Airbnb – a business tycoon in the travel industry has been incredible in terms of convenience for users in booking accommodations, purchasing tickets, and comparing prices. Everything on the fingertips! 

Being a visionary player in this domain, Airbnb has made wonders with its operations and functionalities that are worthwhile to watch out for. It’s no surprise that many startups and business owners are idealizing the brand and its success. 

Given the current trend, convenience has added spark to the growing popularity of the online travel marketplace. As per a study by Global Newswire, the market across the globe is expected to reach $1,826 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 14.8%. 

Therefore, investing in the online travel industry presents rewarding opportunities for establishing a strong online presence for your business. If you’re one among those who want to make money out of your travel business, understanding the importance of travel app development is a must. 

Are you among the entrepreneurs, who are looking to build a clone app of Airbnb and want to evaluate its cost and other deriving factors, then this blog is for you!

The House of Success – Airbnb

How Does Airbnb Work?

There are two different sides involved in the Airbnb business model. 

Guest – People searching for an affordable place to stay for a certain period during their travel or visit. 

Host – People willing to list their property on Airbnb for rent/lease. 

For Hosts:

• Registration: Hosts sign up on Airbnb using their phone number, email, or social media accounts.
• Profile Creation: They create a profile, providing personal and accommodation details.
• Listing Creation: Hosts specify accommodation details such as location, type, amenities, guest capacity, and pricing.
• Image Upload: Professional images of the property are uploaded to give guests a clear view.
• Communication: Hosts stay in direct contact with guests to accept or reject booking requests promptly.
• Payment: Payments are received 24 hours after guest check-in, and hosts are assured of damage protection.

For Guests:

• Registration: Guests register on Airbnb using phone numbers, email, or social media accounts.
• Profile Creation: They create a profile with personal details after authorization.
• Search: Guests set desired location, duration of stay, and guest count, applying filters for preferences.
• Property Selection: Guests view available properties on a map or list, with details like address, images, host contact, and reviews.
• Booking: Guests request a booking and receive confirmation via notifications or SMS.
• Payment: Payments are made through preferred modes after booking confirmation.
• Enjoy: Guests reach their destination on the scheduled date and enjoy their stay.

Airbnb Business Model:

• Listing Properties: Hosts list their properties on Airbnb, providing details like ownership, rentals, and check-in/check-out timings.
• Property Search: Users search for rentals on Airbnb, choosing from available options based on preferences.
• Communication: Users can communicate with hosts to inquire about specific property details.
• Mediation: Airbnb acts as a mediator, creating a platform for hosts and guests to connect and transact.
• Sharing Economy: Airbnb operates on the sharing economy model, facilitating transactions between service providers (hosts) and seekers (guests).

Airbnb since its inception

Let’s look at the achievements of Airbnb since its inception in 2008!

• Valued at $87.25 billion in 2023
• More than 1 billion reservations
• More than 150 million users
• 6 guests check in every second
• 66,000 listings in the US and more than 100,000 listings throughout Europe
• In 100,000 cities throughout the world, there are 6 million global listings.
• Almost 50% of guests prefer to stay on Airbnb rather than in conventional hotels.
• A host on Airbnb typically makes over USD 13,000 annually.
• 19% of the total demand for lodging in the US is met by Airbnb.

Must-Have Features for an app like Airbnb

Integrating features play a significant role in Airbnb-like app development. Following are the must-have features of an Airbnb app based on three panels: 

Must-Have Features for an App like Airbnb:

For Guests:

• Registration: Users can create an account by providing basic information like name, email, and password, along with agreeing to terms and policies.
• Login: Seamless log-in via email or social profiles such as Google+ or Facebook for easy access.
• Search: Users can search for accommodations based on location, price, guest count, and dates, with refined search options.
• Favorites: Option to save listings to a favorites list for quick access later.
• Chats: Direct communication with hosts through the app for inquiries, requests, and clarifications.
• Profile: Users can create a profile with personal details and preferences.
• Payments: Secure payment options like credit cards, PayPal, or electronic methods available within the app.
• Bookings: Users can view and manage reservations with details like dates, price, and cancellation policies.

