Vacation rentals come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re planning on booking one, there’s a good chance you’ll do so through Airbnb or Vrbo.

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

“So there’s definitely some overlap between the two platforms,” ​​she told USA TODAY. But despite the similarities, there are also some differences that can help prospective guests decide which is right for their trip.

What makes Airbnb different?

First of all, there are more entries there.

“Airbnb is huge and definitely dominant in this space,” List said. Phocuswright said there were over 7.7 million listings in its spring 2024 update, compared to more than 2 million on Vrbo.

The platform also boasts greater brand recognition. Phocuswright’s 2021 US Short-Term Rental Report – the most recent report to track this metric – found that 78% of short-term rental users surveyed knew Airbnb as a provider of this type of accommodation, while 50% named Vrbo. (Phocuswright surveyed adult consumers in the US with internet access who had traveled overnight and stayed in a paid short-term rental for pleasure in the past two years and received 983 qualified responses.)

However, List noted that the numbers may have shifted since then and that Vrbo has been “working toward greater brand awareness.”

She added that Airbnb has also “really done a lot of hard work to promote accommodations that feel unique and like a very different experience.”

The company recently launched its “Icons” category – which includes 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 offerings ranging from houseboats to yurts.

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

What makes Vrbo different?

While Vrbo has fewer listings, it was established before Airbnb. Expedia Group acquired the platform – then known as VRBO – in 2015 as part of HomeAway. VRBO was renamed Vrbo in 2019 before the company discontinued HomeAway in the U.S. the following year.

“Vrbo pioneered the vacation rental category nearly 30 years ago and remains committed to providing travelers with consistent and reliable vacation rentals,” said Melanie Fish, vice president of global PR at Expedia Group Brands, in an email. “It’s not about spaceships or a celebrity garage – just real, fully functional homes designed to be lived in and enjoyed with family and friends.”

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

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

Does Airbnb or Vrbo cost more?

List prices are set by the host, List said, and these can vary.

“For all sorts of technical reasons, individual sites may differ slightly, such as the type of commissions and fees they pay to the various booking sites, or the type of dynamic pricing tools or fee structures they can set in the backend,” she noted.

If one platform allows charging a certain fee but another does not, the host can adjust the prices accordingly.

“The best way to save on booking fees is to book directly with a (rental) provider. However, for various reasons, this may not be an option in certain destinations – not everywhere has a direct booking website – or people may not feel comfortable doing so because booking through centralized sites like Airbnb and Vrbo is certainly safer,” List added.

In addition, Vrbo received 2,934 complaints with the Better Business Bureau over the past three years, while Airbnb, which has a larger number of listings, received 7,580 complaints.

Despite their differences, they also have a lot in common (both offer 24/7 customer support, for example). “There are certainly a lot of similarities in (the user experience),” List said.

Nathan Diller is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Airbnb vs. Vrbo: What’s the Difference Between Vacation Rental Platforms