee structure. Guests typically pay a booking fee, which can range from 6-12% of the total booking amount. Personally, I’ve seen that the fees are much lower on VRBO. On a recent trip to Sedona, Arizona with my family, I saved $300 by booking the same property with VRBO instead of Airbnb. And although there are lovely boutique hotels in Sedona, I saved a lot by booking a home for a week instead.

Airbnb’s fees have really increased over the years. It used to be a great deal when I traveled in Europe over the summer or wanted something affordable when traveling in the US, but now that’s mostly changed.

Sometimes Airbnb might be cheaper, but most of the time VRBO will come out ahead.

Inventory: Who Has More to Offer Between Airbnb and VRBO?

Now, let’s talk about the good stuff: the places you can stay! Both Airbnb and VRBO have a massive inventory of vacation rentals, from cozy cabins to luxurious villas.

Airbnb tends to have a wider variety of listings, including everything from spare rooms in someone’s house to entire castles (yes, seriously!). This can be great if you’re looking for something unique like the Earthship in New Mexico pictured above, or as budget-friendly as a room in someone’s home. I had great experiences in the past renting just a room in South Africa.

On the other hand, VRBO (which stands for Vacation Rental By Owner) I have found plenty of the same listings on VRBO, but for less money since they had lower fees. The issue is, VRBO doesn’t have quite the variety and they don’t have as many reviews. The way around this is to find a handful of listings you like on Airbnb, read the reviews, then look for the same ones on VRBO. They’ll typically have the same photos and names.

Overall Customer Sentiment Based on Trustpilot Reviews

My experience is one thing, but what about everyone else’s? Well, I did a little digging on Trustpilot, which records real user experiences, and here’s what I found: They both have atrocious reviews, with both platforms rating around 1.3 out of 5 stars.

I find this surprising. I’ve easily stayed in over 100 Airbnbs now, and while I’ve been catfished a couple of times, it’s overall been quite positive.

I always read between the lines on reviews, and am sure to read a lot of them, in order to make sure that I’m ok with any issues people talk about. Since raters on Airbnb are notorious for leaving inflated ratings, I find this is a good way to get around the issue. I also only tend to book hotels that have overwhelmingly positive ratings. If it’s not 4.9 out of 5 stars, I’m probably not staying there.

The same goes for VRBO. Read reviews on Airbnb first, find the property on VRBO, and then book.

As far as customer service, I have had meager experiences with both. Sometimes there have been hidden fees that I wasn’t happy about, like room taxes I was charged for after the fact, but I argued my case and Airbnb refunded them.

In the case of VRBO, I have put the wrong email when I was booking, which is my fault, but they could not figure out how to fix it, and I never did have it show up on my account. It wasn’t the end of the world, but it was annoying. Like is this really that hard to figure out? Apparently it is.

However, none of my experiences were so negative that I would have given either platform one star.

If you want to explore other options, including home swap, glamping, and house sitting platforms, check out these Airbnb alternatives.

Background on the Companies

Lastly, let’s talk a bit about the companies behind these platforms.

Airbnb was founded in 2008 and has since grown into a global powerhouse, with millions of listings in over 220 countries and regions. It’s known for its user-friendly interface and innovative approach to travel.

Lately it’s come under fire for taking away too much housing, and has even been banned in certain locales, most recently including South Lake Tahoe.

VRBO has been around a bit longer, founded in 1995 as a platform for homeowners to list their properties directly. It was acquired by HomeAway in 2006 and then acquired by Expedia Group in 2015. VRBO focuses more on traditional vacation rentals and tends to attract an older demographic.

Airbnb vs. VRBO Who Wins?

Based on my experiences, I prefer VRBO since I can often find the same vacation rentals, but for less in fees. If it’s the exact same place, why pay more on a different platform? The host and the house are the same.

Since VRBO doesn’t have as large of an inventory or as many reviews, I suggest researching on Airbnb and booking on VRBO if possible.

*Some links in this post are affiliate links that support us at no extra cost to you when you purchase through them. We only recommend products we love and use ourselves. Your trust always comes first!