Comparison

Tripadvisor vs Airbnb

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

Head to head
About

Tripadvisor

Discover destinations, book hotels and tours, and organize your travel plans. Earn rewards on bookings and contributions, with personalized recommendations and flexible options. Access a vast community of travelers for tips and advice.

Highlights
  • Book hotels and experiences
  • Earn rewards with Trip Cash
  • Organize itineraries
  • Discover nearby recommendations
  • Read traveler reviews
  • AI-powered review summaries
  • Free cancellation options
Currently charting
Read full description

One app, so many places to discover. Get guidance from millions of travelers and earn rewards for more trips by doing what you love: planning, booking, and sharing. The best part? It’s free to join. Score last-minute tour tickets in a few quick taps. Book a hotel your entire family will love at a great rate. Create an itinerary in seconds with top recs from travelers like you. All while earning Trip Cash to fuel even more vacays. You bring the fun, the Tripadvisor app brings the rewards. Tripadvisor Rewards: Plan, book, share, earn rewards - Book from over 400,000 experiences and 600,000 hotels, and get 5% back in Trip Cash to save on future trips - Earn beyond booking: Planning and sharing can net you Trip Cash too - Join for free in the app! Plan all in one place - Save your favorite hotels, restaurants, and experiences - Keep all your itineraries, trip ideas, and bookings organized in one place Go with the flow - Discover top-rated recs nearby, wherever you are - Stay flexible with free cancellation on most experiences - Never miss a thing with notifications tailored to your trip Get traveler recs - Browse reviews to get the inside scoop from travelers who’ve been there - Tap into the world’s largest travel community for tips and advice wherever, whenever - Save time with AI summaries, which gives you a quick overview of what travelers are saying

About

Airbnb

Discover and book unique homes, local experiences, and convenient services worldwide. Find the perfect stay for any trip with extensive filters and detailed reviews. Explore cities through authentic local-led activities and book on-demand services to enhance your visit.

Highlights
  • Book vacation rentals worldwide
  • Discover local experiences
  • Book professional services
  • Personalized trip recommendations
  • In-app messaging with hosts
  • Offline access to trip details
Features
Read full description

AIRBNB MORE THAN AN AIRBNB The world is endlessly interesting and with Airbnb, you can explore it in more ways than ever. Find remarkable homes, unforgettable experiences, and incredible services all in one app. Get inspired, book, and go. BOOK A HOME AND GO WHERE HOTELS CAN’T Explore 8+ million vacation rentals in 240+ countries and regions to find the perfect stay for every kind of trip, whether you’re traveling alone or with a group. Use over 80 filtering options to find the amenities you want, like a pool, a kitchen, or accessibility features like step-free entry. View all the details of a place at a glance on the listing page and check out the ratings and reviews to see what other guests who’ve stayed there think about it, too. DON’T JUST SEE A PLACE, EXPERIENCE IT Find thousands of experiences around the world, hosted by locals who know their city best—all vetted for quality based on a host’s expertise, reputation, and authenticity. Uncover unique perspectives on landmarks and museums. Get a taste of local cuisine through cooking classes and food tours. Enjoy the great outdoors, an art workshop, a live performance, and much more. Plus, check out Airbnb Originals—extraordinary experiences hosted by the world’s most interesting people, designed exclusively for Airbnb. MAKE YOUR STAY EVEN MORE SPECIAL WITH INCREDIBLE SERVICES Make the most of your stay by booking incredible services right at your Airbnb, like private chefs, photography, catering, prepared meals, hair styling, nail treatments, makeup, massages, personal training, and spa treatments—each offered by experienced service hosts who have been vetted for quality. You can book thousands of professional services at nearly every price, all in one app, all over the world. Best of all, you don’t need to stay at an Airbnb or even be on a trip to get these services. Schedule a blowout, training session, and more right at home. GET A TRAVEL APP THAT TRAVELS WITH YOU After you book a home, you’ll get personalized recommendations on the homepage suggesting services and experiences for your trip, tailored to where you’re staying and who you’re traveling with. And the redesigned Profile gives you a snapshot of all the places you’ve been to on Airbnb, and the people you’ve met along the way. FIND ALL YOUR TRIP INFO IN ONE PLACE Quickly find or share the details of your reservation—making it easier for everyone to get there, get inside, and get connected to wifi with just a tap. Our in-app messaging means every guest on the trip can easily communicate with hosts to say hi, ask questions, and receive up-to-the-minute booking updates. You can also share photos, videos, and even customize an Airbnb Service, all in the same chat. And with a day-by-day view of everything you booked in the updated Trips tab, it’s simple to keep track of your plans and get key details like check-in times, special instructions, and entry codes all in one place, even when you’re offline. WANT TO HOST? AIRBNB MAKES IT EASY. Whether you want to host a home, experience, or service, you can reach millions of people traveling and grow your business on Airbnb. List your home in a few simple steps. Or, you can apply to host an experience or service and once approved, you’re ready to welcome the world. YOU’VE COME THIS FAR—NOW GO FARTHER Stop reading and fire up the app to book yourself a one-of-a-kind trip on Airbnb.

