From major OTAs like Booking.com to niche platforms like Plum Guide, as a property manager you have a world of options beyond Airbnb to expand your reach and maximize bookings.
Although Airbnb remains one of the most influential platforms in the short-term rental market, boasting over 1.5 billion guest check-ins to date, relying solely on Airbnb is no longer a sustainable strategy.
With growing competition and shifting traveler preferences, property managers need a multi-channel approach to stay ahead.
Diversify and conquer should be your mantra for 2025.
Get started on your distribution strategy with Rentals United.
Let’s explore how!
What other sites are like Airbnb?
Whether you’re looking for broad exposure on major OTAs or targeting specific traveler demographics with specialist channels. At Rentals United, we’ve rounded up the top-tier channels you should be listing on to maximize occupancy and revenue, besides Airbnb.
Here we have gathered a list of your best options and why they can suit you for a growth-winning distribution strategy.
- Booking.com
- Vrbo
- Expedia
- Marriott
- Smoky Mountains
- HomeToGo
- PlumGuide
- Holidu
- TravelStaytion
- Whimstay
- Hopper
- The Quintess Collection
- MakeMyTrip
- Top Villas
- Agoda
1. Booking.com
Booking.com is a large OTA (online travel agency) for hotel accommodations as well as a growing inventory of vacation rentals. The company is similar to Airbnb and lists over 6 million private homes and apartments.
What differentiates Booking.com from Airbnb and Vrbo is that it’s not exclusively for vacation rentals – in fact, it was originally a search engine for hotels.
This means that vacation rental listings compete alongside hotel inventory, giving property managers the chance to level the playing field and reach guests who may not be specifically searching for vacation rentals.
Booking.com offers only private vacation rental properties instead of the shared accommodation options (with private rooms or shared rooms) popular on Airbnb.
To help property managers optimize their listings for conversions, Booking.com offers multi rates and new features that you can use through your Rentals United connection. We offer a seamless connection with Booking.com, since we worked together to bring property managers a connection that exceeds standard channel management in the vacation rental industry
How much are Booking.com commission rates?
Booking.com usually charges a commission fee between 10% to 25%, depending on property type and location. So the upper end of it is slightly higher than Airbnb’s, where the commission is shared between the host and the guest.
2. Vrbo
Founded in 1995, Vrbo – originally Vacation Rentals By Owners or VRBO – is a veteran of the vacation rental industry. The Airbnb competitor specializes in unique accommodations including beach houses, condos, cabins, villas and even boats and castles.
Vrbo has a wide reach, attracting over 48 million active monthly users. Property managers who advertise on Vrbo can also reach the 730 million monthly unique visitors who visit Expedia Group’s global family of sites.The most striking difference between Vrbo and Airbnb is the number of listings. While Airbnb boasts around 7 million listings, Vrbo “only” has around 2 million vacation rental properties. From the property manager’s perspective, this isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, it could mean that in your local market, there’s less competition on Vrbo than there is on Airbnb.
There’s also a difference between the type of traveller that each listing site attracts. Vrbo has an abundance of large and high-end vacation homes, so it caters to families and groups of friends as well as older and more affluent travelers.
On Vrbo, property managers can become Premier Hosts by maintaining low cancellation rates and high average ratings. This is similar to Airbnb Superhost status in that both are rewarded with a badge that travelers can see.
How much are Vrbo commission rates?
As for pricing, property managers who connect to Vrbo through a channel manager like Rentals United pay a service fee of 12-15% per booking. This is very close to the 14% commission that Airbnb is currently charging software-connected hosts.
3. Expedia
Expedia is an established OTA where travellers can reserve not just accommodation, but flights, rental cars, cruises and various activities. The site is broad and covers all kinds of lodgings, attracting a wide audience. As Expedia’s inventory of home rentals grows, the site is becoming more and more competitive in the vacation rental market.
Expedia has a much broader audience than Airbnb. This means you’ll have more exposure for your properties, but many of the site’s visitors may be looking for other types of accommodation than vacation rentals.
How much are Expedia commission rates?
Expedia’s commission rates range between 10 to 30% depending on the location, the type of properties and the season.
4. Marriott (Homes & Villas by Marriott)
Homes & Villas by Marriott International was launched in May 2019 as a way for the respected hospitality brand to branch out into vacation rentals. The channel offers premium and luxury homes in around 250 destinations worldwide.
Marriott’s vacation rental platform aims to deliver the highest standards of quality, safety, design, and amenities, holding vacation rentals to the same standard as their hotel brand. Getting your properties on the site is a perfect opportunity to reach a global audience of high-quality travelers, including members of the luxurious Marriott Bonvoy™ loyalty program.
Compared to Airbnb, Marriott’s platform has a far smaller selection of properties and caters to a more premium audience. This is reflected in the standard of properties, as the channel only lists entire properties that meet their criteria
How much are Homes & Villas commission rates?
