Airbnb vs. Vrbo: Which vacation rental platform is right for you?

Vacation rentals come in all layouts and sizes. But if you plan to book one, there’s a good chance you’ll do it on Airbnb or Vrbo.

The two platforms are among the most popular options for travelers looking for lodging. Madeline List, a senior research analyst at Phocuswright who has studied the short-term rental industry, said there is “a lot of cross-listing” so users may find the same rental on multiple platforms.

“So there is definitely some overlap between the two platforms,” she told USA TODAY. However, while they have similarities, there are some differences that may help prospective guests decide which is right for their trip.

What sets Airbnb apart?

For starters, it has more listings.

“Airbnb is huge in the space, and it's certainly dominant,” List said. Phocuswright said it had over 7.7 million listings in its 2024 spring update, as compared with more than 2 million on Vrbo.

The platform boasts greater brand awareness, too. Phocuswright’s U.S. Short-Term Rental Report 2021 – its most recent that measured that metric – found that 78% of short-term rental users surveyed were aware of Airbnb as offering that type of accommodation, while 50% named Vrbo. (Phocuswright surveyed adult consumers in the U.S. with internet access who had traveled overnight and stayed in a paid short-term rental for leisure within the previous two years, and got 983 qualified responses).

List noted, however, that the numbers may have shifted since and Vrbo has done a “push for more brand recognition.”

She added that Airbnb “has also done a lot of really strong work trying to push properties that feel very unique and that feel like very differentiated experiences.”

The company recently launched its Icons category – including the clock room at the Musée d’Orsay and a replica of Carl Fredricksen's house from Disney and Pixar’s “Up” – and has other listings ranging from houseboats to yurts.

“We believe Airbnb offers more unique places to stay and unforgettable experiences than any other travel platform,” Airbnb’s chief business officer Dave Stephenson said in an email. “Whatever your travel budget or ideal getaway, whether you're traveling solo or with a group, there are Airbnb listings with great amenities that can provide you with a magical time almost anywhere in the world.”

What sets Vrbo apart?

Vrbo may have fewer listings, but it had an established presence even before Airbnb existed. Expedia Group acquired the platform in 2015 – then known as VRBO – as part of HomeAway. VRBO rebranded to Vrbo in 2019, before the company retired HomeAway in the U.S. the following year.

“Vrbo pioneered the vacation rental category nearly 30 years ago and has remained dedicated to providing travelers with consistent and reliable vacation rentals,” Melanie Fish, vice president of Global PR for Expedia Group Brands, said in an email. “It’s not about spaceships or a celebrity’s garage – just real, fully functioning homes meant to be lived in and enjoyed together with family and friends.”

While Airbnb customers can rent a room in someone else’s home, Vrbo offers only private rentals. That way, Fish said, “guests always get the whole place to themselves and never share the space with a host.”

Vrbo guests can also participate in Expedia Group’s One Key rewards program, allowing them to earn OneKeyCash they can use on the site, or Expedia.com and Hotels.com. The platform also shows total prices including fees by default (hidden charges have been a source of frustration for many travelers). Airbnb users must use a toggle to turn on the total price display.

Does Airbnb or Vrbo cost more?

Hosts set listing prices, List said, and those can vary.

“It might be slightly different across sites for all sorts of technical reasons, like the types of commissions and fees they pay to the different booking sites or the types of dynamic pricing tools or fee structures that they're able to set on the back end,” she noted.

If one platform allows them to add a certain fee and another doesn’t have that capability, the host may adjust the pricing to compensate.

“The best way to save money on booking fees is by booking directly with (a rental) operator, but for various reasons that either might not be an option in certain destinations – not everyone has a direct booking site – or it might not be something people feel comfortable with because there's certainly more purchase security when you book through these centralized sites like Airbnb and Vrbo,” List added.

Vrbo has also received 2,934 Better Business Bureau complaints in the past three years, while Airbnb – which has a larger number of listings – has received 7,580.

Despite their differences, they have plenty in common, too (both offer 24/7 customer support, for instance). “The (user experience) certainly has a lot of similarities to it,” List said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Airbnb or Vrbo: What sets each of the vacation rental platforms apart