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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

KAYAK vs Booking.com

KAYAK 4.8★ · Free to download 65
Winner Booking.com
Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 70

For overall reliability and a more consistent booking experience, Booking.com has a slight edge, despite its own customer service issues, while KAYAK is better for price comparison and organizing trips across multiple providers.

Full reviews: KAYAK · Booking.com

Booking.com offers a generally reliable booking experience, particularly for hotels, with users appreciating its ease of use and cancellation policies. KAYAK excels as a search aggregator for flights and car rentals, providing good price comparisons, but users frequently report issues with inaccurate pricing, broken links, and poor customer support when problems arise.

Head to head

Price Accuracy & Value tieR1R4R8R10
KAYAK KAYAK is praised for finding good deals and comparing prices across multiple airlines and car rentals, often showing cheaper options than official websites R8. However, many users report issues with inaccurate prices, especially for flights and car rentals, where the final price is higher on the partner website or includes hidden fees R1R10. There are also complaints about the inability to filter out basic fares, leading to misleading initial prices R4.
Booking.com Booking.com users appreciate seeing total prices and finding good rates . However, a significant number of reviews highlight issues with price discrepancies, where the displayed price doesn't include final fees or taxes, or changes during the booking process R66. Some users also report being charged in foreign currencies with unexpected transaction fees, despite prices being shown in USD .
Ease of Use & Features edge: Booking.comR2R3R6R11
KAYAK KAYAK is generally considered easy to use for checking and booking flights, with lots of options R2R11. Users like its ability to organize trips and consolidate reservations from different companies . However, some report missing features compared to the website R3, difficulty saving flights , issues with location services R6, and a lack of advanced search options like viewing pricing over a large timeframe . The app is also criticized for a bad UI and inconsistent search results, not showing all available flights .
Booking.com Booking.com is frequently praised for being user-friendly and easy to navigate, especially for hotel bookings . Users find it simple to find and cancel reservations . However, some users find the booking process not user-friendly when trying to modify stays . There are also requests for improved features like better list management for saved properties and issues with logging in .
Reliability & Booking Issues tieR9R18R24R25
KAYAK KAYAK users report frequent issues with booking reliability, including links not working R9, flights not materializing after booking , and reservations being canceled due to fare changes R25. There are also complaints about not receiving confirmation numbers or receipts after booking R18R24. Some users find the app's filters to be malfunctioning, leading to incorrect search results .
Booking.com Booking.com faces significant criticism regarding booking reliability. Users report confirmed bookings being canceled by hosts , double bookings , and hotels denying reservations . There are also reports of fake listings and issues with car service bookings collaborating with unreliable providers . Some users mention that the app changes flight times without notification .
Customer Support & Refunds tieR7R18R19R46
KAYAK KAYAK receives numerous complaints about poor or non-existent customer service. Users report no one answering the phone R7, being ghosted by support R19, and a lack of phone numbers or support emails R18. Issues with refunds are also mentioned, with money being taken despite free cancellation R7. Users feel unsupported when trying to cancel or negotiate issues R46.
Booking.com Booking.com's customer service is a major pain point. Users describe it as terrible, rude, and unhelpful, often giving vague responses R61R64. Many struggle to get cancellations processed or refunds issued, with some waiting over a month for refunds . There are also instances where customer service sides with fake listings or properties, leaving the user without recourse .
Hotel/Property Experience tieR21R34R49R54
KAYAK KAYAK users report issues with hotel listings, including inaccurate information R21, dirty rooms R49, and difficulty filtering out rentals like Airbnbs R34. Some users express concern about the legitimacy of prices and reservations, needing to call hotels directly to confirm R54.
Booking.com Booking.com users frequently report negative experiences with the actual properties booked, including dirty rooms, pests, and poor amenities . There are complaints about hotels charging extra fees not disclosed by Booking.com R110. Users also encounter issues with hotels denying facilities like pools that were advertised .
Pick KAYAK if

You prioritize comparing prices across multiple providers for flights and car rentals, and value an app that helps organize your travel itinerary .

Pick Booking.com if

You are primarily looking to book hotels and appreciate a generally user-friendly interface with straightforward booking and cancellation processes .

Evidence note: Both apps have a high lifetime rating, but recent reviews for both show significant dissatisfaction, particularly regarding customer service and price accuracy. The free nature of both apps means that negative reviews are not necessarily tied to free-tier friction.

