Management, Revenue Optimization

Airbnb vs. Vrbo Fees: What Hosts Pay in 2026

02 October, 2026

Airbnb and Vrbo are both changing what it costs hosts to get a booking.

Airbnb’s move to a single, host-only service fee is still fresh. Most US hosts now pay 15.5%, taken from the payout, with most others paying between 14% and 16%.

Vrbo is next.

Beginning October 29, Vrbo is moving hosts and property managers to a flat 12% commission, up from about 8% for most hosts and 5% for those on property management software.

So within a short window, hosts are dealing with two major changes to OTA economics.

At first glance, the comparison looks simple:

Airbnb: about 15.5%
Vrbo: 12%

But those numbers alone do not tell you which channel is cheaper, more profitable or better for your property.

To understand that, you need to look at three things:

What does the guest pay?

What does the platform take?

What do you actually keep?

That is where the useful comparison starts.

Key Takeaways

Most US Airbnb hosts now pay a single 15.5% host-only fee, and guests pay no separate Airbnb service fee on those bookings.
From October 29, 2026, Vrbo charges a flat 12% commission, which it calls all-in, and travelers still pay a Vrbo service fee on top.
On a $1,000 booking, Airbnb takes $155 and Vrbo $120, so Vrbo has the lower host fee.
At the same nightly rate, Vrbo guests pay more. If guests pay the same total on both platforms, you keep less on Vrbo once its guest fee is above about 4%.
Hosts on property management software see the biggest change: Airbnb’s switch on October 13 and Vrbo’s jump from 5% to 12%.
From October 29, your Vrbo rates must be at least as favorable as your rates on Airbnb and your own website. Airbnb has no such rule.
The best comparison is net payout, guest total price and how reliably each channel generates profitable bookings.

The Short Answer

Vrbo is cheaper for hosts on the fee itself. From October 29, 2026, it charges a flat 12% commission, against 15.5% for most US hosts on Airbnb, so a $1,000 booking costs you $120 on Vrbo and $155 on Airbnb. But Vrbo also charges guests a service fee and Airbnb’s single fee doesn’t, so at the same nightly rate Vrbo guests pay more, and if you price for equal guest totals you can keep less on Vrbo.

Airbnb and Vrbo Fees at a Glance

	Airbnb (single fee)	Vrbo (pay-per-booking)
Host fee	15.5% for most US hosts	12% commission from October 29, 2026
Charged on	Your nightly price plus fees you add, such as cleaning, pet or extra guest fees	The rental amount plus fees you charge, such as cleaning, pet and boat fees
Payment processing	Included in the fee	Vrbo calls the 12% all-in, but its help page still lists a 3% processing fee on the total payment
Guest service fee	None on single-fee bookings	Yes, a percentage of the reservation the guest pays at checkout
Before the change	About 3% for hosts, with guests paying 14.1% to 16.5%	5% commission plus 3% processing, or 5% with property management software
Hosts on property management software	Switch to the single fee by October 13, 2026	12%, up from 5%

Airbnb now charges US hosts a single, host-only service fee: most hosts pay 15.5%, taken from the payout, and guests pay no separate Airbnb service fee on those bookings. The deadline for US hosts was September 15, 2026, and hosts who manage prices through property management software and weren’t yet on the single fee switch on October 13, 2026. For how the change works and how to adjust your Airbnb prices, see our guide to Airbnb’s 15.5% host fee.

What Is Changing With Vrbo?

Vrbo is making its own change just weeks later.

Vrbo announced on September 29 that it is moving hosts and property managers to a flat 12% commission starting October 29, the same day its new host terms take effect. Its help center now describes “A flat, all-in 12% commission fee,” charged on the rental amount plus fees you charge the guest, such as cleaning and pet fees. Until then, most Vrbo hosts pay a 5% commission plus a 3% payment processing fee, and hosts on property management software pay 5%. Our guide to Vrbo’s 12% commission covers the change in detail.

One caveat: Vrbo calls the 12% all-in, but the same help page still lists a 3% processing fee on the total payment the guest makes, including taxes. Check the fees shown for your listing after October 29.

That means hosts now have a second major OTA fee change to account for almost immediately after Airbnb’s.

There is another important difference:

Vrbo still charges travelers a separate service fee.

