The vacation rental market is booming right now, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. No matter what kind of accommodation you own or wherever it’s located, there is a good chance that you will find a platform that will help you advertise it and put it in front of millions of eyes.
However, as you go through the options, there are two that will stick out at you: Airbnb and HomeAway. So, it’s only logical to ask yourself the questions: AirBnB VS HomeAway, which is better?
What Airbnb and HomeAway Offer
Whether you are a vacation rental homeowner looking to get guests to your listing or you are a guest looking to find the perfect accommodation you will appreciate the fact that both things are now very easy to do.
All you have to do is go onto your computer, log onto either one of these platforms and type in a few key search queries and you have a plethora of wonderful options at your disposal.
Airbnb and HomeAway are both highly feature-rich platforms that offer you millions of options when it comes to available vacation homes for rent. Both have incredible homes on offer and millions of people logging in every day trying to find the perfect one for their next stay.
Sometimes, you might even find the same homes on both platforms as some owners try to hedge their bets that being on both platforms gives their properties more visibility. So which one is better, Airbnb or HomeAway?
Airbnb Versus HomeAway: Which One Is Better?
To answer this questions, you have to make a few assumptions but first, let’s look at the statistics and numbers so we can try to determine which is bigger and if that necessarily means better.
Airbnb Facts
As things stand right now, Airbnb has well over 6 million listings worldwide on the platform. These listings are spread across more than 100,000 cities and encompass more than 191 countries. You have to admit, that is some reach! That, however, isn’t all Airbnb has to offer in terms of impressive numbers:
- On any given night, there are about 2 million people staying at an Airbnb somewhere
- Since its inception and founding in 2008, Airbnb has seen more than 500 million guest arrivals
- Airbnb offers something called “Airbnb Experiences” where the hosts create activities that are meant to entertain the guests and help them showcase their locale. There are more than 40,000 cities that offer these Airbnb Experiences
- Airbnb offers more than just homes and apartments for rent. There are more than 14,000 tiny houses, about 4,000 castles and well over 2,400 treehouses on Airbnb.
- As the host, you get $1 million liability insurance
HomeAway Facts
HomeAway is slightly older than Airbnb in that it was founded in 2005. That being said, HomeAway offers you well over 2 million homes spread across more than 190 countries worldwide.
These houses include condos, cabins, beach houses, and even apartments. Like Airbnb, these houses costs guest a lot less than they would typically pay for a hotel and they still get the “home” experience. Here are some key HomeAway facts:
- Over 2 million listings across the globe
- More than 190 countries
- Over 1 million of these listings can be booked instantly
- Homeowners on HomeAway get $1 million liability insurance
Who is Bigger Between Airbnb and HomeAway?
By the numbers, Airbnb is much bigger than HomeAway at the moment. As you can see by the statistics, Airbnb has well over 6 million listings worldwide while HomeAway has about 2 million.
What this means is that Airbnb has more options in terms of lodging offered on the site. Which for you as a vacation rental homeowner might sound like a slight disadvantage since you will have more competition.
However, if you think about it, it also means that Airbnb is now very much the number trusted vacation rental platform across the globe which in turn means that it sees a lot more traffic.
Right now, Airbnb has over 150 million monthly users. HomeAway on the other hand, doesn’t come close to the 150 million that Airbnb has but it has one huge advantage over Airbnb, it’s traffic is sourced from a number of related websites that funnel people to the booking pages. This means that the people who land on these pages more or less already know what they want and are going to book while those landing on Airbnb might be window shopping.
Trust and Verification Between Airbnb and HomeAway
As a homeowner with a listing halfway across the globe, you are not going to be there to personally verify that your guests are legitimately law-abiding citizens. All things constant, there really is no way for you to verify that information as a civilian anyway. That is why using a platform that has a robust “Trust and Verification” system is key to the security of your property.
Both companies have their own “Trust and Verification” systems, but as things stand, Airbnb’s is a bit more sophisticated than HomeAway. Airbnb has a system where users take a selfie to verify that your image is the same as that on your ID.
Both, however, offer you a $1 million insurance coverage should things go very wrong. This way, you are covered as a homeowner.
What About Guest Fees and Other Charges?
Homeowners are definitely going to be interested in the sort of thing that would affect their bottom-line. So here are how the numbers stack up against each other when it comes to Airbnb vs. HomeAway guest fees and charges:
Airbnb:
- Owner Fee: 3% booking fee
- Guest Fee: 0-20% per booking
HomeAway:
- Owner Fee: 5% booking fee or an annual fee of $499. You also have to contend with a 3% credit card processing fee
- Guest Fee: 5-15% per booking
It can be argued that both platforms offer homeowners a unique opportunity to reach millions of people, and it’s always a good idea to spread your risk around. However, if you are looking for a clear-cut winner between Airbnb and HomeAway, let the numbers help you decide.