For Hosts:

• Accommodations: Hosts can list properties with detailed descriptions, photos, amenities, and house rules.
• Notifications: Hosts receive updates on booking requests, guest messages, and listing updates through app notifications.
• Requests: Hosts receive and respond to booking requests from guests within the app.
• GPS: Hosts can accurately set the location of their property on a map for easy navigation by guests.
• Calendar: Manage availability and block off dates on a synced calendar to avoid double bookings.
• Pricing and Payments: Set listing prices and receive payments securely through  on-demand app development, with options to adjust based on seasonality, demand, and other factors.
• Reviews: Hosts can view and respond to guest reviews to improve listing quality and attract more bookings.

Features to consider while developing an app like Airbnb in 2024

Keep everything simple

Simplicity is a key characteristic of successful apps like Airbnb. Users appreciate attractive and simple interfaces that offer a smooth experience. In case of travel and tourism app development, prioritize simplicity and user-friendliness to ensure a positive user experience. Emphasize ease of navigation and transparency to build trust with your audience.

Additional value adds

When developing an app like Airbnb, it’s essential to think beyond replicating existing features. Consider innovative solutions to address pain points in the travel industry. For example, FlipKey offers a quality manual verification program to enhance trust among users. Identifying and addressing such pain points with unique features can set your app apart and make a meaningful difference.

Keep the app size relatively small

Nowadays, users often face storage constraints on their devices. To address this, aim to develop an app with a small footprint that doesn’t consume excessive storage space. By keeping the app size relatively small, you enhance accessibility and appeal to users across various devices, regardless of storage limitations.

Provide more filters

Personalization plays a significant role in enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. Offer users a wide range of filters to tailor their search experience according to their preferences. Take inspiration from features like FlipKey’s search options for dog-friendly and kid-friendly properties. Providing unique filters adds value to your app and can be a decisive factor for users when choosing accommodations.

How much does it cost to develop an app like Airbnb in 2024?

Well, globally, the app price varies for developer hours, and here we have mentioned the average region hourly rates:

However, to give a rough estimate, the cost to build a travel app like Airbnb should be around $25000-$30000 when creating a single platform with basic features. However, if choosing both iOS and Android platforms with advanced functionalities, then it directly doubles the cost and might take up to $50000-$60000.

In this segment, you will be able to gain deeper insights into Airbnb like app development costs. It’s critical to estimate the cost of each application you design so that your budget may be properly configured. The following variables may affect the overall cost of developing a travel application:

App Platform 

The platform of your application can be decided based on the target market and your budget bracket. In case, you only want to capture a specific group of people, you can select a single platform, either Android or iOS. Otherwise, if your target market is bigger, you can go for cross-platform app development as it offers better reach.

App Designing

When determining how much it will cost to create an Airbnb clone app, mobile design is a key factor. The total mobile app development cost may vary depending on the tools and visuals employed. Standard designs typically have a lower cost, but if customization and a special design are involved, the entire price may increase.

App complexity level

You can determine the complexity level of a mobile application by the quantity and type of the features it integrates. The price to develop an Airbnb clone app is relatively lower if your app has basic and straightforward features. As the features get complicated and sophisticated, the cost also increases according to advancements. 

Team Size

To start any project, a development team is a must. It must include a dedicated project manager, mobile app developers, UI/UX designers, and quality analysts. Together, these individuals design an app similar to Airbnb.

Check out our complete guide to on-demand laundry App development to get an idea of our approach to the app development process. 

How can DianApps help you build an app like Airbnb?

Developing a mobile application like Airbnb and growing it into a million-dollar company takes a lot of commitment, perseverance, and effort. Yet, it is feasible, and a pioneer already exists. You may learn from and avoid the errors that Airbnb made.

At DianApps, we make world-class custom mobile applications. Moreover, we can assist you with developing scalable MVPs, product development, data science services using AI and ML, and improved cloud services.

Being a leading mobile app development company, we utilize cutting-edge tools like Next.js, AI, etc. to produce high-quality solutions that are prepared for the future.

When you have a big dream, like Airbnb, there are various ways you might start small and go big. Make sure the team you choose to develop your app is right.

If you still have concerns about creating your app, you may speak with a software development company for assistance with anything from deployment to maintenance.

Dream big, start small, and achieve big.

Do you Want to make your Airbnb-like travel app idea a reality? Get in touch with us to schedule a FREE consultation.