Vacation rental and short-term home rentals are becoming increasingly popular. There is a wide range of companies that offer this service, including Airbnb and Vrbo.

Airbnb and Vrbo are both popular vacation rental websites. They are platforms through which property managers can be connected by Lodgable – a property management software. And while they both provide similar services, there are many differences between these two sites.

Here are the 5 key differences between Airbnb and Vrbo:

1. Pricing

Vrbo and Airbnb have pretty different pricing structures for guests and hosts. Vrbo has two different options for hosts: 5% on each reservation or $499 for a yearly subscription with a 3% payment processing fee. Vrbo also charges the guest between 6-15%. Airbnb has two different pricing options: a split fee between hosts and guest; the host is charged 3% and the guest is charged under 14%. This method applies to nearly all hosts, under certain circumstances there is a host only fee like if you are a hotel or in a certain region it costs between 14-16%. 

2. The platforms

Airbnb and Vrbo are very similar sites, they offer many of the same things but they do have some differences. First off, the biggest difference is that Airbnb offers, entire home, single rooms, and experiences. Vrbo strictly only offers entire home rentals. Vrbo boasts over 2 million listings in 190 countries. While Airbnb has over 6 million listings in 220 countries 

3. Review system

Both Airbnb and Vrbo offer guest and host reviews. Airbnb only allows you to leave a review for 14 days after the booking. Vrbo however allows you to leave a review a year after the booking but once one party has completed their portion the other party only has 14 days to complete theirs. Both platforms value good reviews by putting listings with better reviews higher in search results. So if you are a host you will want to get as many 5 star reviews as you can. 

4. Customer Support

Guests, as well as hosts, can speak to Vrbo and Airbnb customer service teams 24 hours a day. 

Guest and host phone calls can be made to Vrbo’s customer service, while Airbnb only takes phone calls for urgent issues. Through the Airbnb Help Center, you can use the chatbot to contact Airbnb customer support. 

Additionally, both websites offer comprehensive FAQ sections on their websites for both hosts and guests to navigate issues or questions that may arise with their accounts, reservations, etc. 

5. Verification

Finally, another major difference between these two sites is their verification process. Airbnb uses a standard ID verification process to ensure that guests and hosts are legit. To verify your account, you must: Either input your name and address or Upload an image of your government-issued ID (Driver’s License, National Identity Card, or Passport)

Vrbo may ask you to upload any of the following information, first and last name, email address, mobile phone number, physical address and birth date.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to rent out an apartment or vacation rental, there are two major players in the space that can help. Airbnb allows people to list their homes, apartments, rooms, or host an experience on its site while Vrbo only allows for entire home rentals. While there is a lot of  overlap between the two, they also offer something unique: they both partner with Lodgable to help property managers.