How to Build An App Like Airbnb

In the past few years, the gig economy has seen a massive rise and the increasing number of Airbnb is a testament to it. This fact indicates that knowing how to build an app like Airbnb can be beneficial.

People have a misconception that the vacation rental niche is oversaturated. However, they are unaware that giants like Airbnb own only 10-15% of the vacation rental market. It leaves almost 40-45% of the market open for other startups to develop Airbnb clone apps.

If you have an interest in developing an app like Airbnb and would like to know everything about it, read this blog. We will discuss:

Vacation Rental Market Overview

Did you know that the global vacation rental market size was estimated at $82.63 billion in 2022? This figure is likely to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2023 to 2030.

In terms of region, Europe is a dominant market player, with a share of 34.62% in 2022. It highlights Europe’s interest in catching up with the growing trend of glamping and accommodation bookings. In the coming years, the UK is likely to become the fastest-growing market in the region, with a CAGR of 5.8% from 2023 to 2030.

[Also Read - How to Develop Travel App - Features, Cost & Technology Stack]

How Does Airbnb Work?

Airbnb is a dynamic app with two types of users - guests and landlords. For successful mobile app development like Airbnb, you need to understand the user’s and host’s points of view.

How Does Airbnb Work For Guests?

How Does Airbnb Work For Hosts?

Airbnb Business Model

Airbnb works on a simple business model where it allows spare apartment or house owners to earn extra money by renting it. Guests from all over the world can make bookings in various locations.

Along with iOS and Android, Airbnb supports smartwatches so users can receive notifications faster and stay updated about any changes.

Airbnb’s main revenue model is booking fees. Depending on the reservation size, guests are supposed to pay a 6-12% booking fee. As for hosts, they must pay 3% for every transaction.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Developing an App Like Airbnb

Developing a robust app like Airbnb can be a daunting task. But with careful execution and planning, you can simplify the task. You can follow these steps:

1. Identify Your Target Audience

You must identify your target audience before diving into app development. By knowing your audience’s preferences, needs, and demographics, you can design an app that fulfills their specific requirements.

[Also Read - How to Build AI-Powered Apps in 2024: A Step-By-Step Guide]

2. Choose Your App’s Feature

After identifying your target audience, your next step is to choose features that you want to add to your app. This is your chance to differentiate your app from competitors. Select features wisely and fill the market gap with your robust app.

3. Select a Development Platform

You can choose to develop your app on Android, iOS, or both. The key is to get on board with the platform that best aligns with your goals and audience.

4. Hire a Development Team

Choose the best mobile app development company so you can get experienced developers to work with you. Make sure the development team you choose has prior experience in developing travel apps.

[Also Read - How Much Does It Cost To Hire App Developers In Florida?]

5. Design Your App’s UI

Your app’s UI needs to be intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. You should hire a designer who can create an impressive user interface that meets your target audience’s needs.

6. Develop Your App’s Backend

Remember that your app’s backend is the engine that powers it. So, you must focus on developing a robust backend that can handle the app’s features and user traffic.

7. Test Your App

Thoroughly check the app to ensure that it works properly. Before launching, if you come across any issues or bugs, fix them and then proceed with deployment.

8. Launch Your App

After your app is ready, you can launch it. Make sure you develop a launch strategy to reach your target audience effectively and quickly.

9. Monitor and Update Your App

Once your app is launched, you must monitor it regularly for issues. Regularly updating the app will keep you competitive in the market. Take into consideration the user feedback to continuously improve your app.

[Also Read - Challenges and Solutions in Travel App Development]

Advanced Features of Vacation Rental Apps Like Airbnb

When you develop a vacation rental app like Airbnb, you must add these advanced features:

1. Social Logins/Sign-ups

It's a useful functionality because people don’t like filling in long details to sign up for an app. Users can quickly register for an app using their social networking platforms.

2. Push Notifications

This feature helps send instant alerts and notifications to users, encouraging them to take action. For instance, if a guest makes a request, the host is instantly notified. Or if there’s a change in bookings, users are notified.

3. Voice Assistance

When developing the Airbnb clone app, add a voice assistant feature. It’s a helpful hand-free tool that can handle several jobs and services, such as taking phone calls & providing basic information or scheduling travel, tickets, hotel rooms, and other services.

4. Weather Forecast

Weather forecasting is an essential feature that helps users look at weather predictions and book accommodations accordingly.

5. Currency Converter

Using the latest live exchange rates, the currency converter feature makes it simple and quick for users to convert one currency to another. It makes calculating the exchange rate for currencies easier.

6. Language Support

With the help of this function, users can translate the descriptions into their native tongue. Here’s how this feature works: Google Translator receives a specific description and does the translation work. The text is then translated into the target language, bridging the communication gap between the host and the visitor.

7. In-app Navigation

This function lets users search for apartments, cafes, landmarks, and more in the area they want to visit. Here, visitors can use a map to choose the perfect place to stay. This functionality makes it easy for guests to search for accommodation if they want to stay at a particular place that is not on the list.

8. In-app Calls and Chats

Upon requesting a stay, the visitor and host can start a conversation to go over all the specifics of their stay. This makes it easy for the host and visitor to get in touch whenever needed.

9. In-App Document Management

Several documents need to be exchanged between the hosts and the visitors to book a stay. This feature makes it easy to transfer the documents.

10. CMS Integrations

The content management system can be used to manage the content posted on the app. This system monitors users' content to better handle and improve user engagement.

11. Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs are an effective means of maintaining users' loyalty to a brand. Discounts and vouchers are given to users as a token of appreciation for their loyalty, which motivates them to stay connected to the app.

12. Multiple Settings Option

The settings option that you provide to users must allow them to edit their profiles, accept or reject push alerts, select their preferred payment methods, and edit their wishlists. The more options you provide to your users, the more comfortable they will be while navigating your app.

Third-Party Integration Service

Besides the advanced Airbnb app features, you must also add these third-party integration services into your Airbnb clone app to make it better than your competitors:

As per your audience’s interest and geographical location, you can add a few other third-party integration services as well.

How Much Does it Cost to Develop an App Like Airbnb?

When creating an Airbnb clone app for a single platform with the most basic functionalities, the cost will be $25,000 and $30,000. But if you want to develop the clone app for both iOS and Android platforms with advanced features, the cost can increase up to $50000–$60000.

Remember that it's just an estimate. To calculate the actual cost, you need to consider these factors:

Here are the average hourly prices for each region:

Why Choose Protonshub to Develop Airbnb Clone App?

Do you want to create an app similar to Airbnb? Look no further than Protonshub Technologies, a leading app development company with years of experience.

We work with a team of professionals with prior experience in developing Airbnb clone apps. Our team uses the best Airbnb mobile app tech stack to exceed your expectations.

You can research our past projects and check client reviews to understand how our team works. This will provide you with a brief overview of our capabilities and success rate in creating similar apps.

Remember, when you choose us, you are selecting a reliable mobile app development company. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to developing a complex app like Airbnb.

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Ekta Singh

"Senior Content Writer"

Ekta Singh is a rookie food experimentalist and k-drama fan with 4+ years of experience in writing. Bridging gaps between companies and customers through conversion-driven content is her forte. She believes in writing stories for a living and living life for exploring places.