Kayak excels in hotel and car rental search with better filtering options and price tracking, while Skyscanner dominates flight search with superior price comparison across 1,200+ airlines and broader destination coverage. Both are free metasearch engines, but they optimize for different travel categories.
Kayak vs Skyscanner — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Meta-search engine for flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages founded in 2004.
World's largest flight search platform owned by Booking Holdings, indexing 1,200+ airlines and 300+ destinations.
Primary Strength. Airlines Indexed. Hotel Listings. Price Alert Features. Mobile App Rating (iOS). Destinations Covered. Car Rental Partners
Choose Kayak if you're booking hotels or rental cars and want advanced filtering, competitive hotel inventory, and robust price alerts. Choose Skyscanner if flights are your priority and you need access to the broadest range of airlines, budget carriers, and international routes—it's the industry standard for flight comparison.
Kayak: Price tracking only | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 200+ booking sites | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Real-time Kayak Insights tracking | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Advanced matrix with multiple filters | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Manual monitoring required | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Superior (iOS/Android) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Thursday identified (Jan 2026 data) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 700+ airlines and OTA sites | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: No bundling available | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Varies by airline/booking | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 100% transparency before booking | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Redirects to external sites (3-4 steps minimum) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Basic price alerts available | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Recommended by 78% of flexible travelers | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 4.2 seconds | Skyscanner: 3.1 seconds
Kayak: Basic 12-month calendar view | Skyscanner: Advanced AI with 15-year trend analysis
Kayak: Comprehensive flight+hotel+car bundles | Skyscanner: Limited combination options
Kayak: Yes, completely free | Skyscanner: Yes, completely free
Kayak: Access to 1.5M+ via search | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 200+ booking sites aggregated | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 3-5 steps (redirect + partner) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: No rewards program | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Limited; relies on partners | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 500+ partner sources aggregated | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 100+ airlines across all channels | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 0% (no program) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: $1.2 billion estimated (2024) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 4.6 stars (1.2M reviews) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: No guarantee offered | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 0% (displays direct prices) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Not applicable (comparison only) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 23+ advanced filters | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 95% accuracy prediction | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Limited/third-party links only | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 30+ million downloads | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: Economy, premium economy, business, first class | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 4-6 minutes average | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: No guarantee - redirect booking | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 1% cashback on flights | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 5-7 minutes (with redirect) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 500+ airlines and booking sites | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: 4.6 stars (185K reviews, 2026) | Skyscanner: N/A
Kayak: ~500 airlines | Skyscanner: ~1,200 airlines
Kayak: 2.8 million | Skyscanner: 2.3 million
Kayak: 190 countries | Skyscanner: 220 countries
Kayak: 500+ agencies | Skyscanner: 300 agencies
Kayak: 4.6/5 (156K reviews) | Skyscanner: 4.5/5 (312K reviews)
Kayak: Customizable thresholds, multi-parameter alerts (price, dates, routes) | Skyscanner: Basic alerts, flights only, limited customization
Kayak: 45 seconds (checkout to confirmation) | Skyscanner: 38 seconds (checkout to confirmation)
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Limited seat mapping
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Strong mobile presence
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Standard coverage
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Mobile-friendly search experience
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: 54% US users prioritize deals
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Manual monitoring
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Superior at complex routings
Kayak: N/A | Skyscanner: Extensive low-cost carrier database
How to choose between Kayak and Skyscanner
Kayak vs Skyscanner — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Kayak vs Skyscanner. Contains 79 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Kayak vs Skyscanner — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Kayak vs Skyscanner.
Which platform finds the cheapest flights?
Skyscanner typically finds cheaper flights because it indexes 1,200+ airlines including ultra-low-cost carriers like Ryanair, AirAsia, and Spirit that Kayak may miss. On routes with budget carriers, Skyscanner found prices 8-15% lower in 2025 studies. However, both are metasearch engines that redirect to booking sites, so the final price depends on direct airline pricing that day.
Is Kayak or Skyscanner better for hotel booking?
Kayak offers more hotel listings (2.8M vs 2.3M properties) and superior filtering by amenities, neighborhood, and property type. Skyscanner's hotel search is functional but less refined. For hotels, Kayak edges out Skyscanner, though booking directly through hotel websites often yields the best rates.
Do both offer price alerts? How do they work?
Kayak's price alerts are superior—you can set thresholds for specific price points across flights, hotels, and car rentals, and receive notifications when prices drop below your target. Skyscanner offers flight-only alerts with basic on/off functionality and limited customization. Neither monitors prices indefinitely; you should set alerts 1-2 months before travel for best results.
Skyscanner's mobile app is slightly faster, taking ~38 seconds from search to checkout vs. Kayak's ~45 seconds. Both apps are responsive, but Skyscanner's interface is more streamlined. However, Kayak's extra filters may appeal to users who don't mind the slightly longer booking flow for more control.
Can I book directly on these platforms or do I have to leave?
Both Kayak and Skyscanner are metasearch engines—they search prices but redirect you to booking sites (airlines, hotels, car rental companies) to complete the purchase. Neither facilitates direct booking. This protects you by showing you the supplier's official price and customer service policies directly.
How to Choose Between Kayak and Skyscanner
Primary Strength: Kayak has Hotel & car rental search with advanced filters, while Skyscanner has Flight search across 1,200+ airlines.
Airlines Indexed: Kayak has ~500 airlines, while Skyscanner has ~1,200 airlines.
Hotel Listings: Kayak has 2.8 million properties, while Skyscanner has 2.3 million properties.
Price Alert Features: Kayak has Real-time alerts with customizable price thresholds, while Skyscanner has Price tracking for flights only, limited customization.
Mobile App Rating (iOS): Kayak has 4.6/5 stars (156K reviews), while Skyscanner has 4.5/5 stars (312K reviews).
Destinations Covered: Kayak has 190+ countries, while Skyscanner has 220+ countries.
Car Rental Partners: Kayak has 500+ agencies with integrated booking, while Skyscanner has 300+ agencies.