Expedia is a full-service travel booking platform offering flights, hotels, cars, and packages with its own inventory, while Kayak is primarily a metasearch engine that aggregates prices from multiple providers without direct booking for most services. Expedia generates higher revenue ($40B+ annually) through direct bookings, whereas Kayak focuses on price comparison and earns through referral commissions.
Expedia vs Kayak — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Global travel booking platform with direct inventory for flights, hotels, cars, and vacation packages.
Metasearch engine that aggregates and compares travel prices across hundreds of booking sites.
Primary Business Model. Annual Revenue (2024). Hotel Booking Options. Vacation Package Customization. Mobile App Downloads (2024). Customer Loyalty Program. Average Booking Commission Rate
Choose Expedia if you want a complete, integrated booking experience with package deals, one-stop checkout, loyalty rewards, and direct customer service—ideal for planning complex multi-component trips. Choose Kayak if you're a price-conscious traveler who wants to compare rates across multiple booking sites, set price alerts, and book directly with the cheapest provider, accepting longer checkout processes for potentially lower fares.
Expedia: 1000+ airlines (comprehensive) | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 15-35% flight+hotel bundles | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 4-12 hours average | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: AI-enhanced pricing & recommendations | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Good - occasional hidden charges | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Carbon offset programs, sustainable stays | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 1.5+ million properties | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: ~18-25% with One Key | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Free entry (paid tiers available) | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Direct inventory | Kayak: 1000+
Expedia: Yes (on-platform) | Kayak: No (redirects)
Expedia: Comprehensive | Kayak: Superior (iOS/Android)
Expedia: General trends | Kayak: Thursday identified (Jan 2026 data)
Expedia: Positive sustained growth | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Fully transparent (complete details) | Kayak: N/A
Average Domestic Roundtrip Airfare (Spring 2026)
Expedia: Market competitive | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Expansive/comprehensive | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 24,000+ global travelers | Kayak: N/A
Year-over-Year Airfare Change (Spring 2026)
Expedia: Full customization available | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Flexible control-focused travelers | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Expedia Group properties + select partners | Kayak: 700+ airlines and OTA sites
Expedia: 5-15% additional savings on combined bookings | Kayak: No bundling available
Expedia: Available on select mobile app bookings | Kayak: Not available
Expedia: 24 hours on most bookings | Kayak: Varies by airline/booking
Expedia: Hidden details on Express Deal flights | Kayak: 100% transparency before booking
Expedia: Direct one-platform checkout (1-2 steps) | Kayak: Redirects to external sites (3-4 steps minimum)
Expedia: Advanced real-time alerts with exclusive app perks | Kayak: Basic price alerts available
Expedia: Preferred by 65% of fixed-plan travelers | Kayak: Recommended by 78% of flexible travelers
Expedia: Expedia: 50M reviews | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Flights, Hotels, Cars, Activities, Packages | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 24/7 phone, chat, email | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Expedia: Direct pricing (0% markup) | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Varies by membership tier (0-10%) | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Full integration with 500+ airlines | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 22% of OTA bookings | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Fixed 10 points per $1 | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: Limited offline features | Kayak: N/A
Expedia: 2,800,000+ hotels | Kayak: Access to 1.5M+ via search
Expedia: 550+ airlines | Kayak: 200+ booking sites aggregated
Expedia: 150M+ downloads | Kayak: 80M+ downloads
Expedia: Baseline (0%) | Kayak: 8-18% cheaper
Expedia: 1-2 steps (integrated) | Kayak: 3-5 steps (redirect + partner)
Expedia: 10% points + elite status | Kayak: No rewards program
Expedia: 24/7 dedicated support | Kayak: Limited; relies on partners
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Price tracking only
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: 200+ booking sites
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Real-time Kayak Insights tracking
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Advanced matrix with multiple filters
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Manual monitoring required
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Basic 12-month calendar view
Expedia: N/A | Kayak: Comprehensive flight+hotel+car bundles
Expedia vs Kayak — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Expedia vs Kayak. Contains 83 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Expedia vs Kayak — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Expedia vs Kayak.
Yes, typically 8-18% cheaper on average. Kayak compares prices across 200+ sites including Expedia, so you'll often find lower fares. However, Expedia's vacation packages (flights + hotels bundled) can offer 20-30% savings that beat individual metasearch results. For standalone flights or hotels, Kayak usually wins on price.
Not for most services. Kayak is a metasearch engine that shows prices then redirects you to the booking partner (Expedia, Airlines.com, Hotels.com, etc.). You'll complete checkout on their site. Expedia, by contrast, handles the entire transaction directly on its platform.
Which has better customer service if something goes wrong?
Expedia offers 24/7 dedicated customer support for all bookings, making it easier to handle cancellations or changes. Kayak has limited support—you'll contact the actual booking provider (like an airline or hotel) directly. For complex issues, Expedia's direct relationship with you is a significant advantage.
Kayak Explore offers price tracking and alerts, but no traditional rewards/points program like Expedia Rewards. Expedia gives 10% cash back in points plus elite status benefits. If loyalty rewards matter to you, Expedia is the better choice.
Which should I use for a complete vacation package?
Expedia is superior for vacation packages. You can book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and cruises in one transaction with bundled discounts (typically 20-30% off). Kayak can help you find the cheapest individual components, but you'd need to book each separately and lose package savings.
Primary Business Model: Expedia has Direct booking platform with owned inventory, while Kayak has Metasearch engine with referral commissions.
Annual Revenue (2024): Expedia has $40.8 billion, while Kayak has $1.2 billion (estimated).
Hotel Booking Options: Expedia has Direct booking + partnerships (2.8M+ hotels), while Kayak has Search & redirect to partner sites.
Consider: Vacation Package Customization
Vacation Package Customization: Expedia has Complete packages with discounts (flights+hotels), while Kayak has Limited; mainly price comparison.
Mobile App Downloads (2024): Expedia has 150M+ downloads, while Kayak has 80M+ downloads.
Customer Loyalty Program: Expedia has Expedia Rewards with points & elite status, while Kayak has Kayak Explore with price tracking alerts.
Consider: Average Booking Commission Rate
Average Booking Commission Rate: Expedia has 18-22% from partners, while Kayak has 5-12% referral commission.