19 Airbnb Alternatives to Consider in 2023

Airbnb changed the game for how travelers book accommodations for their vacations. Renting directly from private owners offered a less-expensive alternative to hotels and resorts. However, Airbnb’s explosive growth has led to reports of quality control issues and — as of late — prices that aren’t much less than the hotel chains it tried to replace. The good news is there are a number of Airbnb alternatives that are attempting to dethrone the reigning king, offering benefits like long-term stays and luxury experiences. They are:

These sites might offer the perfect option for your next vacation, long-term stay or even a second home.

Why travelers need Airbnb alternatives

An image displays the pros and cons of using Airbnb so travelers understand what to look for in Airbnb alternatives.

Airbnb has quickly become the best-known name in the vacation rental industry, thanks to its large selection and user-friendly app. However, its quick success comes with challenges. With more than 6 millions listings in hundreds of countries, Airbnb as a company has been faced with accusations of prompting overtourism, changing residential neighborhoods into tourist zones and making it difficult for locals to find affordable long-term rental housing. A recent study highlighted the most common problems Airbnb customers have run into:

Customer service not living up to expectations
Scam listings leaving renters high and dry
Reservations being abruptly canceled by hosts

These challenges present an opportunity for Airbnb competitors to step in and step up. And while some of the cons can be the same across all vacation rentals — inconsistent property owners, for instance — these Airbnb alternatives do have some pros that may make them viable options for your next vacation.

1. Booking.com

Booking.com has been around since 1996 and was known for scheduling air travel and hotel accomodations. It now offers short-term housing and apartment rentals. It is becoming a formidable Airbnb competitor, with offices in more than 70 countries and over 6 million listings currently. Booking.com does charge hosts a higher booking fee — 15% compared to Airbnb’s 3% — and those fees are often passed on to renters in the form of higher prices. Pros:

Provides service in 43 languages and operates in 226 countries
Many professionally managed properties
24/7 customer experience team to answer questions and advocate for guests

Con:

Higher costs on average than Airbnb
Inconsistent property owners

2. Vrbo

Vrbo was one of the first sites to give property owners a marketplace to connect with travelers. Despite being early to the table, Vrbo lags behind Airbnb’s impressive growth, with 2 million rentals. The two sites are very similar in the types of rentals offered, with many property owners listing on both sites. If you plan to use Airbnb, it’s worth checking out Vrbo — you might be able to get the same place for a lower price. Note that Vrbo offers only whole properties, not shared homes.Pros:

Comprehensive search tools
Great for a group of people traveling together

Cons:

Inconsistent property owners
Complicated cancellation policies

3. Tripadvisor Vacation Rentals

The popular review site has followed the lead of other businesses and stepped into the rental marketplace. Tripadvisor offers a broad range of accommodations to choose from in 43 markets. Its service is also accessible in 22 languages.The company has leaned into the greatest strength of its flagship service: reviews. A large number of listing reviews help users manage expectations and potentially avoid bait-and-switch landlords. Pros:

User reviews to make an informed decision

Cons:

Inconsistent property owners

4. FlipKey

FlipKey is owned by Tripadvisor and benefits from its large catalog of user reviews. FlipKey improves upon Tripadvisor’s service by having more functional search tools to find the specific amenities. Travelers can search for gardens, fireplaces and even nearby walking trips.While FlipKey can be used by solo travelers, it is best suited for groups. Simply finding a place big enough for a group can be challenging on other sites, but finding one that suits everyone’s tastes can be a pipe dream. FlipKey is facing the problem head-on. Pros:

Easily search for amenities
Tripadvisor user reviews

Cons:

Solo travelers may have to rent properties that are larger than they need
Inconsistent property owners

5. Plum Guide

Plum Guide offers the cream of the crop of travel accommodations. Vetted by experts, the site is a great Airbnb alternative for travel in the U.S. and Europe. Plum Guide only lists the top 3% of rentals in any given destination, weeding out less desirable options. It has a thorough vetting process, testing properties against 150 criteria. Even water pressure gets inspected. Expect to pay more than the average rental on other sites, but the price may be worth it if you value the luxury vacation experience. Plum Guide does offer price matching just in case you see the same rental listed for less on another platform.Pros:

Curated list of high-end rentals
Guarantee the rental will be as advertised

Cons:

High prices

6. Onefinestay

Onefinestay, like Plum Guide, focuses on quality over quantity in its listings. It knows its rentals are among the best of what’s around because a team member stays at each potential property.All of the listings are whole units, so you won’t be sharing with other travelers or the owner. The accommodations include houses, chalets and villas, giving you the personal touch missing from hotels while delivering on professional property management. Pros:

Luxury amenities
Carefully vetted listings

Cons:

