Airbnb vs Booking.com for a holiday home in Italy: a guest's view
Prices, fees, cancellations and reviews: how Airbnb and Booking.com differ when you rent a home in Italy. Plus a third option: booking directly.
· updated 13 October 2026 · 2 min read
When you look for a holiday home in Italy you nearly always end up on one of two sites. Airbnb was built for private homes; Booking.com was built for hotels and grew into apartments. Many homes are on both, sometimes at different prices. Here's what changes for you as a guest.
How the price is shown
On Airbnb, until recently, the total included a "service fee" line added at checkout. With the move to a single host-only fee, which finishes rolling out to European hosts on 13 October 2026, that line disappears from almost every listing. The price looks cleaner, but the fee is still there, inside the rate. More on that in Airbnb fees explained.
On Booking.com, guests generally don't pay a separate service fee: the property pays a commission, usually around 15% and sometimes more. So here too, the platform's cut is built into the nightly price.
In practice the two now work in a similar way: you pay a price that already contains the platform's margin. To compare them, always look at the total for your dates, cleaning and extras included, not the headline nightly rate.
Cancellations
The differences here depend more on the individual home than on the platform. Both let the owner choose more or less flexible terms. On Booking.com you'll often see a cheaper "non-refundable" rate next to a flexible one. On Airbnb the host picks from a set of standard policies.
The advice is the same everywhere: read the terms before you book and check until when you can cancel without losing anything.
Reviews
Airbnb uses 1–5 stars and two-way reviews: the host reviews the guest too. Booking.com uses a 1–10 score and only guests who stayed can leave one. On Booking.com homes sit alongside hotels, so the criteria sometimes suit a hotel more than a private house.
Reviews are one of the best reasons to use a platform, especially somewhere you don't know. They're also something owners take with them: on Italiando, if a home is also on Airbnb or Booking.com, we show its rating and link to the original reviews.
Support
The concrete advantage of the big platforms is having someone to call if something goes wrong, and written refund rules. That's real value, and it's partly what the fee pays for.
The third option: book directly
Many homes you find on Airbnb and Booking.com belong to owners who are happy to take direct bookings, especially from returning guests or for longer stays. When you book direct, the owner pays no commission and can often give you a better price.
On Italiando you'll find owners' homes booked exactly that way: you send a request without paying anything, the owner confirms and sends you the bank details for the deposit. No fee for either of you.
Before booking outside the platforms, read how to book directly, safely. And for the detailed comparisons: Italiando vs Airbnb, Italiando vs Booking.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is Airbnb or Booking.com cheaper?
It depends on the home. On both, the fee (which in Europe the owner pays) is included in the price. Compare the total for the same dates and the same number of guests.
Do guests pay a fee on Booking.com?
Usually not: the property pays the commission, typically around 15%, and it's included in the price you see.
Which has better cancellation terms?
It depends on the terms each owner chooses. Booking.com often shows a cheaper non-refundable rate next to a flexible one; always read the terms before booking.
Can I book directly a home I saw on Airbnb or Booking.com?
If the owner offers a way to book directly, yes. It's also how you avoid the platform's fee.