Homes & Villas charges a commission of 15% to 20% per booking, comparable to other online travel agencies, while offering access to a higher-value traveler demographic.
Get listed on Homes & Villas by Marriott International
5. Smoky Mountains
Smoky Mountains is a location-specific channel that lists properties in the Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee–North Carolina border. The channel specializes in cabins and lodges in and around the Smoky Mountains national park in popular tourist locations like Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
This is a highly specialized niche channel with only around 1,000 properties listed, however an incredible 20 million travellers have booked vacations through the site. The channel has been featured in popular news outlets like The New York Times and Forbes, and the team has been recognized for their local area expertise.
The biggest difference here is the specificity and niche appeal of Smoky Mountains, which caters to just one holiday destination.
Most of the properties listed on Smoky Mountains are mountain cabins and lodges, catering to travellers with a love of the outdoors.
6. HometoGo
HometoGo was founded in 2014 as an AI-powered metasearch marketplace where travellers can search and compare listings from over 15M+ offers, in over 200 countries. In fact the site has the world’s largest selection of vacation rentals, and guests can browse offerings through a sleek and user-friendly interface.
HometoGo is a metasearch engine which aggregates listings from different channels, allowing guests to easily search and compare listings in over 200 countries.
How much are HometoGo commission rates?
HomeToGo charges 15% on commission on each booking, which is fairly similar to Airbnb. You can list directly on HomeToGo through a channel manager such as Rentals United.
7. Google
In the last few years, Google has been actively increasing its influence in the accommodations market. Partnering with large OTAs and selected channel managers like Rentals United, Google has started to include vacation rentals in Google Maps and travel planning tools like Google Travel and Google Vacation Rentals.
Originally launched in 2019 to streamline hotel searches, Google Travel is a platform that aggregates information on flights, hotels, and vacation rentals, all in one place. Data is integrated from multiple sources, including OTAs and direct booking websites, and its intuitive interface means users can easily filter results by price, amenities, location, and guest reviews.
Google Travel drives direct bookings for property managers by leveraging Google’s advanced search capabilities and vast user base to redirect users to their websites, often without additional commission fees.
If you list your property on Google through one of its trusted technology partners, your vacation rentals can compete against hotels directly on search results pages. This gives you the chance to get in front of Google’s millions of users, expanding your reach and boosting your brand’s recognition immensely.
More and more travelers are using Google to find and book accommodation. When a traveller clicks on your listing in Google vacation rentals, they are redirected to a direct booking page.
How much are Google commission rates?
Currently, Google doesn’t charge a commission fee on bookings, so the traffic and the bookings you get from Google are free.
And last but not least, Google is still a fairly underutilized channel. If you get listed now, you may have a competitive advantage over property managers who are not yet listed on the world’s largest search engine.
8. Plum Guide
Plum Guide is a luxury vacation rental website that’s rapidly gaining popularity. Their inventory is carefully curated and they only accept 3% of the applications they receive, which means only the finest quality homes can get listed on Plum Guide.
By advertising on Plum Guide, property managers can access an exclusive customer base of discerning travellers. These travellers seek luxury experiences and don’t shop on standard OTAs.
How much are Plum Guide commission rates?
Plum Guide’s commission for hosts is around 16.5%.
To be listed on Plum Guide, properties must pass rigorous testing and home inspection. The platform only approves clean homes that are well-maintained with quality furniture and stylish interiors.
If you think your luxury properties fit the bill, Rentals United can help fast-track your application.
9. Holidu
Holidu is a vacation rental metasearch engine based in Munich. Like HomeToGo, it aggregates listings from hundreds of vacation rental websites.
The site gets over 11 million monthly visits, and travellers can browse and compare prices of over 15 million listings.Holidu is especially popular among European travellers and the German-speaking market. It attracts families with or without children, groups of friends, couples and solo travellers alike.
How much are Holidu commission rates?
Holidu’s commission rates are 15%, so very similar to Airbnb.
10. TravelStaytion
London-based TravelStaytion is an alternative vacation rental site that specializes in professionally managed short-term rentals.
With an emphasis on beautiful, quality properties, TravelStaytion is exclusively for properties managed by professional hosts and property management companies. Its portfolio of properties attracts corporate travellers – young professionals and business people – who book longer stays as well as families, groups of friends and solo travellers looking to book urban getaways.
With over 85,000 properties in several hundred cities around the world, TravelStaytion’s inventory is growing at a rapid rate. Properties listed on TravelStaytion are also distributed to the metasearch engine Trivago.
In contrast to Airbnb’s approach of enabling all homeowners to rent out their rooms or properties, TravelStaytion operates on a B2B business model and only collaborates with professionals who want to provide an impeccable hospitality service.
How much are TravelStaytion commission rates?
Commission is 15%, which is fairly similar to Airbnb.
11. Whimstay
Specializing in last-minute bookings, Whimstay offers budget-conscious guests a chance to book premium properties.
