Vacations are one of the most beautiful parts of life. With a busy and hectic schedule repeating itself over and over, once in a while, everybody needs a quick getaway to relax and rejuvenate for some time. Vacations are like a cleanse for the body, mind, and soul.
They are refreshing and also the perfect opportunity for making memories. But the lodgings make a vacation amazing and take it up a notch. Everything could be perfect on vacation, but if the lodgings are not up to the mark, they can be ruined.
This is where the vacation home renters and lodgers come to play. They provide the best lodgings for vacationers and thus enhance their experience. Both VRBO and HomeAway are great vacation rentals and one of the top ones in their industry.
The same parent company, Expedia, owns both VRBO and HomeAway. Even Homeaway owns VRBO. They are very similar in almost all aspects.ย
Key Takeaways
- VRBO and HomeAway are popular vacation rental websites allowing travellers to book private homes and apartments for short-term stays.
- While VRBO was originally known as Vacation Rentals By Owner and focused on individual property owners, HomeAway was a larger platform that included professional property management companies.
- However, both websites are now owned by the same company and function similarly, offering travellers a wide range of vacation rental options.
VRBO vs HomeAway
The difference between VRBO and HomeAway is that VRBO is used more by homeowners in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. In contrast, HomeAway is used more by homeowners from Europe, India, and Australia.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | VRBO | HomeAway |
|---|---|---|
| Founder | VRBO was founded by a married couple, David Clouse and Lynn Clouse in 1996. | HomeAway was founded by Brian Sharples and Carl Shepherd in 2004. |
| Name | VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. It has had the same name since its foundation. | HomeAway was originally named CEH Holdings but later changed it to HomeAway in 2006 after acquiring several websites. |
| Service Fee | VRBO normally charges about 6 to 12% of the total cost from its guests. | HomeAway charges 4 to 10% of the total cost from its guess. |
| Domain | VRBO mostly operates in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. | HomeAway operates mostly in Europe, Australia, and India. |
| Owner | HomeAway owns VRBO. | Expedia owns HomeAway. |
What is VRBO?
VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. It was founded by a married couple, David Clouse and Lynn Clouse, in 1996.
VRBO is an American vacation rental online website that connects homeowners and travellers. The homeowners can rent their private holiday homes for travellers and tourists who are there to vacation and are looking for a place to stay.
VRBO connects both these parties, acting as a middle-ground medium for them to find each other and strike a deal that suits both. It has a range of rates from one night to weekly and even monthly.
VRBO is best known for its long-term vacation rentals available. Any tenants looking for a long-term vacation rental will find great deals and accommodations on VRBO. It charges its guest 6 to 12% of the total cost as a service fee.ย
VRBO is most popular and functioning in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. It will show listings from other places too. But the best deals and offers are from these places above. VRBO was acquired by HomeAway in 2005 and is now a branch of it.
What is HomeAway?
HomeAway is yet another online vacation home rental marketplace. It has headquarters in Austin, Texas. It was founded by Brian Sharples and Carl Shepherd in 2004. They intended to create a worldwide vacation rental site in one place.
It has over 2 million listings in more than 190 countries. This is also possible because it owns about 16 such vacation rental websites. HomeAway acquired VRBO in 2005 and now owns it.
HomeAway was originally named CEH Holdings. After acquiring several websites, including VRBO, it rechristened itself HomeAway. HomeAway was acquired by the website Expedia in 2015. So now, ultimately, Expedia owns both vacation rental websites, VRBO and HomeAway.
HomeAway is the most functioning and popular in Europe, India, and Australia. HomeAway charges its guests about 4 to 10% of the total costs as a service fee.
HomeAway makes sure to add different kinds of vacation lodgings available for rentals along with all kinds of relevant and important details that a traveller might need to know.
Main Differences Between VRBO and HomeAway
- VRBO stands for Vacation Rental By Owner. HomeAway was originally named CEH Holdings. It was later rechristened to HomeAway.
- VRBO operates mainly in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, while HomeAway operates mainly in Europe, India, and Australia. These are the main spots of operation of these sites. They are also available in other places, but they are most prominent and operational in these places.
- VRBO was founded by David Clouse and Lynn Clouse in 1996, while HomeAway was founded by Brian Sharples and Carl Shepherd at CEH Holdings in 2004.
- VRBO charges a service fee of 6 to 12% of the total cost from its guests, while HomeAway charges 4 to 10%. Both websites are very popular and very good at what they do. They are long-term vacation rental marketplaces loved by travellers and tourists.
- VRBO was initially an independent marketplace for almost a decade after its launch. HomeAway acquired VRBO in 2005. Expedia acquired both websites in 2015. HomeAway has about 16 websites under it. VRBO has not acquired any websites.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13683500.2019.1711027
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13683500.2019.1711027
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
