The Best Airbnb Alternative: How to Book Vacation Rentals Without Fees
Tired of paying high Airbnb fees? You’re not alone. We put together a list of the top Airbnb alternatives, including one platform that is growing in popularity due to its innovative direct booking and incentive model.
Tired of paying high fees and dealing with rigid booking processes on Airbnb? You’re not alone. Many people are starting to seek alternatives that offer more value, flexibility, and transparency. Enter Dtravel, the next-generation of homesharing. Dtravel is a peer-to-peer vacation rental network that gives you everything Airbnb doesn’t—lower fees, diverse payment options, and innovative incentives.
Why Choose Dtravel?
Dtravel is designed to be the ultimate Airbnb alternative, offering a way to find and book vacation rentals directly with property owners instead of paying excessive commission fees. This means you’re always getting the best rates! Here’s how Dtravel stands out:
Benefits for Travelers
- Zero Service Fees, Transparent Pricing: Unlike Airbnb, which can charge up to 14.2% in service fees (The Broke Backpacker), Dtravel allows guests to find and book stays directly with property owners and managers, cutting out intermediaries and eliminating service fees. Instead of booking through Dtravel, you’re booking directly with the owner or manager of a property. This means more savings for you on every booking.
- Diverse payment options: A large percentage of listings on the Dtravel network save travelers from having to pay foreign exchange fees by offering the ability to pay with cryptocurrency in addition to traditional methods such as credit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay or Book-Now-Pay-Later services.
- Earn Rewards: With Dtravel, you earn TRVL, the network’s native cryptocurrency token, for each booking. You can think of TRVL like a loyalty reward, that not only has real world value, but offers the opportunity to influence the future direction of the platform.
- Unrestricted communication: Since bookings happen directly with property owners, you have the freedom to reach out via email or phone, just like with a hotel. This allows you to negotiate rates, ask questions, and build a more personalized connection—an experience that's often missing with Airbnb's platform.
Benefits for Vacation Rental Operators
For property owners and managers, Dtravel offers a unique approach compared to Airbnb. Instead of listing directly on Dtravel, operators connect their own direct booking site to the network, making their listings visible to travelers searching for accommodations. If a host is transitioning from Airbnb and doesn't have a direct booking site, Dtravel simplifies the process. In just a few minutes, property owners can connect their Property Management System (PMS) or Airbnb account, sync their calendar and create a customized, Shopify-style website designed specifically for vacation rentals.
- Effortless Onboarding: Vacation rental operators can either connect their existing direct booking site to the network or create a brand-new one through Dtravel. If you're transitioning from Airbnb, you can import your listings and sync your calendar to ensure you never have to worry about double bookings.
- Lower Fees: Airbnb charges both hosts and guests a service fee. For hosts, this can be anywhere from 3% to 16%. With Dtravel, vacation rental operators only pay a 3% transaction fee which can be reduced to 0% through a membership system.
- Fastest Industry Payouts: With Dtravel, payouts are instantaneous when receiving crypto and a few days with fiat payments. Unlike most booking platforms, payments always flow from the guest directly to the host, eliminating the concern of delays or issues.
- Payment Flexibility: Accepting both cryptocurrency and credit card payments means reaching a wider audience of travelers and attracting those who want to avoid high transaction fees.
- Earn and Rewards: Just like guests, vacation rental operators can earn TRVL tokens for adding listings to the network. Usings these tokens, property owners can reduce the 3% transaction fee, and even submit and vote on proposals related to the network itself.
Dtravel is a New and Alternative Model to Airbnb
Airbnb's dominance has come with significant downsides, from lack of control to rigid cancellation policies. Here’s why Dtravel is an innovative alternative:
- Direct Booking Metasearch: A key feature that sets Dtravel apart is that bookings are never processed directly on the platform. Instead, Dtravel functions as a search engine similar to Airbnb, but with a significant difference: when you click on a listing, you're redirected to the property owner's or manager’s own direct booking site. This means that all bookings are made directly with the host, without involving a third-party intermediary like Airbnb, ensuring more control and transparency for both travelers and vacation rental operators.
- No Guest Service Fees: Because bookings are made directly with the property owner or manager on Dtravel, you only pay for what they charge—such as the nightly rate, cleaning fees, and applicable taxes. This stands in stark contrast to Airbnb, which often adds a service fee of up to 14.2% on top of the booking cost, along with potential foreign exchange fees for credit card payments. With Dtravel, you avoid these extra third-party charges, making the overall cost more transparent and affordable.
- Community Governance: Unlike Airbnb, where all decisions are made centrally, Dtravel gives users real governance rights through its rewards token, TRVL. With TRVL, both travelers and vacation rental operators have a say in the network itself. This means users can propose and vote on changes such as adjusting transaction fees or rewards.
- Non-Refundable Booking Flexibility: One of Airbnb's biggest pain points is its rigid cancellation policies. Dtravel is addressing this by tokenizing bookings, which means that each booking is represented as a unique, transferable asset. This introduces the possibility for guests to sell their stays if they need to change plans, offering a flexible solution that Airbnb doesn’t provide.
Other Airbnb Alternatives to Consider
In addition to Dtravel, there are a number of other alternatives you should explore before booking your next Airbnb. Here are a few other options worth mentioning:
- Trusted Housesitters: Ideal for those looking to stay in a home while watching pets, but it requires a yearly subscription and may not have options in every destination.
- Homestay: A platform for travelers seeking authentic local experiences by staying with vacation rental operators. However, it doesn’t offer private accommodation options as Airbnb or Dtravel does.
- Nomad Stays: Tailored for digital nomads, Nomad Stays offers accommodation options suited for remote workers, including properties with reliable internet and workspaces. However, the selection may be more niche compared to traditional vacation rental platforms.
- Flatio: Flatio specializes in mid- to long-term rentals, making it perfect for those looking to stay for a few months. It's especially popular among digital nomads and students, but it might not have the same variety of short-term vacation stays as Airbnb.
- Furnished Finder: Designed primarily for traveling professionals, especially healthcare workers, Furnished Finder offers fully furnished rental properties for longer stays. It’s a great alternative for those needing temporary housing, though not as focused on short-term vacation rentals.
- Kindred: This platform offers a home-swapping model, ideal for travelers looking for a cost-effective and community-driven experience. Since Kindred is newer, availability might be limited in some areas
Conclusion
Dtravel isn’t just another Airbnb alternative—it’s a superior choice for both travelers and vacation rental operators who want more control, lower fees, and aligned incentives. With its unique direct booking metasearch, crypto payment options, and rewards program, Dtravel redefines what vacation rentals should be.
If you're ready to explore a better way to travel, start your journey by finding a stay with Dtravel.