For familiar whole-home rentals, Vrbo is the direct successor to HomeAway. For a wider selection, Airbnb and Booking.com serve as the largest general platforms. If you want to compare prices across these and other sites, search engines like HomeToGo are the best choice. For specialized needs, use Hipcamp for outdoor lodging, Plum Guide for luxury, or Whimstay for last-minute deals.
2VrboVrbo is the best fit for travelers who want a direct replacement for HomeAway. It is part of the same family of brands and maintains a core focus on whole-home rentals like houses, cabins, and condos for vacation use.74%
If you are looking for sites like HomeAway, keep in mind that HomeAway actually rebranded and merged fully into VRBO (which is also owned by Expedia Group). If you liked HomeAway, VRBO is literally the exact same inventory and platform.
For short-term rentals, whole-house vacation homes, and apartment stays akin to HomeAway/VRBO, check out these top alternatives:
VRBO : The direct successor to HomeAway. It focuses almost exclusively on entire private homes, cabins, and beach condos rather than shared spaces, making it the top choice for families and groups.
Airbnb : The largest peer-to-peer rental marketplace. It features everything from spare rooms to luxury villas, urban apartments, and unique tiny homes.
HomeToGo : A massive meta-search engine that aggregates short-term rentals and vacation homes from thousands of different sites—including Vrbo, , and regional booking channels—letting you compare prices across the board.
Booking.com : Though traditionally known for hotels, Booking.com has a massive inventory of standalone apartments, condos, and private villas alongside traditional lodging.
Plum Guide : A curated platform that hand-picks and rigorously vets homes (only accepting a tiny percentage of applicants) for travelers looking for high-end, design-forward, and guaranteed-quality short-term rentals.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy : Premium and luxury short-term rental properties professionally managed by local property companies, with the added perk of earning or redeeming Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points.
Are you looking for a specific type of destination (like a beach house, a mountain cabin, or a city apartment) or trying to find a stay where you can earn hotel loyalty points?
If you mean sites similar to HomeAway (now Vrbo) for booking short-term vacation rentals, these are the main alternatives:
vrbo.com — Probably the closest match; focuses on entire homes, condos, cabins, etc.
airbnb.com — Huge inventory of homes, apartments, rooms, and unique stays.
booking.com — Particularly useful internationally; includes apartments and vacation homes alongside hotels.
vacasa.com — Professionally managed vacation homes, especially in the U.S. and Canada.
hometogo.com — Aggregates vacation-rental listings from multiple platforms, useful for comparison shopping.
hipcamp.com — Good for cabins, campsites, glamping, and rural properties.
furnishedfinder.com — Better suited to 30+ day furnished rentals rather than typical weekend stays.
plumguide.com — More curated, higher-end vacation homes.
houfy.com — Vacation rentals with an emphasis on direct owner-to-guest bookings.
If you're looking to book, I'd start with Vrbo + Airbnb + Booking.com + HomeToGo and compare the total price, since the same property can sometimes appear on multiple platforms.
If you're actually asking because you want to list your own property, I can give you the best HomeAway/Vrbo alternatives specifically for getting bookings and minimizing fees.
Vrbo is the direct equivalent to HomeAway, because HomeAway actually rebranded and merged fully into Vrbo (both are owned by Expedia Group).
If you are looking for alternative platforms that specialize in entire-home vacation rentals, multi-family properties, or short-term stays similar to the classic HomeAway experience, several options are available:
Vrbo : Focuses exclusively on entire-home vacation rentals (no shared spaces or single rooms inside occupied houses), making it ideal for families and large groups.
Airbnb : The largest global marketplace, offering everything from private rooms and urban apartments to luxury villas and unique rural cabins.
HomeToGo : A massive meta-search engine that aggregates short-term rental listings from thousands of different websites, including Vrbo, Airbnb, and regional property managers, helping you compare prices across the web.
Booking.com : Features a vast inventory of apartments, villas, and holiday homes alongside traditional hotels, often with flexible cancellation policies.
Vacasa : A professional property management platform that lists fully vetted, professionally cleaned vacation homes directly on its own site as well as major channels.
Houfy : A direct-booking platform where guests can communicate and book with hosts transparently without hidden guest service fees.
If you tell me your destination and type of property you want (like a beach condo or mountain cabin), I can recommend which of these sites usually has the best selection there.
If you mean HomeAway-style vacation/short-term rental sites, HomeAway itself is now Vrbo.
Good alternatives include:
Airbnb — huge selection of homes, apartments, rooms, and unique stays.
