Airbnb vs Booking.com
Airbnb vs Booking.com, compared side by side on 14 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Airbnb is on 70/100 and Booking.com on 32/100.
Where each one leads
Airbnb
- our overall score: 70/100 against 32/100
- agent readiness: 45/100 against 37/100
- headcount: 69,154 against 16,834
Booking.com
Leads on none of the measures we hold for both companies.
At a glance
| Measure | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Global hospitality platform connecting hosts and guests for alternative accommodation and travel experiences. | Global online travel agency offering accommodation, flights, car rentals, and attractions. |
| Category | Travel & Tourism, Hospitality, Marketplace, Consumer Services | Travel, Travel Tech, Marketplace, E-commerce |
| Sells toBusiness model | Not published | B2C |
| Offering | Marketplace | Platform | Services | Software |
| Founded | 2008 | 1996 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 69,154 | 16,834 |
| Headcount growthLast 12 months | Not published | +12.8% |
| Total funding | $9.9B | Not published |
| Valuation | $47B | Not published |
| LinkedIn followers | Not published | 1,165,385 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 70/100 | 32/100 |
| Traction | 60/100 | 20/100 |
| Team | 50/100 | 30/100 |
| Search visibility | 25/100 | 39/100 |
| Quality | 90/100 | Not published |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (45/100) | F (37/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 92/100 | 93/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self Managed | AWS |
| CDN | Not detected | CloudFront |
| CMS | Ghost | Not detected |
What users say
| Measure | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| Reddit sentimentThreads we track | Not published | 0 positive, 5 negative across 6 threads |
“Sick of Booking.com in India, but terrified of Instagram scams. How do you find and book authorized villas in Konkan?. After a brutal 12-hour travel nightmare where Booking.com left my group stranded in Konkan (we arrived and the property m”r/travel
Airbnb vs Booking.com: common questions
Which is better, Airbnb or Booking.com?
On our 0-100 score Airbnb rates higher (70/100 against 32/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 14 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Airbnb and Booking.com compare on the numbers?
Airbnb leads on our overall score (70/100 against 32/100), agent readiness (45/100 against 37/100), headcount (69,154 against 16,834).
What do real users say about Airbnb and Booking.com?
Booking.com: 0 positive and 5 negative mentions across 6 Reddit threads we track, mostly in r/travel.
Read the full Airbnb review and pricing or the Booking.com review and pricing. You can also browse other Airbnb alternatives we track.

