Comparison

Vrbo Owner vs Wa­nder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Vrbo Owner

Manage your vacation rental business on the go. Stay connected with travelers, respond to inquiries, and manage bookings and your calendar from your smartphone. Update listing details and policies with ease.

Highlights
  • Receive booking alerts
  • Reply to inquiries
  • Approve/decline bookings
  • Manage guest messages
  • Update reservation calendar
  • Edit listing details
Features
Read full description

The Vrbo Owner Mobile App makes it easy to manage your vacation rental. Stay connected with travelers, manage your bookings, and run your business, anytime and anywhere. NEVER MISS A BOOKING Get alerted every time you receive an inquiry or booking request! You can reply to an inquiry and approve or decline bookings directly from your smartphone. QUICKLY REPLY TO MESSAGES It’s easy to stay connected to guests before, during, or after their booking. You can read and reply to your messages quickly, with all of your conversations in one place. EASILY UPDATE YOUR CALENDAR Add, edit, or cancel a reservation in your calendar in just a few taps. Need to block dates? That’s easy, too. AND MORE Edit your listing, update your house rules and policies, and stay in control with the convenience of an app.

About

Wa­nder

Discover exclusive vacation homes offering hotel-grade amenities, stunning views, and 24/7 concierge service. Experience the comfort of a private home combined with the luxury of a high-end hotel for your next getaway.

Highlights
  • Top 1% of vacation homes
  • Hotel-grade amenities
  • 24/7 Concierge service
  • Inspiring and stunning views
  • Meticulous cleaning
  • Safety and security
Features
Read full description

Find your happy place ®. Book a Wander with inspiring views, hotel-grade amenities, dreamy beds, top-tier cleaning and 24/7 concierge service. It’s a vacation home, but better. Wander is different because we combine the quality of a luxury hotel with the comfort of a private vacation home. Only the top 1% of vacation homes are available on our platform. Whether you’re embarking on a family vacation, planning a getaway with friends, yearning for a workcation, or organizing a company offsite, there is a Wander for every occasion. Your best trip ever is just a few taps away. Download the Wander app for these guarantees – always: Only the top 1% of homes We’ll never not look like the pictures. We select homes in the most beautiful destinations and pour our hearts into making them magical so you can leave your stress at the door. Hotel-grade amenities We’ll never leave you with nothing to do. From workstations with super fast WiFi to gyms, pools, and saunas, our locations are set up for you to effortlessly blend work and play. 24/7 Concierge service We’ll never leave you hanging. Our text-based Concierge is always available to help make your trip the best ever – from questions about the house to activity recommendations and more. Inspiring and stunning views We’ll never leave you uninspired. Every Wander is located in an incredible setting with stunning views that will have you feeling inspired and refreshed in no time. Adventure awaits. Meticulous cleaning We’ll never have you check in to a dirty house with crusty ketchup in the fridge. Our cleaning teams are meticulous about quality. We won't leave you a list of chores at check out either. Safety and security We’ll never pass you off to a stranger. All of the Wander locations on our platform are hand-picked by us and managed to our incredibly high, industry-leading safety standards. Let’s go places together!

Screenshots

Vrbo Owner4 screens
Wa­nder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wa­nder at 91% against Vrbo Owner's 23%. Wa­nder also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Vrbo Owner's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and monetization model (ad-supported vs paid). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wa­nder holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vrbo Owner has 152K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Vrbo Owner's written reviews are positive against 91% of Wa­nder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vrbo Owner ships an update weekly, Wa­nder every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Vrbo Owner versus Wa­nder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVrbo OwnerWa­nder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (152K ratings)4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.3% of reviews91.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings152K — better1.2K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size398 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHomeAway.com, Inc.Wander.com Inc

Customer experience

Vrbo Owner

All ratings151,693 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews898 reviews
Positive23.3%
Neutral14.4%
Negative62.4%

Wa­nder

All ratings1,197 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.8%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews249 reviews
Positive91.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative7.2%

User reviews

Vrbo Owner

From 152K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Helpful customer service
  • 💡 Useful marketing tool
  • 🚀 Great exposure for listings

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy app and website
  • 🔒 Lacks guest verification
  • 💰 High fees and commissions
  • 👎 Poor communication with owners
  • 🔒 Inadequate owner protections

Wa­nder

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🏆 Luxury accommodations
  • 🌇 Stunning locations and views
  • 🤖 Seamless smart home technology
  • 🚗 Included Tesla vehicle
  • 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing amenities (pool, hot tub, sauna)

Room to improve

  • 💰 High prices that may be out of reach for some
  • 🕸️ Occasional technical issues (broken appliances, connectivity problems)
  • 🏡 Inconsistent quality and upkeep across properties
  • 🕰️ Strict check-in/check-out times
  • 🚗 Tesla vehicle not always available or in good condition

Bugs and requests

Vrbo Owner

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Calendar sync issues
  • Booking request problems
  • Unreliable notifications
  • Frequent login issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved mobile app functionality
  • Better calendar management tools
  • More transparent pricing and fees
  • Enhanced owner-guest communication
  • Stronger fraud prevention measures

Wa­nder

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Booking process issues (pricing not visible, submission errors)
  • App crashes and connectivity problems
  • Difficulty contacting live support

Requested features

4 requests
  • More affordable property options
  • Flexible check-in/check-out times
  • Ability to book directly through the app without membership
  • Expanded property inventory in more locations

In-app purchases

None

Vrbo Owner

No in-app purchases

None

Wa­nder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vrbo Owner free?
Vrbo Owner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wa­nder free?
Wa­nder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vrbo Owner or Wa­nder?
Wa­nder is rated higher. Vrbo Owner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 152K ratings, while Wa­nder averages 4.8 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Vrbo Owner or Wa­nder have ads?
Neither Vrbo Owner nor Wa­nder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vrbo Owner or Wa­nder?
Vrbo Owner ships an update weekly, and Wa­nder every 6 weeks. Most recently, Vrbo Owner was updated on September 26, 2026 and Wa­nder on September 26, 2026.

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