Airbnb vs Expedia:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Airbnb had more branded searches than Expedia among online travel agencies worldwide. Airbnb had about 37.2 million branded searches, while Expedia had 9.1 million. Airbnb made up 23.5% of all online travel agency searches we track, and Expedia accounted for 5.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online travel agencies, Expedia appeared in all five answers and Airbnb in none.
Who do people search for more?
Airbnb, about 4 searches for every 1 for Expedia
Who does AI mention more?
Expedia, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Expedia, the only one of the two named
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Top online travel agencies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Expedia appeared in all five answers. Airbnb did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Expedia1st
Booking.com2nd
Priceline3rd
Hotels.com4th
Google Flights5th
Kayak6th
Agoda7th
Vrbo8th
Trip.com9th- +1 more
- Airbnb–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Expedia5 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
- Google Flights3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Priceline3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Agoda2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hotels.com2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Kayak2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Skyscanner1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Vrbo1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Airbnb0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about online travel agencies
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which online travel agency should I book?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best online travel agencies?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online travel agency for trip planning?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online travel agency”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best travel agency”
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 Expedia more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Airbnb and Expedia by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 online travel agencies we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Airbnb, Expedia. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Google Flights | Skyscanner | Airbnb | Expedia | Booking.com | Agoda | Priceline | Vrbo | Trip.com | Hotels.com | Kayak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30% | 30% | 24.5% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.54% | 0.3% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.1% | 30.1% | 24.6% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.44% | 0.24% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.8% | 26% | 26% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.47% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 30% | 30% | 24.6% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 0.44% | 0.24% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.3% | 29.3% | 23.9% | 5.9% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 0.43% | 0.29% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.7% | 26% | 26% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 0.57% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 3% | 1.7% | 2% | 0.5% | 0.27% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 27.5% | 27.5% | 27.5% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 2% | 0.5% | 0.33% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.6% | 27.6% | 27.6% | 5.5% | 3.8% | 3% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 0.5% | 0.33% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.7% | 25.7% | 31.4% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 0.57% | 0.38% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 26.9% | 26.9% | 26.9% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 2% | 0.72% | 0.4% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.7% | 28.7% | 23.5% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.95% | 0.35% | <0.01% |
How has the Airbnb and Expedia comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Airbnb was ahead of Expedia in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Airbnb’s share of searches among online travel agencies worldwide moved from 24.5% to 23.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 37.2M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Expedia’s share of searches among online travel agencies worldwide moved from 4.9% to 5.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 7.5M to 9.1M.
How did search popularity change for online travel agencies worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Skyscanner overtook Airbnb to rank 2nd among online travel agencies worldwide, with 28.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Airbnb lost share of searches among online travel agencies worldwide, from 26.9% to 23.5%.
In September 2026, Expedia rose from 5th to 4th among online travel agencies worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Airbnb’s and Expedia’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 online travel agencies
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