How Much Does It Cost to Build an App Like Airbnb?

Airbnb has two types of users — guests and landlords.

It’s a complex service offering tons of functionality to the users. To build an app like Airbnb, you should understand the platform’s logic from the client’s point of view.

• Step 1. The user goes to the service (mobile or web version) and registers or logs in as a guest.
• Step 2. After that, they complete the profile. The user adds such necessary data as profile picture, ID number, and more.
• Step 3. The client can choose the appropriate place to live in using various filters like price, location, type of space, and more.
• Step 4. The guest requests for a stay and receives a confirmation.
• Step 5. It’s required to pay for a reservation using the service.
• Step 6. The final step is traveling and enjoying the stay!

• Step 1. The user needs to register or log in as a host and confirm that they are over the age of 18.
• Step 2. After that, it’s possible to register the property on Airbnb. The host can add the data about the accommodation like location, the number of guests, type of apartment, and more.
• Step 3. The landlords need to upload real photos of their apartment and set the price. Airbnb offers to hire a qualified photographer to take professional pictures.
• Step 4. When the guest requests a stay, a host can start a conversation and discuss all the details like quiet hours, clean standards, etc.
• Step 5. If everything is fine, the host approves the stay. But the landlord also has an opportunity to reject the stay.
• Step 6. The host receives the payment in 24 hours after the guest checks-in. The renter needs to confirm that your listing is as good as expected.

Airbnb service allows people with a spare apartment or house to earn extra money renting it. Using the platform, it’s possible to book a flat, house, or palace in various locations from all over the world.

There are applications for two leading mobile platforms (iOS and Android) and a web app. Airbnb even supports smartwatches. So, users can receive notifications faster and stay up-to-date about any changes.

The revenue model of Airbnb is booking fees.

• The guest has to pay a 6-12% booking fee, depending on the size of the reservation.
• Airbnb changes the landlord 3% for every transaction.

• Airbnb is the fourth downloadable app in Travel category in the App Store, according to SimilarWeb.
• On average, more than 1 billion guests stay on Airbnb every night.
• Airbnb has over 150 million active users from all over the world.

How to create an app like Airbnb? There are several vital steps that you need to follow to make your project successful and profitable.

• Step 1. Create a business plan. It’s not enough to come up with an idea. You need to consider a software startup business plan to follow your goals and stay organized.
• Step 2. Find the developers. To create an Airbnb clone app, you need to cooperate with experienced development team. These days, there are two popular variants — in-house or outsource software developers.
• Step 3. Build a user-friendly design. The Airbnb app interface is intuitive and easy-to-use. Users tend to abandon apps with unattractive design, so it’s better to take care of UI/UX design beforehand.
• Step 4. Integrate several features. It’s common to build an app like Airbnb starting with some basic features. The MVP creation allows getting some feedback from the users and understanding their needs. After that, it’s possible to add some advanced features to make your application unique.
• Step 5. Test the app. Before launching, the application should be tested carefully to eliminate bugs and provide users with a great experience.
• Step 6. Release the app and update it regularly. It’s necessary to regularly maintain the app and offer users with new and exciting features.

How to build a platform like Airbnb? The service has a lot of features that need to be implemented during the development. Of course, app functionality affects the final cost.

Let’s discuss them more precisely.

The essential features you should include in Airbnb-similar app for hosts are the following ones:

Such basic features can make your application user-friendly and convenient. Later, you can add various advanced features to make it stand out. For instance, there are such advanced Airbnb app features:

• Airbnb Plus provides well-equipped and high-quality homes;
• Superguest & Superhost;
• Multiple language support;
• Currency converter;
• Etc.

Recently, Airbnb has introduced a new feature — Airbnb Experience. What does it mean? Locals from all over the world can offer various activities for travelers. For instance, they can show off the city or provide a food tour by bike, and so on.

Building web and mobile versions of an app like Airbnb require various specialists. We’ve listed the required team members below.

• Business Analyst
• Project Manager
• UI/UX designer
• 1 or 2 Android developers
• 1 or 2 iOS developers
• Back-end developers
• Front-end developers
• QA engineer

A lot of modern technologies can be used for building an app like Airbnb. If you want to make a mobile app, there are such programming languages as Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android). Considering web development, software engineers tend to use JavaScript.

To give you a hint, there is an Airbnb tech stack.

How much does Airbnb app cost? Besides the features, several factors can completely change the final price. The essential ones are design, admin panel, platforms, and location.

We’ve already mentioned that design is significant for your application success. Creating a great UI/UX design tends to take a lot of money and time. For instance, the Airbnb app UI completely satisfies the needs and expectations of users since it’s infinitive.

To get full control under your booking business, you need to create an admin panel. It gives access to all registered users (hosts and guests), allows managing users and accommodations, and more.

If you create an app like Airbnb for two mobile platforms, you need only one admin panel that will work in the web version. To develop a basic admin panel, software engineers need approximately 225 hours.

Speaking about mobile platforms, Android and iOS are the most widespread these days. So, which one to choose? The answer is simple — you need apps for both platforms to gain more users.

If you have a lack of budget, you can start with an application for one platform. You can analyze your target audience and users’ preferences to select the platform.

Curiously, iOS development usually requires 20% less time comparing to Android. It happens since there are a lot of various screen resolutions and OS versions of Android devices.

How to build an app like Airbnb? It becomes more and more widespread to cooperate with outsourcing companies. Such vendors tend to provide more affordable hourly rates along with the high quality of the product. So, you’re welcome to choose the country with the appropriate price.

For instance, developers from North America tend to have higher rates in comparison to software builders from Europe. Additionally, software developers from Central Europe (e.g. Estonia) have gained a good reputation and clients’ trust.

Considering all the factors mentioned in the article, the final cost to build an app like Airbnb can reach approximately $65,650 for a mobile app (one platform) and $92,350 for a web version.

Let’s look through details.