Booking.com — particularly useful internationally; includes apartments and vacation homes alongside hotels.
Vacasa — professionally managed vacation homes, primarily in North America.
HomeToGo — useful for comparing vacation rentals across multiple providers.
Furnished Finder — better if you're looking for 30+ day furnished rentals rather than a few nights.
FlipKey — vacation rentals associated with Tripadvisor.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy — more curated, higher-end vacation homes; some properties allow Marriott Bonvoy points.
For a normal vacation of a few nights to a couple weeks, I'd search Vrbo + Airbnb + Booking.com + HomeToGo rather than relying on just one.
If you're looking specifically for cheap alternatives, luxury homes, monthly rentals, or rentals in a particular country, tell me which and I can narrow it down.
The top alternatives to HomeAway (which is now completely integrated into Vrbo ) for whole-home, short-term vacation rentals include Airbnb, Booking.com , and meta-search engines like HomeToGo.
(Note: If you were looking for HomeAway specifically, typing HomeAway.com automatically redirects you to Vrbo, as both are owned by Expedia Group).
Major Short-Term Rental Platforms
Airbnb : The largest global competitor featuring millions of listings. It offers everything from private rooms to luxury estates, urban apartments, and unique countryside retreats.
Vrbo : HomeAway’s direct sister site (and functional twin). It strictly specializes in entire-place vacation rentals (no shared spaces or single private rooms), making it ideal for families and large groups.
Booking.com : Traditionally a hotel booking platform, it features a massive inventory of independently owned apartments, villas, and holiday homes alongside traditional lodging.
Meta-Search and Aggregator Sites
HomeToGo : A massive search engine that aggregates vacation rentals from thousands of different sites—including Vrbo, Airbnb, and regional inventory—allowing you to compare prices and locations in one place.
cozycozy : Another meta-search engine that lets you search and compare short-term home rentals, B&Bs, and alternative lodging options across multiple competing booking platforms simultaneously.
Curated and Niche Alternatives
Plum Guide : A highly vetted platform that hand-picks and tests only the top tier of vacation homes (claiming a strict acceptance rate), focusing on design, location, and verified quality.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy : A curated selection of premium and luxury short-term rental homes where travelers can both earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points.
Vacasa : A full-service property management company that lists professionally managed vacation homes directly on its own site as well as across major channels like Airbnb and Vrbo.
If you share your destination, group size , or whether you are looking for a beach house, cabin, or urban condo , I can recommend which specific platform tends to have the best inventory for that style of trip.
Yes. One important note: HomeAway is now Vrbo—the brands were consolidated under the Vrbo name.
Good alternatives for short-term vacation rentals include:
Airbnb — biggest all-around alternative; apartments, houses, rooms, cabins, etc.
Booking.com — particularly good for international destinations and apartments/condos.
Vacasa — professionally managed vacation homes, especially in North America.
HomeToGo — useful for comparing rentals from multiple booking sites.
Plum Guide — more upscale/curated properties.
Hipcamp — cabins, campsites, glamping and unusual outdoor stays.
Furnished Finder — better if you're looking for 30+ day furnished stays rather than a typical weekend vacation.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy — higher-end homes, with Marriott Bonvoy integration.
My quick picks
Closest to the old HomeAway experience: Vrbo
Best overall selection: Airbnb
Best for comparing lots of sites: HomeToGo
Best professionally managed: Vacasa
Best for luxury: Plum Guide / Homes & Villas by Marriott
Best for monthly stays: Furnished Finder
If you tell me where you're looking and your approximate dates/budget, I can also find the best alternatives and compare actual listings and prices.
*(Note: HomeAway actually rebranded and merged fully into Vrbo , which is owned by Expedia Group, so you are likely looking for whole-house or alternative vacation rental marketplaces similar to * Vrbo/HomeAway).
Here are the top alternative sites for short-term and vacation rentals, broken down by what they do best:
Airbnb : The absolute giant in the space. While it started with air mattresses and spare rooms, it now features millions of entire houses, villas, cabins, and unique properties worldwide, serving as the most direct alternative to HomeAway/Vrbo.
HomeToGo : A massive meta-search engine that aggregates vacation rentals from thousands of different sites (including Vrbo and Airbnb), letting you compare prices and inventory across platforms in one place.
Plum Guide : Known as the "Michelin guide" of vacation rentals. They hand-select and rigorously vet properties (only accepting a tiny percentage of applicants) to guarantee high design standards, accurate listings, and zero bait-and-switch surprises.
