23 Airbnb alternatives for perfect holiday homes

• Stayz
• Homestay
• Wotif
• Camplify
• VRBO
• lastminute.com.au
• Booking.com Apartments
• Agoda Homes
• Hamilton Island Holiday Homes

• HotelsCombined
• TripAdvisor
• HotelsCombined
• One Fine Stay
• Plum Guide
• FlipKey
• Tripping.com
• Home Exchange

• Wimdu
• AURA
• HolidayLettings
• Vacasa
• Kid and Coe
• Couchsurfing

1. Stayz

Choose from more than 40,000 properties in 2,000 locations across Australia with the country's largest holiday rental site.

• Filter searches by attractions or themes, ranging from cheap to executive and honeymoons to family holidays
• Receive free property features protection insurance
• No additional booking fees

View coupon codes for Stayz

2. Homestay

Experience what it's like to live in another location with Homestay. The Ireland-based site ensures your hosts aren't just leaving you the keys to their place and instead provide an authentic homestay experience.

• Find accommodation in more than 150 countries
• Hosts are always present during your stay
• Meet your host and book your stay with video calls

View coupon codes for Homestay

3. Wotif

Offering more than hotels, you can book everything from apartments and private holiday rentals to cabins and holiday parks. There are millions to choose from across the world.

• 24/7 support
• Wotif's price promise states that if you find it cheaper before you stay, it will refund the difference
• Credits and coupons can be used toward your stay

View coupon codes for Wotif

4. Camplify

Don't like sitting still on a holiday? Hire someone's RV, campervan or trailer when they're not using it with Camplify.

• Caravan, campervan, motorhome and trailer hires start at just $40 per night
• Stay in unique destinations across the country like remote outback campsites and near quiet beaches
• Select campervans/RVs can be relocated to suit your travel needs, which is ideal for events and festivals
• Damage cover
• National roadside assistance
• 24/7 customer support
• All members are verified

5. VRBO

Part of the HomeAway family, VRBO, or Vacation Rentals by Owner, boasts more than a million vacation rental options worldwide.

• See transport and attraction maps on your search to help you better choose your stay
• Read reviews from past guests
• More than 25,000 dog-friendly properties available

View coupon codes for VRBO

6. lastminute.com.au

Part of the Expedia Group, lastminute.com.au is a powerhouse that lets you book everything from hotels to alternate forms of accommodation. Want to be inspired? Explore the B&Bs, castles, farmstays, ryokans, chalets and tree houses available through the site.

• Book last minute – even as early as tonight
• Lastminute.com.au's Price Pledge means if you find the same deal for less it will refund the difference
• Book accommodation, car hire, flights, packages and activities in one place

View coupon codes for lastminute.com.au

7. Booking.com

More than hotels, Booking.com is a base for all manner of rentals, including apartment homestays.

Booking.com's extensive offering of stays, apartments and home rentals provides you with an alternative to the hotel stay while providing you with all of the benefits of the site, including user reviews and price matching.

• Uncover apartment and holiday rentals all across the world
• Features reviews and recommendations from previous visitors
• Most reservations are partially refundable

View coupon codes for Booking.com

8. TripAdvisor

While it's best known for user reviews and advice forums for hotels and resorts, TripAdvisor also offers a huge selection of holiday rentals that can be booked right on the site. In fact, there are 630,000 of them.

• Compare holiday homes to hotels in one place
• Feel secure with the "Peace of Mind" payment protection for online payments
• Choose from a range of accommodation options including homes, condos, cottages and rural retreats

View coupon codes for TripAdvisor

9. HotelsCombined

In traditional HotelsCombined fashion, the accommodation aggregator compares different homestay and alternate accommodation sites for the best rate.

• Easily compare the prices of hotel rooms and homestays in one list
• Awarded the "World's Leading Hotel Comparison Website" at the 2015 World Travel Awards
• Guaranteed to offer you the lowest accommodation rate

View coupon codes for HotelsCombined

10. Agoda Homes

Agoda is a comparison site for hotels and alternative accommodations like apartments and holiday homes. It allows users to compare and reserve a range of options worldwide.

• Option to pay later
• Search for more than 750,000 hotels worldwide
• Features reviews from previous visitors
• Free cancellation on most hotel reservations, unless otherwise specified

View coupon codes for Agoda Homes

11. Hamilton Island Holiday Homes

Dedicated to holiday homes on the paradise-like island of Hamilton Island, you can book everything from self-contained studios to 4-bedroom homes.