Expensive compared to other Airbnb competitors

7. ThirdHome

ThirdHome is another luxury vacation home provider, but it takes exclusivity to another level. This is a travel club that allows members to exchange stays at second homes all over the world. In return for offering stays in your home, you’ll receive credits to use toward stays at other members’ homes.To qualify, your second home needs to be worth at least $500,000, be in a desirable location and be well maintained. This niche marketplace has 14,000 options to choose from, including entire estates and yachts. While you won’t pay a rental fee, Thirdhome does charge a booking fee that ranges between $495 and $1,395 per week. Pros:

Luxury amenities
Exclusive membership
More affordable than comparable listings on other Airbnb alternatives

Cons:

Must own a luxury second home

8. Homestayin

When you travel, do you value cultural immersion above all else? Homestayin delivers by placing you in a room in a host’s house where you can share meals and learn about the area. Homestayin operates in 129 countries with a user-friendly matching tool to help guests and hosts find the perfect fit.It’s an affordable alternative to hotels while being a step up from the typical hostel. Homestayin is available for short- and long-term rentals, appealing to backpackers and students alike. Pros:

Ideal for solo travelers
Affordable accommodations
Immersive experience

Cons:

Lack of privacy

9. Homes and Villas by Marriott International

Managing expectations is one of the hardest factors to deal with when staying at independent vacation homes. Hotel chains can deliver on cookie-cutter expectations, but lack the personal touch. Marriott has stepped into the vacation rental industry by offering units backed by their trusted brand. Travelers can find beach bungalows, townhouses, penthouses and more, ranging in quality from premium to luxury levels. The inventory is still growing — currently about 60,000 listings — but it has something most other alternatives to Airbnb don’t: a rewards program. Travelers can earn and redeem points for discounted stays in the future with their Marriott Bonvoy account.Pros:

Rewards program
Reliable standards

Cons:

Limited catalog

10. Hopper Homes

Hopper began as a travel booking service, but it recently launched a vacation rental program as well. It’s off to a strong start, with over 2 million listings around the world. Hopper Homes uses professional property managers to ensure its rentals are of a high quality. It has a streamlined app-only interface that id convenient to use with fewer distractions than many other platforms. Travelers can book their stay instantly rather than waiting for approval and are provided with flexible cancellation policies. Hopper even has its own rewards program in the works, Carrot Cash, to help customers save even more money while traveling.Pros:

Clean user interface
Instant booking

Cons:

No desktop option

11. Agoda

Agoda is the go-to Airbnb competitor for the Asian market, although it operates on other continents, too. It has nearly 3 million listings that include hotels, homes and hostels. Like other Airbnb competitors, Agoda only offers whole unit rentals but it also places a heavy emphasis on making accommodations affordable. You can receive a discount for being a solo traveler and find other discounts through a “secret deals” feature. Agoda’s website and app operate in 38 languages, with customer care in 16. While travel booking sites have moved into the rental property industry, Agoda performed a reverse migration. In 2019 the site launched its own flight aggregator to compare hundreds of sites at once. Pros:

Frequent booking discounts
Large inventory

Cons:

No shared spaces
Inconsistent property owners

12. 9flats

9flats is a German-based company with over 6 million locations to choose from. It’s one of the closer companies to Airbnb, with a range of rental types from guest houses to villas. Travelers can even rent a private room to cut down on the cost of renting a whole apartment. It works like an aggregator for other travel sites, so if you have issues with the interfaces of the other big names, 9flats might be more to your liking. It offers features like instant booking and advertises the max occupancy of every listing on the results page for quick scanning. Pros:

Instant booking
Scannable search results

Cons:

No unique listings

13. Sonder

If you’re looking for a service like Airbnb that retains the comforts of a hotel, check out Sonder. The company owns or leases all of its listings, so you won’t be dealing with private owners or shared spaces. While striving to deliver next-level experiences, Sonder also aims to keep their service accessible and affordable. They operate in just 10 countries with approximately 6,300 available listings, so selection is limited at the moment. Every unit has a full kitchen, mini toiletries and Wi-Fi, making it great for long-term stays. The app allows for contactless check-ins along with requests for clean towels and restaurant recommendations. Pros:

Hotel-level quality standards
24/7 concierge service

Cons:

Limited listings

14. Hipcamp

Hipcamp is like Airbnb for campers, offering a range of campsites from tents to RVs. It even has camping-adjacent accommodations like treehouses and cabins, for those who prefer glamping. Since guests may be traveling to remote locations, Hipcamp has established standards to ensure safety and privacy. For example, hosts must limit occupancy at campgrounds and provide safety warnings for common dangers in the area. Hipcamp’s search filters allow you to find the perfect spot for your desired activities. So if you want to hike, fish or ride horses, your hunt just got easier. The affordability and convenience make Hipcamp a great option for nature lovers. Pros:

Affordable
Wide range of camping options

Cons:

Limited listings

15. Blueground

If you’re living the digital nomad life, Blueground offers fully furnished living spaces to people planning on spending one month or more in a given area. While it doesn’t own the listings, Blueground does handpick its properties and takes care of the interior design. With that in mind, you can be certain Blueground’s over 8,000 rentals in 26 cities will maintain a defined level of quality. Since these are long-term rentals, apartments have smart home entertainment, kitchenware, toiletries and work space. Pros:

Flexible long-term stays
Fully furnished

Con:

Not ideal for short getaways

16. Vacasa

Vacasa acts as a property manager and vacation rental service, handling the booking and maintenance of over 35,000 properties.Vacasa puts technology at the forefront of its operations with AI-powered features and a quality app. Visitors can get a virtual tour of the property, so there will be no surprises upon arrival. The app holds all of the rental details, with instructions on how to operate special features in the home, including WiFi access. Pros:

AI-powered scheduling and prices
Virtual tours

Cons:

Limited options outside of the U.S.

17. HomeToGo

Like Airbnb alternative 9flats, HomeToGo works as an aggregator for vacation rental units. It searches rental companies like Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Vrbo to provide results that best meet your needs. HomeToGo operates local apps and websites in 25 countries. HomeToGo saves travelers time by allowing them to compare multiple sites in a single location, rather than having to set search filters like budget and amenities on multiple sites to find answers. Once you find a rental that’s to your liking, you finish booking through the provider’s website. Pros:

Comprehensive search tools
Works for all travel budgets

Cons:

Travelers deal with the pros and cons of the final service they book through

18. Glamping Hub

Glamping Hub is another Airbnb competitor that specializes in connecting travelers with the great outdoors to promote more sustainable tourism. Its over 30,000 accommodations include tents, treehouses, yurts and more. Like Airbnb, Glamping Hub is only a booking platform, so you’ll still depend on the property owner to deliver on the rental as advertised. Glamping Hub allows you to filter through listings based on the type of building, cost and features, so you’ll have as rustic or luxurious an experience as you’d like. Pros:

Unique properties
Safe booking system

Cons:

Inconsistent property owners

19. Pacaso

Pacaso differs from the other Airbnb competitors on this list by offering travelers co-ownership of their very own second home. Rather than stressing over research and wasting money on vacation rentals, you instead own a home that you can return to throughout the year and enjoy a consistent luxury experience each time. Pacaso works by offering up to eight shares in a property. Co-owners can choose the amount of ownership that's right for them, and schedule exclusive stays in their home using the Pacaso app. Pacaso acts as the property manager, taking care of the interior design, furnishings, cleaning and maintenance while owners show up and enjoy.Co-ownership helps buyers afford luxury amenities in turnkey second homes that are never rented out. Since owners have real estate equity in the house, they also have the option to sell their home in the future. Pros:

Turnkey luxury properties in more than 40 world-class destinations
Benefits of real estate ownership
Opportunity to own a second home for less cost
Hassle-free property management
Consistent experience and service
Second home community

Cons:

Owners have a fixed travel destination

An image displays reasons to use Pacaso’s services rather than the popular Airbnb alternatives.

Just because Airbnb quickly became the Google of vacation rental sites doesn’t mean they have the best service. Looking into the Airbnb alternatives included in this list can improve your vacation experience, save you money and help you avoid some of the travel nightmares of working with bad hosts.

FAQs surrounding Airbnb alternatives

What is better than Airbnb?

Travelers looking for alternatives to Airbnb are in luck. Many competitors are now offering services in specialized vacation markets that are better than Airbnb’s offerings. Some of the top services include:

Plum Guide for luxury vacation rentals
Hipcamp for glamping opportunities
Pacaso for luxury vacation home ownership
Blueground for long-term stays
ThirdHome for house swapping

Who is Airbnb’s biggest competitor?

Vrbo is commonly considered Airbnb’s biggest competitor due to the similarity in services and the number of Vrbo listings. With the rise in popularity of the vacation rental industry, many new alternatives are giving both Airbnb and Vrbo stiff competition.

Who is bigger: Airbnb or Vrbo?

Airbnb boasts over 6 million listings, compared to 2 million for Vrbo.

19 Airbnb alternatives to consider for your next vacation

Why travelers need Airbnb alternatives

1. Booking.com

2. Vrbo

3. Tripadvisor Vacation Rentals

4. FlipKey

5. Plum Guide

6. Onefinestay

7. ThirdHome

8. Homestayin

9. Homes and Villas by Marriott International

10. Hopper Homes

11. Agoda

12. 9flats

13. Sonder

14. Hipcamp

15. Blueground

16. Vacasa

17. HomeToGo

18. Glamping Hub

19. Pacaso

FAQs surrounding Airbnb alternatives

What is better than Airbnb?

Who is Airbnb’s biggest competitor?

Who is bigger: Airbnb or Vrbo?

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