Vrbo’s terms say that traveler service fee is ordinarily calculated as a percentage of the total rental amount and shown to the guest before checkout.

So Airbnb and Vrbo are not simply charging the same type of fee at different percentages.

Their fee structures work differently on both sides of the booking.

Airbnb vs. Vrbo on a $1,000 Booking

Let’s start with the host side.

Airbnb at 15.5%

On a $1,000 booking:

$1,000 × 15.5% = $155

The host keeps: $845 before other property expenses.

To run the same math for your own listing, use our Airbnb host fee calculator.

Vrbo at 12%

On a $1,000 booking:

$1,000 × 12% = $120

The host keeps: $880 before other applicable costs, if the 12% is all-in.

That is a $35 difference per $1,000 booking. If Vrbo’s 3% processing fee still applied on top, the gap would shrink to about $5.

Across $25,000 in booking revenue, a 3.5-percentage-point difference equals:

$875

Across $50,000:

$1,750

For hosts on property management software who are already on Airbnb’s single fee, the bigger change is on Vrbo’s side: its cut on the same $1,000 booking rises from $50 to $120.

So if you look only at the headline host percentage, Vrbo is lower. But that still does not tell you the whole story.

The Guest-Side Math Is Different

Airbnb’s single-fee structure puts the platform service fee on the host side. The guest does not get a separate Airbnb service fee layered on top under that structure.

Vrbo works differently.

Travelers still pay a separate service fee, which Vrbo displays before checkout. That means:

Airbnb may take more from the host.

while

Vrbo may still add a separate fee for the traveler.

So at the same nightly rate, the Vrbo guest pays more, because Vrbo adds its service fee and Airbnb’s single fee doesn’t.

That cuts the other way for you. Say the guest pays $1,000 either way. On Airbnb you keep $845. On Vrbo, if the guest service fee is 12%, your price is about $893 and you keep about $786 after Vrbo’s 12% commission. Assuming the 12% is all-in, you keep less on Vrbo whenever its guest fee is more than about 4% of the booking. Skift reports that Vrbo’s guest fees currently sit at 11% to 14%, although Vrbo is expected to reduce them.

The host percentage is only one piece of the transaction.

Which Platform Has Lower Host Fees?

If you compare a host paying Airbnb’s typical 15.5% single fee with a host paying a 12% Vrbo commission, Vrbo has the lower headline host percentage for most US hosts.

But “lower fee” and “more profitable channel” are not the same thing.

Imagine Airbnb charges you more but produces $40,000 in profitable reservations. Vrbo charges you less but produces $10,000. The smaller percentage does not automatically make Vrbo more valuable.

Or maybe Vrbo brings fewer bookings, but those guests stay longer and book higher-value dates. Then its value looks different again.

The useful question is not: Which platform charges the smaller percentage?

It is: Which platform consistently brings me profitable bookings after its costs?

Should Your Airbnb and Vrbo Rates Be the Same?

They can differ, but from October 29 only in one direction. Vrbo’s new host terms require the rates, discounts and fees you give Vrbo to be at least as favorable as those you offer on any other channel, including Airbnb and your own website. Airbnb has no matching rule: its terms leave the price up to you. So you can price Airbnb higher than Vrbo, but not Vrbo higher than Airbnb.

Why would the rates differ at all? Because the platforms charge you differently, the same rate can produce two different payouts. Take a $200 booking.

At Airbnb’s typical 15.5% fee:

$200 × 15.5% = $31

You keep about: $169

At a 12% Vrbo commission:

$200 × 12% = $24

You keep about: $176 before other applicable costs.

Same booking amount, different payout.

But that does not mean you should simply mark one platform up until the payouts match. Guests compare the total price of the stay, not your commission structure, and Vrbo’s terms rule out pricing Vrbo above your other channels.

If you raise your rate too aggressively just to recover a fee, you can protect your margin and still lose the booking.

A better approach is:

Calculate what you need to keep.
Work backward through the cost of the channel.
Compare the resulting rate with your market.

Your costs determine your floor. Demand determines what guests are willing to pay.

A Lower Commission Does Not Automatically Mean More Profit

Platform fees matter, but they are only one part of the economics.