Screenshots

Tripadvisor4 screens
Airbnb4 screens

Verdict

The call

Tripadvisor and Airbnb both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Tripadvisor's written reviews are positive against 14% of Airbnb's. Airbnb's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#4 vs #170). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Tripadvisor against 4.8 for Airbnb. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 482K and 704K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Tripadvisor's written reviews are positive against 14% of Airbnb's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Tripadvisor versus Airbnb: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTripadvisorAirbnb
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (482K ratings) — better4.8 (704K ratings)
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better13.5% of reviews
Number of ratings482K704K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
Best chart rank#170#4 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size342 MB347 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTripadvisorAirbnb, Inc.

Customer experience

Tripadvisor

All ratings481,902 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews4,855 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative17.6%

Airbnb

All ratings703,459 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews4,350 reviews
Positive13.5%
Neutral5.7%
Negative80.7%

User reviews

Tripadvisor

From 482K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful app for travel planning
  • 🚀 Comprehensive database of reviews
  • 💡 Useful for finding hidden gems
  • 👍 Reliable and trustworthy information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Outdated or inaccurate listings
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding specific information
  • 🤖 Concerns about fake or biased reviews
  • 🔒 Privacy issues with data collection

Airbnb

From 704K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great customer service
  • 💡 Expanded app features
  • 👍 Variety of accommodation options

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable calendar and messaging
  • 🔒 Lack of host verification and accountability
  • 💰 Deceptive pricing and hidden fees
  • 🤖 Poor outsourced customer support

Bugs and requests

Tripadvisor

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes or freezes when using the app
  • Issues with uploading photos or attachments
  • Inconsistent or unreliable offline functionality

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • More detailed information on accessibility
  • Ability to easily manage and update own reviews
  • Integration with other travel planning tools

Airbnb

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes and lags
  • Incorrect calendar and date information
  • Inability to update payment methods

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to leave negative reviews for hosts
  • Better search filters for location and distance
  • More host verification and security measures

In-app purchases

None

Tripadvisor

No in-app purchases

None

Airbnb

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tripadvisor free?
Tripadvisor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Airbnb free?
Airbnb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tripadvisor or Airbnb?
Tripadvisor is rated higher. Tripadvisor averages 4.8 out of 5 from 482K ratings, while Airbnb averages 4.8 from 704K ratings.
Do Tripadvisor or Airbnb have ads?
Tripadvisor shows ads; Airbnb does not.
Which is updated more often, Tripadvisor or Airbnb?
Tripadvisor ships an update weekly, and Airbnb weekly. Most recently, Tripadvisor was updated on November 9, 2026 and Airbnb on November 9, 2026.
Which is more popular, Tripadvisor or Airbnb?
Tripadvisor currently peaks at #170 in the App Store charts, and Airbnb at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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