Blog
What platform fees really cost, how direct bookings actually happen, and how to run a property without paying commission twice. Written for hosts who want the numbers, not the pitch.
Airbnb charges most hosts a flat 15.5% service fee on the whole booking subtotal, cleaning fee included. Here is what that costs per booking and per year, and how to reprice without losing money.
Published · Updated · 9 min read
Airbnb takes 15.5% even from guests who already know you. Here is how hosts move repeat guests and referrals to their own booking page, within Airbnb's rules.
Published · Updated · 7 min read
Most "free" vacation rental software is a limited trial or a crippled tier. A comparison of what each option really costs, and which parts of the job you can run without paying a monthly fee.
Published · Updated · 7 min read
Direct bookings come from guests you have already earned. A practical sequence: capture the guest, give them somewhere to book, and make the second stay easier than the first.
Published · Updated · 9 min read
Airbnb finds guests you could not reach; a direct booking site keeps the ones you already have. What each is genuinely good at, what each costs, and why most hosts should run both.
Published · Updated · 8 min read
AI will not run your listing. It is genuinely good at three things - drafting replies in your own words, turning a sentence into pricing rules, and reading your own numbers back to you. Here is what each does, and what to refuse.
Published · Updated · 9 min read
Hostaway doesn't publish its prices: you request a quote through a form, and it isn't sold to hosts with one listing. Here is what it does publish, its fees on direct bookings, and what to ask before you sign.
Published · 5 min read
Guesty Lite costs from $29 per listing a month for 1 to 3 listings, or from $20 billed yearly; Pro, for 4 listings or more, is priced by quote. Here is what each includes and what a host actually pays.
Published · 6 min read
Hospitable's Essentials plan is free; Host is $29, Professional $59 and Mogul $99 a month, with extra properties on top. Its direct booking website starts on Professional, with a 1% host fee on direct bookings.
Published · 6 min read
Lodgify costs $18 to $85 a month for one property, less billed yearly. Its booking website starts on the $33 Starter plan, and a transaction fee applies to online payments despite the advertised 0% booking fee.
Published · 6 min read
OwnerRez costs $40 a month for one property on a sliding scale, $88 for five. Its hosted website is a $15 add-on and it charges no booking fees. Here is what a host with 1, 2 or 5 properties actually pays.
Published · 6 min read
The Airbnb host fee calculator works out what commission costs you per booking and per year, on your own rates. No sign-up.