Consider two channels:

Channel A

15.5% fee
$30,000 in annual booking revenue

Channel B

12% fee
$8,000 in annual booking revenue

Channel B is cheaper per booking, but Channel A may still contribute far more to the business. After fees, Channel A leaves $25,350 and Channel B $7,040.

That is why the better comparison includes:

total booking revenue
host fees
average length of stay
cancellation behavior
booking window
the nights each channel helps you fill
net payout

A commission tells you what a booking costs. It does not tell you how valuable the channel is.

The Bigger Story Is That Both Platforms Just Changed the Math

This is what makes the comparison especially relevant right now.

Airbnb’s single-fee transition is still new for many hosts. Vrbo’s 12% change arrives almost immediately afterward.

Hosts on property management software feel both changes within about two weeks: Airbnb’s switch to the single fee on October 13 and Vrbo’s move from 5% to 12% on October 29.

That means hosts who have been using the same pricing assumptions for months or years suddenly have reason to revisit them.

If your Airbnb rate was built around the old fee structure, check it. If your Vrbo pricing was built around its previous costs, check that too.

The worst response is to ignore the changes and assume your payout will look the same.

The Bigger Risk Is Depending on One Platform

Fee changes also highlight something bigger than the percentages themselves.

Airbnb can change its fees. Vrbo can change its fees.

Both can change:

policies
search algorithms
cancellation rules
promotional programs
host requirements

You do not control those decisions. You do control how dependent your business is on them.

If almost every reservation comes through one OTA, a change to that marketplace affects almost your entire business. If bookings come from several places, one platform change affects only part of it.

That mix might include:

You do not need every channel, but you do want more than one reliable path to a reservation.

Should You List on Both Airbnb and Vrbo?

You can, and both platforms are set up for it. Each lets you import and export calendars, so you can sync your Airbnb and Vrbo calendars and keep your availability accurate on both. Airbnb updates imported calendars every 3 hours and Vrbo every 30 minutes, so there can be a short gap after a new booking. Vrbo doesn’t allow calendar imports for properties managed through third-party property management software.

A few differences beyond the fee can also decide whether a platform suits your property:

	Airbnb	Vrbo
Damage to your property	AirCover for Hosts includes up to $3M in Host damage protection if the guest doesn’t pay	Covered up to the damage deposit you set, or by Property Damage Protection the guest buys
Liability	$1M Host liability insurance	Up to $1M liability insurance for stays booked online through Vrbo
Your pricing	Up to you	From October 29, your Vrbo rates must be at least as favorable as your other channels

Vrbo also lists only private rentals: guests don’t share the rental space with the host or other guests, apart from shared amenities such as a community pool.

Where Direct Booking Fits

Direct booking does not have to replace Airbnb or Vrbo. It gives you another channel.

Airbnb can introduce your property to one traveler. Vrbo can bring you another. Google Vacation Rentals can help someone discover your direct site. And a previous guest who finds you on their own can come back and book with you directly.

Just don’t steer Airbnb or Vrbo guests off the platform. Airbnb doesn’t allow hosts to encourage repeat bookings off Airbnb, and from October 29, Vrbo can charge its commission on a direct booking that results from a guest’s Vrbo inquiry and is made within 30 days of it. If the property is also on Vrbo, keep your direct rate no lower than your Vrbo rate. Our guide to getting more direct bookings covers where to start.

With Futurestay, your direct booking website works alongside your OTA listings and connected calendar. Futurestay does not take a percentage commission on direct reservations.

That means the real question is not:

Airbnb or Vrbo or direct?

It is:

Which mix gives me the best combination of reach, profitability and control?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which takes a bigger cut, Airbnb or Vrbo?

Airbnb, for most US hosts. Airbnb’s single host-only fee is 15.5% for most hosts, while Vrbo charges a flat 12% commission from October 29, 2026. On a $1,000 booking, that’s $155 on Airbnb and $120 on Vrbo, if Vrbo’s 12% is all-in, as Vrbo says.

Do guests pay more on Airbnb or Vrbo?

At the same nightly rate, guests pay more on Vrbo, because Vrbo adds a traveler service fee at checkout and Airbnb’s single fee is paid by the host. On Airbnb’s single fee, the price you set is the price guests see before taxes.

How much does Vrbo charge hosts in 2026?

