Italiando vs Airbnb
Italiando vs Airbnb
Same kind of homes, a different deal. Airbnb takes a commission on every stay. Italiando takes none: owners pay a flat subscription and guests pay the owner's price.
The short answer
Airbnb is hard to beat for choice, reviews and instant booking with the platform behind you. But if you already know where you want to stay, or you own a home and want to keep what you earn, booking directly costs less: no fee for guests, a flat monthly price for owners.
- Fee paid by the guest
- AirbnbNo separate fee under the host-only model, but it's usually built into the nightly price
- ItaliandoNone. You pay the owner's price
- Fee paid by the owner
- AirbnbAbout 15.5% of each booking (14–16%), plus VAT in the EU
- ItaliandoA flat €19–79 a month, no commission
- How you pay
- AirbnbBy card on Airbnb; the host is paid after check-in
- ItaliandoDeposit by bank transfer to the owner once they confirm; the balance as agreed with them
- Booking
- AirbnbInstant book on many listings
- ItaliandoOn request: the owner confirms your dates before you pay anything
- Guest protection
- AirbnbAirCover and Airbnb's resolution centre
- ItaliandoYou deal with the owner directly; nothing is paid until they confirm
- Cancellation
- AirbnbOne of Airbnb's standard policies, chosen by the host
- ItaliandoAgreed directly with the owner
- Talking to the host
- AirbnbThrough Airbnb's messaging
- ItaliandoDirectly with the owner
- Reach
- AirbnbMillions of travellers worldwide
- ItaliandoA small, curated set of homes; owners bring their own guests
- Reviews
- AirbnbVerified guest reviews on every listing
- ItaliandoHomes show their Airbnb or Booking rating when the owner links it
- Calendar sync
- AirbnbiCal import and export
- ItaliandoiCal sync with Airbnb and Booking included
- Who sets the rules
- AirbnbAirbnb's terms and policies, on top of the host's
- ItaliandoThe owner
| Aspect | Airbnb | Italiando |
|---|---|---|
| Fee paid by the guest | No separate fee under the host-only model, but it's usually built into the nightly price | None. You pay the owner's price |
| Fee paid by the owner | About 15.5% of each booking (14–16%), plus VAT in the EU | A flat €19–79 a month, no commission |
| How you pay | By card on Airbnb; the host is paid after check-in | Deposit by bank transfer to the owner once they confirm; the balance as agreed with them |
| Booking | Instant book on many listings | On request: the owner confirms your dates before you pay anything |
| Guest protection | AirCover and Airbnb's resolution centre | You deal with the owner directly; nothing is paid until they confirm |
| Cancellation | One of Airbnb's standard policies, chosen by the host | Agreed directly with the owner |
| Talking to the host | Through Airbnb's messaging | Directly with the owner |
| Reach | Millions of travellers worldwide | A small, curated set of homes; owners bring their own guests |
| Reviews | Verified guest reviews on every listing | Homes show their Airbnb or Booking rating when the owner links it |
| Calendar sync | iCal import and export | iCal sync with Airbnb and Booking included |
| Who sets the rules | Airbnb's terms and policies, on top of the host's | The owner |
Fees and policies checked on 13 October 2026. Platforms change them often: check their own terms too.
Where Airbnb is better
- Far more travellers, and far more homes to choose from
- Verified reviews on every listing
- Instant booking and card payment
- AirCover and a support team if something goes wrong
Where Italiando is better
- No service fee for guests and no commission for owners
- You talk to the owner directly, before and after booking
- The owner's own rules, deposit and cancellation terms
- A flat, predictable cost for owners: €19–79 a month
What changed on Airbnb in 2026
For years Airbnb split its fee: the host paid around 3% and the guest paid a service fee of roughly 14–16.5% on top. Airbnb is now moving everyone to a single host-only fee of about 15.5% (14–16% depending on the listing). In the European Economic Area, hosts still on the split model move over from 13 October 2026, and EU hosts also pay VAT on the fee.
For guests, the separate fee disappears from checkout. It doesn't disappear from the price: most hosts raise their nightly rate to cover it.
A week in Italy, worked out
Take one week at €150 a night plus €80 for cleaning: €1,130 in total.
- On Airbnb, a 15.5% host fee is about €175, plus about €38 of VAT for a host without a VAT number. To still take home €1,130 before VAT, the owner would have to list the week at about €1,337.
- On Italiando, the guest pays €1,130 and the owner keeps €1,130. The owner's only cost is the subscription: €190 a year for one home on the yearly plan.
One home, taxed twice
If you let your only home as a private individual, with no VAT number, you already pay tax on the rental income: the 21% cedolare secca, worked out on the gross amount with no deduction for commissions. So you pay 21% even on the share the platform keeps and you never receive.
On top of that, Airbnb and Booking.com charge 22% VAT on their commission. A business with a VAT number deducts it; a private owner can't. On the same booking you pay income tax and then a tax on the platform's service that you can't get back.
With a flat subscription there's no commission: no VAT on a percentage of every stay, and no tax on money that stays with the platform.
When Airbnb is the better choice
If you're looking at a town you don't know, want hundreds of options with verified reviews, or need instant booking and a platform to call when something goes wrong, Airbnb does that well. We don't pretend otherwise.
When booking directly makes more sense
- You've found a home you like and want the owner's own price.
- You're going back to a place you've stayed before.
- You'd rather talk to the owner than to a support queue.
- You own a home and you're tired of giving away a sixth of every booking.
Before you book, read our guide to booking directly from an owner safely, and the full breakdown of Airbnb fees.
For owners: keep Airbnb, add a direct channel
You don't have to leave Airbnb. Italiando syncs calendars with Airbnb and Booking by iCal, so a direct booking blocks the dates everywhere else. Many owners keep the platforms for new guests and send returning ones to their own page. See how direct bookings work, or compare Italiando with Booking.com.
Frequently asked questions
I have one home and no VAT number: why am I paying the platform VAT?
Because VAT applies to the service the platform sells you, the commission. Businesses with a VAT number deduct it; a private owner can't, so you pay it in full, on top of the cedolare secca on the rent, which is also charged on the share the platform keeps. Italiando takes no commission, so there's no VAT on a percentage of your bookings either.
Is Italiando cheaper than Airbnb for guests?
Usually, yes. Guests pay no service fee, and owners don't need to raise their prices to cover a 15% commission. The exact difference depends on what the owner charges on each site.
Do guests still pay a service fee on Airbnb?
In the European Economic Area, Airbnb moves the remaining split-fee hosts to a host-only fee from 13 October 2026, so guests no longer see a separate service fee on those listings. The host pays it instead, and it usually shows up in the nightly price.
Is it safe to book a home without Airbnb?
On Italiando nothing is paid until the owner confirms your dates, and you pay the deposit by bank transfer to the owner. Our guide to booking directly from an owner explains what to check before you pay.
Can an owner list on both Airbnb and Italiando?
Yes. Calendars sync both ways by iCal, so a booking on one blocks the same dates on the other.
How much does Italiando cost owners?
€19 a month for one home, €39 for up to three and €79 for up to ten. Yearly plans cost ten months. The first 30 days are free, with no card needed.
Other comparisons
Italiando vs Booking.com
Booking.com charges holiday-home owners in Italy around 15–18% per stay. How a flat subscription and direct booking compare, for owners and guests.
Italiando vs Vrbo
Vrbo moves hosts to a single 12% commission from 29 October 2026. How it compares with booking holiday homes in Italy directly on Italiando.