Airbnb vs Vrbo:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Airbnb had more branded searches than Vrbo among holiday rental platforms worldwide. Airbnb had about 37.2 million branded searches, while Vrbo had 2.7 million. Airbnb made up 78.1% of all holiday rental platform searches we track, and Vrbo accounted for 5.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about holiday rental platforms, both Airbnb and Vrbo appeared in all five answers. Airbnb was mentioned before Vrbo in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Airbnb, about 14 searches for every 1 for Vrbo
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Airbnb, named ahead of Vrbo in 3 of 5 answers
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Top holiday rental platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Airbnb and Vrbo showed up in all five answers. Airbnb was listed before Vrbo in three of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Airbnb1st
Vrbo2nd
Booking.com3rd
HomeToGo4th
Plum Guide5th
Vacasa–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Airbnb5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Booking.com5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Vrbo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- HomeToGo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Plum Guide2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vacasa0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about holiday rental platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which holiday rental platform should I book?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best holiday rental platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best holiday rental platform for a family holiday?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“vacation rental site”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“family holiday rentals”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Airbnb or Vrbo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Airbnb and Vrbo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six holiday rental platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Airbnb, Vrbo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Airbnb | Booking.com | Vrbo | HomeToGo | Vacasa | Plum Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 84% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 0.2% | 0.17% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 84.1% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 0.17% | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| Dec 2025 | 84.1% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 0.17% | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 82.9% | 9.2% | 7.4% | 0.25% | 0.16% | 0.04% |
| Feb 2026 | 79.9% | 10.9% | 8.8% | 0.24% | 0.19% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 81.2% | 11.1% | 7.3% | 0.2% | 0.16% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 82.4% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 0.16% | 0.13% | 0.04% |
| May 2026 | 82.4% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 0.16% | 0.13% | 0.04% |
| Jun 2026 | 81.3% | 11.1% | 7.3% | 0.2% | 0.13% | 0.04% |
| Jul 2026 | 82.4% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 0.2% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| Aug 2026 | 78.1% | 15.8% | 5.8% | 0.19% | 0.08% | 0.04% |
| Sep 2026 | 78.1% | 15.8% | 5.8% | 0.16% | 0.09% | 0.04% |
How has the Airbnb and Vrbo comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Airbnb was ahead of Vrbo in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Airbnb’s share of searches among holiday rental platforms worldwide moved from 84% to 78.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 37.2M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vrbo’s share of searches among holiday rental platforms worldwide moved from 6.2% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.7M.
How did search popularity change for holiday rental platforms worldwide in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Airbnb nor Vrbo moved beyond provider rounding among holiday rental platforms in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Airbnb’s and Vrbo’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among holiday rental platforms
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