Before October 29, most Vrbo hosts pay a 5% commission plus a 3% payment processing fee, or 5% with property management software. From October 29, 2026, Vrbo charges a flat 12% commission, which it calls all-in, although its help page still lists a 3% processing fee on the total payment.

Does Vrbo charge travelers a service fee?

Yes. Vrbo’s terms provide for a separate traveler service fee, ordinarily calculated as a percentage of the total rental amount and displayed before checkout. Hosts can’t waive or reduce it.

Is Vrbo cheaper than Airbnb for hosts?

On the host fee, yes: 12% on Vrbo against 15.5% for most US hosts on Airbnb. But Vrbo guests also pay a service fee, so if you price for the same guest total on both platforms, you keep less on Vrbo once its guest fee is above about 4% of the booking. Booking volume and reservation quality matter too.

Should my Airbnb and Vrbo prices be the same?

They can differ in one direction only. From October 29, 2026, Vrbo’s terms require your Vrbo rates, discounts and fees to be at least as favorable as on any other channel, including Airbnb and your own website. Airbnb has no matching rule, so you can price Airbnb higher than Vrbo, but not Vrbo higher than Airbnb.

Should I raise my rates because Airbnb or Vrbo changed its fees?

Not automatically. First calculate the payout you need, account for the cost of each channel, then compare the resulting price with what your market will support. If you raise prices, keep your Vrbo rate no higher than your rates on Airbnb and your own site.

What changes for hosts who use property management software?

Both platforms change in October 2026. Airbnb switches software-connected hosts who aren’t yet on the single fee to it on October 13, and Vrbo’s commission for software-connected listings rises from 5% to 12% on October 29.

Should I use both Airbnb and Vrbo?

Using more than one booking source can reduce dependence on a single marketplace, and both platforms let you sync calendars so the same property can be listed on each. Whether both make sense for your property depends on the bookings and net revenue each channel actually generates.

Sources

Fees checked October 2, 2026.

Airbnb. “Airbnb Service Fees.” Airbnb Help Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857

Airbnb. “Simplifying Service Fees on Airbnb.” Airbnb Resource Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/simplifying-service-fees-on-airbnb-771

Airbnb. “Simplifying Airbnb Service Fees.” Airbnb Resource Center. July 29, 2026.
https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/simplifying-airbnb-service-fees-746

Airbnb. “How Much Does Airbnb Charge Hosts?” Airbnb Resource Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/how-much-does-airbnb-charge-hosts-288

Airbnb. “Terms of Service.” Airbnb Help Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2908

Airbnb. “Getting Protected Through AirCover for Hosts.” Airbnb Help Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3142

Airbnb. “Host Damage Protection.” Airbnb Help Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/279

Airbnb. “Sync Your Home Host Calendar to Other Websites.” Airbnb Help Center.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/99

Vrbo. “About the Pay-Per-Booking (PPB) Model.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-is-the-booking-fee-calculated

Vrbo. “About Vrbo’s Service Fee.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/What-is-the-service-fee

Vrbo. “Host with Vrbo: List Your Property Free.” Vrbo.
https://www.vrbo.com/en-us/list

Vrbo. “Vrbo Host Terms of Service.” Effective October 29, 2026.
https://www.vrbo.com/lp/b/host-terms-notice

Vrbo. “Accommodation Fee Collection Agreement.” Effective October 29, 2026.
https://www.vrbo.com/lp/b/terms-of-payments-notice

Vrbo. “Add or Update Damage Protection for Your Property.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-do-I-add-damage-protection-on-my-listing

Vrbo. “File a Claim Using the $1M Liability Insurance.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/File-a-claim-using-the-1M-liability-insurance

Vrbo. “About Vrbo’s Shared Spaces Policy.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/What-is-HomeAway-s-policy-regarding-shared-space-rentals

Vrbo. “Import a Calendar to Sync With Vrbo.” Vrbo Help Center.
https://help.vrbo.com/articles/How-do-I-import-my-iCal-or-Google-calendar

Skift. “Vrbo to Double Commissions as It Plays Catch-Up to Airbnb.” September 29, 2026.
https://skift.com/2026/09/29/vrbo-to-double-commissions-as-it-plays-catch-up-to-airbnb/

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