• Search by feature homes or property style
• Filter by location, type of home, property features and type of traveller
• Exclusive inclusions when you book through the site, including the use of non-motorised watersports equipment and golf buggies

12. One Fine Stay

Designed to provide the ultimate homestay experience, One Fine Stay provides "unhotels" – homes in London, Paris, Los Angeles and New York.

• Get a £20 discount on your first stay
• Committed to choosing the finest homes to rent out
• Enjoy boutique toiletries, quality linens and 24/7 customer support by phone or text

13. HomeAway

Acquired in 2015 by travel-giant Expedia, HomeAway offers secure bookings on holiday rentals all around the world.

• Travellers don't pay any booking fees
• Make bookings using the mobile app
• Choose from more than one million listings in 190 countries

14. Plum Guide

There's no running out of options when booking your dream holiday with Plum Guide.

The site offers more than 5,000,000 rental homes across Europe, the UK and the USA. Each destination boasts a collection of luxury residences, villas and fully-furnished accommodations with access to an indoor pool, overlooking views and more.

• Easy search filters
• Full refund available when you cancel up until 30 days before check-in
• Reviews available

14. FlipKey

Part of TripAdvisor Rentals, FlipKey boasts a massive 830,000 properties in 190 countries.

• Filter searches by property type and useful extras like whether it's wheelchair accessible, pet-friendly and allows smoking
• Features certificates of excellence on top properties, just like TripAdvisor does with hotels

15. Tripping.com

Save time and money comparing over 10 million properties around the world.

• Use the filter to customise the search
• Save on the price of hotels and accommodation
• Choose from more than 150,000 destinations

16. Home Exchange

Working a bit differently to Airbnb, but still offering you the chance to stay in a local's home, Home Exchange opens you up to an entire world of house swaps. Just pay a joining fee and then start exchanging your home – there's no limit to your swaps!

• Gain access to more than 65,000 homes in 150 countries around the world
• Save on the price of hotels and accommodation
• Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

17. Wimdu

Explore Europe and beyond with over 350,000 apartments at your fingertips.

• One of Europe's biggest portals for holiday apartments and homes
• Trustpilot score of 8.9 out of 10
• Hosts can list their apartments for free

18. AURA

One of the largest Australian-owned holiday rental websites, AURA offers a range of holiday homes, apartments and short-term rentals.

• Easily search for properties that offer facilities for pets, wheelchairs and parking
• Guarantees the best price on its accommodations online
• Properties available right across Australia, from Melbourne CBD apartments to cosy cottages in rural Tasmania to remote beaches on WA's Coral Coast

20. HolidayLettings

Get all the comforts at home with HolidayLettings' carefully vetted properties in 20,000 destinations around the world.

• Read reviews from actual guests before making your booking
• Join the HouseTrip+ rewards program
• Choose from more than 300,000 properties

21. Vacasa

Discover over 7,000 vacation rentals across the US, South America and Central America.

Vacasa's point of difference is that it not only manages your whole homestay experience but is responsible for marketing, maintenance and housekeeping, making the process easier for both hosts and guests. It's available in numerous countries around the world, though not in Australia yet.

• All bookings managed through Vacasa direct
• Homes can be booked for up to 29 days
• Changes are permitted up to 30 days prior to the reservation

22. Kid and Coe

The ultimate platform to discover kid-friendly accommodation throughout the world.

Whether you're a family of 3 or a brood of many, Kid and Coe is a supportive network for families who love to travel offering suitable accommodation and services while on holiday.

• Provides with concierge services, baby equipment rentals and itineraries suitable for families
• All properties are personally reviewed to ensure their suitability for families
• Stay, host or exchange your home for the holidays

23. Couchsurfing

A homestay that will very likely change you for the better.

Before Airbnb was even conceived, there was couch surfing. It's a homestay of a very different kind that works on a cultural exchange rather than a monetary one and allows you to stay in someone's extra space, whether it be a couch, a spare room or an attic. More often than not, your host will be present throughout your stay and generally it's expected you save time to get to know them. From this, you'll receive insight into how they live and their personal recommendations of their city. And, sometimes, you may even come out of it with a long-lasting friendship.

• Community of over 4 million surfers and 400,000 hosts to date
• It's free to stay, host and attend traveller events
• Message verification and reviews build trust and safety into the community