Whimstay is a leading vacation rental marketplace offering great value bookings for properties in North America. Property managers benefit from an intuitive platform with top-notch support, which makes it easy to fill unsold nights and increase your occupancy.
Whimstay is a more specialist channel than Airbnb that only lists properties in North America for last-minute bookings made within 30 days of check-in. However, the channel is rapidly growing, and announced that bookings were up 400% in 2023 compared to the previous year, and its number of property management partners grew by 2.5 times.
How much are Whimstay commission rates?
Whimstay’s commission is just 3-5%, which is significantly lower than what you will pay on Airbnb, making it a great choice for your North American properties.
12. Hopper Homes
Hopper is a travel super-app boasting 200+ million booked trips and 120+ million app installs. The app partners with airlines, hotels, homes, and car rental providers across the globe to help travellers easily plan and book entire vacations through a single app.
Hopper Homes is the vacation rental segment which is exclusively available in the Hopper app. The app is famous among Gen Z travellers in North America. This means you may get more bookings from younger travellers and the app is likely to keep growing in the coming years.
How much are Hopper Homes commission rates?
Hopper Homes charges a commission of 14% to hosts. Listing on Hopper Homes will help you reach a different audience of travellers who may be looking to book other aspects of their trip with the Hopper app.
13. The Quintess Collection
The Quintess collection is an exclusive sales channel providing high-end travellers with a carefully curated list of 1,700 luxury properties. With more than 18 years experience, the Quintess Collection offers guests a choice of stunning properties in desirable locations as diverse as the Caribbean, Bali, Tuscany, and many more.
Listing on the channel gives you the opportunity to reach discerning travellers looking for an exceptional stay in top quality properties.
How much are The Quintess Collection commission rates?
The Quintess Collection charges 15% commission. What sets The Quintess Collection apart from Airbnb is its focus on luxury and dedication to selecting only the best properties in the luxury market. Luxury property managers will benefit from getting their listings seen by The Quintess Collection’s target audience and members of its exclusive luxury vacation club. The channel also provides a personalized service to help guests plan every aspect of their trip and arrange premium services.
Get listed on the The Quintess Collection
14. MakeMyTrip
MakeMyTrip is an Indian online travel agency founded in 2000. The channel caters to the needs of Indian travellers, who can book buses, trains, flights, hotels, vacation homes, holiday packages and more through the app.
MakeMyTrip began serving the US-India travel market with great value products & services, user friendly technology and attentive customer support.
The vacation rental section of the app offers a range of properties in India and other locations across Asia.
An obvious difference between MakeMyTrip and Airbnb is that while Airbnb serves a generic worldwide market, MakeMyTrip is specifically tailored to the Indian market and travellers in Asia. Another key difference is that travellers can use MakeMyTrip to book several aspects of a trip, including transportation and hotels. This means by listing on the site you can reach a more diverse audience who aren’t specifically looking for vacation rentals.
15. Top Villas
Top Villas has an outstanding selection of over 10,000 homes in over 150 stunning destinations worldwide. The channel is one of the finest rental agencies in the world, with a portfolio that has grown substantially since the founding of the company in 2010.
Listing on the site gives you unlimited access to an extensive network of frequent, high-value travellers as well as a professional, personalized service. You can choose payment terms that suit you and will get assigned a personal account manager to answer your questions and queries.
Your properties will also be visible to an extensive network of thousands of travel agents and affiliate partners.
How much are Top Villas commission rates?
Commission on Top Villas is 15%, so only fractionally higher than on Airbnb. The 10,000 homes listed on Top Villas all fit the luxury profile, and guests choose the site because of the curated selection of properties and the 5-star, hotel-style concierge services and dedicated local support that’s offered with every stay.
The channel lists properties in the Caribbean and Europe, however the majority of properties are in the US in destinations like Florida and California.
16. Agoda
Agoda is an online travel agency and one of Asia’s leading travel-tech companies with millions of registered customers in 31 markets and 24/7 customer service.
You can list any type of property on the site and reach a global audience of 9 million Agoda users.
How much are Agoda commission rates?
Commission on Agoda is usually 15%. With its focus on Asian travellers, Agoda is a slightly more specialized site than Airbnb, but still has a broad reach of travelers looking for a wide variety of property types.
Conclusion
Now that you have considered alternatives to Airbnb, it is time to start diversifying your distribution strategy to start boosting revenue and occupancy rates.
Channel managers can help you get your properties listed on as many relevant sites as possible without the hassle of dealing with each one individually. You can also have faith in a reliable connection, which means you never have to worry about double bookings.
Fortunately you are not alone in this, our professionals can advise the best strategy that will get your properties listed on other sites like Airbnb that are especially relevant to your market.
If you choose Rentals United as your channel manager, you’ll have access to all the listings sites mentioned plus more, with a trustworthy connection which means you’ll never have to worry about double bookings or missed sales.
Get started on your distribution strategy with Rentals United.