Pricing guide, checked October 6, 2026
Airbnb keeps about $465 of every $3,000 stay. Here is what a site of your own costs, and how fast it pays that back.
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The website is half the comparison. The other half is what one five-night, $3,000 stay already costs on each channel.
Airbnb
15.5% host-only fee, applied to cleaning and extras too. Read the breakdown
Vrbo
12% commission for most hosts since October 29, and guests still pay a service fee. What changes for owners
Booked direct
Card processing only, at Stripe's standard US rate of 2.9% plus $0.30.
Commission-only illustrations. Your plan, region and taxes set the real number. Run a full season in the fee calculator.
A template bundles a website with booking software. A custom build designs the front of your business around the software you already use. Neither makes the booking operation free.
Your booking software's website builder
$312 to $660 /yr
$26 to $55/mo, every year the site is up. Included with tools like Lodgify and OwnerRez. Lodgify Starter from $26 a month billed annually; OwnerRez $40 base plus $15 hosted site, one property. We don't sell templates.
Best for one listing on a tight budget.
Host Direct, custom
From $4,500
Paid once, for one or two homes, then yours. Covered by about 12 direct stays that would otherwise go through Airbnb.
Prices checked October 6, 2026 from Lodgify and OwnerRez. Confirm property count, billing term and taxes before buying.
On the same $3,000 stay, a direct booking leaves about $378 more than Airbnb after card fees, and about $273 more than Vrbo.
12
direct stays that would have gone through Airbnb cover $4,500
17
direct stays that would have gone through Vrbo cover $4,500
It's simple math, not a crystal ball, and doesn't account for ongoing expenses. These bookings usually stem from loyal guests, word-of-mouth, and those curious enough to Google your property's name.
searching your property's name.
A one-time build is not zero ongoing cost. Put these in the budget whichever route you choose.
Booking software
Keep your engine's subscription and any website or integration add-ons it requires. Do not count the same bill twice when comparing quotes.
Payment processing
Direct bookings still pay card fees. One $3,000 charge at Stripe's standard US rate is $87.30.
Domain, hosting and upkeep
Ask who owns the domain, what renewals cost and who updates photos, guides and booking links. Optional Search Care is $500 a month, never required.
Choose a template when
You need a working booking link, can prepare the content yourself and want to keep upfront spend low. For a single listing on a tight budget it is often the right call, and we will tell you so.
Choose a custom build when
The property's identity, photography and location deserve a design shaped around them, and you have a plan to bring guests to it. Keep the site for people who find you on their own. Airbnb and Vrbo both bar steering their guests elsewhere.
Isn't the site the easy part and traffic the hard part?
Yes. That is why a custom build is designed around your name, your repeat guests and local search, not around outbidding the platforms on ads.
My booking software already offers a website. Why pay more?
Keep the engine. A custom build upgrades the shop window around it. If the software's site is enough for you, use it.
Should I just raise my rates to cover the fees?
Sometimes. If you paid the old 3% fee, keeping your Airbnb payout flat takes about a 14.8% increase on every fee you charge, and guests compare total prices. See the full fee breakdown.
In the $450 strategy session we search for your place the way guests do, review your listing and run your real fees, then walk you through it on a 60-minute call. The full $450 comes off Host Direct if you book within 30 days.
Prices checked October 6, 2026. Third-party prices change, so confirm before buying. Examples are estimates, not legal, tax or financial advice.