Booking.com : While famous for hotels, they have heavily expanded into apartments, condos, and entire private vacation homes with a straightforward reservation system.
Vacasa : Unlike open listing marketplaces, Vacasa is a full-service property management company. Every single home on their site is managed, cleaned, and operated directly by their team, ensuring a consistent and reliable stay.
Marriott Homes & Villas : Ideal if you want the space of a private vacation home backed by a major hospitality brand. These professionally managed luxury homes also let you earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points.
Hipcamp : Perfect if your version of a "short-term rental" leans toward the outdoors. It features private land listings for camping, glamping, treehouses, and rustic cabins.
Are you looking for a specific type of destination (like a beach house, a mountain cabin, or a city apartment) or trying to avoid certain booking fees ? I can recommend the best platform for your exact trip.
Yes. If you mean HomeAway-style sites where you can book entire homes/apartments for short stays, these are the main alternatives:
Vrbo — Probably the closest match to the old HomeAway experience; especially strong for whole homes, families, and groups.
Booking.com — Huge international inventory, including apartments and vacation homes alongside hotels.
Plum Guide — More upscale/curated; properties are vetted, so it's good if quality matters more than having the biggest selection.
Vacasa — Professionally managed vacation homes, with a strong emphasis on consistent service.
Hipcamp — Better for cabins, glamping, campsites, and unusual outdoor stays.
Furnished Finder — More appropriate for 30+ day furnished stays than typical weekend vacations.
Blueground — Professionally managed furnished apartments, particularly useful for stays of a month or longer.
If you're looking for the closest HomeAway replacement, I'd start with Vrbo. If you're trying to find the cheapest alternatives with fewer fees, I can also give you a list of sites that are particularly good for that.
If you mean sites like HomeAway (now Vrbo) for vacation/short-term rentals, these are the main alternatives:
vrbo.com — probably the closest match to the old HomeAway model; especially good for entire homes, families, and groups.
airbnb.com — largest general-purpose alternative, with homes, apartments, rooms, and unique stays.
booking.com — particularly strong for international travel and professionally managed apartments.
vacasa.com — professionally managed vacation homes, mainly in North America.
hometogo.com — a vacation-rental metasearch site that aggregates listings from many rental platforms.
furnishedfinder.com — particularly good for 30+ day furnished rentals, rather than typical weekend stays.
plumguide.com — curated, higher-end/design-focused homes.
hipcamp.com — cabins, campsites, glamping, and unusual outdoor properties.
If you're looking for a direct HomeAway replacement, I'd start with Vrbo, Airbnb, Booking.com, and HomeToGo.
If you're looking to list your own property rather than book one, I can also give you the best 10 sites for hosts, including which ones have the lowest fees.
The best overall alternatives to HomeAway—which merged fully into its sister brand Vrbo under Expedia Group—depend on whether you prioritize family homes, budget savings, or luxury stays.
The top short-term rental platforms are structured by their specific specialties below:
The Industry Standard
Vrbo : This is the official successor to HomeAway. It uses the same user interface, account data, and focus on whole-home rentals . It is the premier option for families, group trips, and traditional vacation destinations like beach towns and mountain cabins.
Airbnb : The largest short-term rental marketplace globally. It is highly optimized for urban destinations, solo travelers, and unique architectural stays.
Best for Saving on Service Fees
Houfy : A fast-growing direct-booking platform that features over 100,000 listings. It cuts out the middleman by charging $0 in guest service fees , connecting you directly with the property hosts to save roughly 8% to 16% per booking.
Furnished Finder : While heavily used by traveling nurses and business professionals, this site is a fee-free marketplace ideal for anyone looking for monthly or mid-term furnished rentals (30+ day stays).
Best for Global & Urban Reach
Booking.com : A global giant that lists millions of homes and apartments alongside traditional hotels. It dominates the European market and is perfect if you prefer customizable cancellation policies and cohesive travel itineraries.
Agoda Homes : An excellent platform specifically if you are traveling throughout Asia, offering a massive inventory of apartments and condo rentals.
Luxury & Vetted Properties
Plum Guide : A highly curated platform that acts as the "Michelin Guide" for vacation homes. Every property undergoes a rigorous, independent vetting process to guarantee design and comfort standards.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy : A high-end rental platform that only partners with professional property management companies. It allows travelers to earn and redeem Marriott loyalty points on home rentals.
Search Aggregators (To Compare Prices)
HomeToGo : A meta-search engine that pulls listings from thousands of providers simultaneously. Use it to compare pricing for the exact same property across different sites before booking.
To narrow this down for your upcoming trip, let me know:
