Airbnb attracts younger, more frequent travelers (avg 38 years old, 4.2 trips/year) with shorter stays (4.3 nights), while Booking.com dominates professional and business travel with lower cancellation rates and requires 15-20% higher pricing to match Airbnb profitability. 67% of hosts list on both platforms, but only 23% earn more money doing so.
Booking.com vs Airbnb — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Peer-to-peer accommodation platform offering apartments, houses, and unique stays worldwide.
World's largest online accommodation platform with 7.5+ million properties across 220+ countries.
Average Guest Age. Average Trips Per Guest Annually. Average Stay Length. Cancellation Rate. Price Parity Requirement. Hosts Listing on Both Platforms. Hosts Earning More From Dual-Listing
Choose Airbnb if you have a casual, social property targeting younger frequent travelers and want competitive base pricing without premium markups. Choose Booking.com if you have a professional-looking property, prefer hands-off management, target international/business travelers, and can manage higher pricing requirements for equivalent profitability. Most successful hosts in 2026 use both platforms with multi-channel distribution strategies rather than choosing one exclusively.
Airbnb: 7 Million+ | Booking.com: 28 Million+
Airbnb: $8.4 Billion | Booking.com: $21 Billion
Airbnb: Rooms + Homes + Unique | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Percentage-based fee only | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Modern and mobile-optimized | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Shorter stays (frequent turnover) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: All types (apartments to homes) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: $80-150 per night | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Highly flexible (self-check-in options) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 85% include full kitchen | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 1-24 hours (host-dependent) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Host-defined policies (variable) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 800-1500 sq ft (full homes) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Limited (Airbnb Plus only) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Estimated 65-70% | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Policy changes March 9, 2026 (evolving) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: $1,500-2,500 (entire home) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Expanding travel + lifestyle services | Booking.com: N/A
Required Price Premium to Match Profitability
Airbnb: Baseline (0%) | Booking.com: 15-20% price increase needed
Airbnb: 38 years | Booking.com: Older (business/professional focus)
Airbnb: 4.2 trips/year | Booking.com: Lower frequency (longer stay focus)
Airbnb: 4.3 nights | Booking.com: 7+ nights (typical for business/intl)
Airbnb: 6 customizable options | Booking.com: Limited options (stricter)
Airbnb: 67% use both | Booking.com: 67% use both
Hosts Earning More From Multi-Platform Strategy
Airbnb: Only 23% earn more listing on both | Booking.com: Only 23% earn more listing on both
Airbnb: N/A (baseline) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Short-term (3-7 nights average) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Regular 2026 updates (swipe dates, pricing tools, mobile enhancements) | Booking.com: N/A
Premier/SuperHost Cancellation Requirement
Airbnb: No published threshold | Booking.com: N/A
Premier/SuperHost Acceptance Rate Requirement
Airbnb: ~40% higher (89 turnovers) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Negotiable with host | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Variable by host (1-5 star ratings) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Inconsistent - not guaranteed | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 4.6/5 (890K reviews) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 8-16 (varies by region) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Limited (Airbnb Plus membership tier only) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 7.2 million listings | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 7.2 million worldwide | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: Limited (app messaging) | Booking.com: N/A
Airbnb: 5 (typical) | Booking.com: 1 night (flexible)
Cost per Person (4-person group, 7 nights)
Estimated Daily Meal Savings with Kitchen
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Yes, official guarantee
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 500+ airlines (limited)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 5-15% bundled discounts
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 1-4 hours average
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 12-15% projected
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Ultra-personalized curated trips
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Excellent - upfront pricing
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Green travel options, eco-friendly filters
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 28+ million properties
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: ~20-30% of bookings
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Diverse (business/leisure mix)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Lower frequency
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Longer (extended stays)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Low (advance notice typical)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 15-20% markup needed
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 67% dual-listed
Hosts Reporting Increased Revenue From Dual-Listing
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Only 23% see higher total revenue
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: After guest checkout
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 30% offer mobile-only prices
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 300+ million users
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Advanced (2026 focus)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 85% of properties
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 220M+ total properties
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 220+ countries
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Double-digit growth projected
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Direct booking only
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Advanced AI-powered (2026 focus)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Direct on-platform checkout
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 24/7 comprehensive support
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 48 hours (standardized)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 2-4 hours (24/7 chat)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Variable (0.5-2x)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Full offline access available
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: -3% (cheaper)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: Basic integration, separate checkout
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 4.5 stars (450k+ reviews)
Airbnb: N/A | Booking.com: 10% Genius account credit
How to choose between Airbnb and Booking.com
Booking.com vs Airbnb — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Booking.com vs Airbnb. Contains 133 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Booking.com vs Airbnb — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Booking.com vs Airbnb.
Should I list on both Airbnb and Booking.com to earn more money?
Not necessarily. While 67% of hosts dual-list on both platforms, only 23% actually report earning more total revenue doing so. The key issue: Booking.com requires 15-20% higher pricing to achieve equivalent profitability, and you must manually manage date blocking across platforms when a property books. Most successful 2026 hosts use multi-channel distribution with channel managers (like Smoobu) that automate synchronization rather than relying solely on Airbnb or Booking.com.
Which platform has fewer guest cancellations?
Booking.com guests cancel significantly less often and provide more advance notice. Airbnb focuses heavily on 'Free Cancellation' bookings, which creates higher cancellation risk but attracts more bookings from price-sensitive leisure travelers. If cancellation certainty is critical for your business model, Booking.com is the safer choice despite requiring higher pricing.
Which platform is better for managing multiple properties?
Booking.com's interface is explicitly designed for professional property managers handling 50+ units, making bulk operations and reporting significantly easier. Airbnb's interface is more consumer-friendly but becomes cumbersome for large portfolios. However, both platforms benefit from third-party channel managers for multi-property automation.
What type of guest does each platform attract?
Airbnb's average guest is 38 years old and books 4.2 trips annually with average stays of 4.3 nights—targeting leisure travelers seeking social, lifestyle experiences. Booking.com attracts international business travelers and professional leisure guests with longer stays and more stable booking behavior. Choose Airbnb for frequent, younger leisure guests; choose Booking.com for business and extended-stay bookings.
Why do hosts need to price 15-20% higher on Booking.com?
Booking.com's commission structure and pricing requirements mean that to achieve the same net profit per booking as Airbnb, hosts must charge guests 15-20% more. This reflects different commission fees, payment timing (Booking.com pays after checkout), and the platform's positioning toward professional properties rather than peer-to-peer sharing. The higher pricing is necessary for financial parity, not optional.
How to Choose Between Airbnb and Booking.com
Average Guest Age: Airbnb has 38 years old, while Booking.com has Mixed (business/leisure).
Consider: Average Trips Per Guest Annually
Average Trips Per Guest Annually: Airbnb has 4.2 trips/year, while Booking.com has Lower frequency (business-focused).
Average Stay Length: Airbnb has 4.3 nights, while Booking.com has Longer (extended stays preferred).
Cancellation Rate: Airbnb has Higher (Free Cancellation focus), while Booking.com has Lower cancellation, more notice.
Price Parity Requirement: Airbnb has Base pricing standard, while Booking.com has 15-20% higher pricing needed.
Consider: Hosts Listing on Both Platforms
Hosts Listing on Both Platforms: Airbnb has 67% dual-listed, while Booking.com has 67% dual-listed.
Consider: Hosts Earning More From Dual-Listing
Hosts Earning More From Dual-Listing: Airbnb has Only 23% see increased revenue, while Booking.com has Only 23% see increased revenue.