Frequently asked

Is it better to book directly or through KAYAK/Booking.com?
Many users recommend booking directly with the hotel or airline after using KAYAK or Booking.com to find deals, as this can lead to better service, direct communication, and avoid issues with cancellations, refunds, or hidden fees that arise when booking through third parties R36R46R61R110.
Do KAYAK and Booking.com show accurate prices?
Both KAYAK and Booking.com frequently display prices that are not the final cost; users report higher prices on partner websites, hidden fees, or charges in foreign currencies, leading to frustration and unexpected expenses R1R43R55R66.
How is customer service for KAYAK and Booking.com?
Customer service for both apps is widely criticized, with users reporting difficulty reaching human support, vague responses, being ghosted, and significant challenges in resolving issues like cancellations, refunds, or booking discrepancies R7R19R46R64.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] KAYAK 2/5 · US Marketed price not accurate: Price aggregators without real prices offer no value
  2. [R4] KAYAK 1/5 · US Kayak can’t filter basic fares: App is pointless if it is always showing basic fare tickets. Why did Kayak remove the option to filter out Basic fares? Is this some sort of deal with the airlines to deceive people into thinking flights are cheaper than they are?
  3. [R8] KAYAK 5/5 · US The best: They are the best with the prices and everything
  4. [R10] KAYAK 1/5 · US Booking: Expensive and horrible just book through the hotel
  5. [R2] KAYAK 5/5 · US Fun trips that make a difference in our world.: I love using kayak for checking and booking flights! So easy to use w lots of options
  6. [R3] KAYAK 3/5 · US Worse than the website different results: Missing features and doing the same search on the website gives better results
  7. [R6] KAYAK 3/5 · US It take a long time to find a station: It take a long time to locate a shop or agent that is near me
  8. [R11] KAYAK 5/5 · US Exelente: De mucha ayuda para comprar y seguir vuelos
  9. [R9] KAYAK 3/5 · US Iinks not working: Some links do not work when one goes to purchase the tickets. It happens very often.
  10. [R18] KAYAK 3/5 · US It’s not like it used to be: Bought flight tickets and didn’t get any confirmation number or anything. I am not sure if they will charge me or anything. They don’t have any phone number to call or support email.
  11. [R24] KAYAK 3/5 · US Flight confirmation unclear: I’ve booked a flight but cannot find confirmation receipt. My bank account shows the charge as pending but I’m not sure how to know if I’ve truly purchased the flight. I would love to be able to talk to someone!
  12. [R25] KAYAK 1/5 · US Annoying: I’ve experienced multiple instances where my flight reservation was canceled after booking due to a reported fare change. This has been frustrating and has made the booking process feel unreliable. If the advertised fare is not actually available, it should not be displayed as the booking price.
  13. [R7] KAYAK 1/5 · US Refund: They’ve took 36 dollars out my account. No one is answering the phone. How am I supposed to speak with someone when there’s an issue. It told me free cancellation but still put a hold on my money. Terrible service!
  14. [R19] KAYAK 2/5 · US Trips: I am having an issue with forwarding trips and the customer support is ghosting me. Terrible service. I have been using the app since it’s beginning and I’m very disappointed.
  15. [R46] KAYAK 1/5 · US Can’t cancel or handle negotiations: Tried to cancel, was unable to negotiate with anyone. Hotel said the broker needed to handle, broker said hotel was unreachable. I called the front desk and they said they couldn’t be called. Agent said they tried multiple times but couldn’t get through. Book directly or else you will be totally screwed if anything comes up. It isn’t worth saving a couple bucks
  16. [R21] KAYAK 3/5 · US They need to remove hotels tonight from their listings because that app lies: Title says why 3 stars
  17. [R34] KAYAK 1/5 · US Kayak has become USELESS: I am a pro user of this app and can no longer use it because it hides hotel, mixes in rentals, and doesn’t give me at all a picture of what’s available. When you check “no rentals” it still crams your feed with disgusting Airbnbs. KAYAK SUCKS.
  18. [R49] KAYAK 1/5 · US RENDALE: Rendale! A real scam! I booked a room and made a point of asking the receptionist before booking whether it was clean. He gave me a room with four bunk beds, a dirty floor, and a bathroom in the same condition. I went back to tell him this was not serious and that I was going to cancel. I hope they refund my deposit and that Kayak reimburses me. And the receptionist was really rude. In t
  19. [R54] KAYAK 5/5 · US Kayak trip planning: I haven’t actually booked yet bc I have a reservation somewhere else atm but as I’m looking at the prices and it has me ready to cancel but nervous bc I’ve never used kayak and wanna make sure everything is included and call the hotel make sure they accept kayak prices and reservations. But if they do these are the best prices I’ve found and I been looking for a little over a
  20. [R36] KAYAK 3/5 · GB Avoid: Avoid at all costs just book through the flight provider and use this to find cheap deals. Do not book with them it’s not worth the hassle
  21. [R61] Booking.com 1/5 · US Book direct: I used Booking for years, but their customer service failed me, so I've dropped them. I have also found that booking direct with hotels gets you better service and equal or better rates. Plus, booking direct saves hotels money. Why give Booking a slice of the pie?
  22. [R110] Booking.com 1/5 · US Not with it book direct: When looking for a place to stay in Las Vegas I shopped booking. The rate seemed fair so I took the risk of not booking direct and go with booking. Upon arrival to the hotel I realized I made a bad choice when the hotel charged me 150 for cleaning. During my 2 night stay not once did palms place give us fresh towels or clean our room. I would never recommend booking or pal
  23. [R43] KAYAK 2/5 · US Price is incorrect: Tried to rent a car. The Kayak app shows incorrect price. After choosing a car, it gets you to the rental company website and the actual prices are higher. Disappointed.
  24. [R55] KAYAK 1/5 · US Terrible app: Terrible app. Cant look at a flight without them jacking up the prices.
  25. [R66] Booking.com 3/5 · US Convenient if you avoid the sinister scammy parts: If you book a vehicle, it includes “insurance.” This is Booking.com’s “service” and it entirely independent from the rental company. This “insurance” is not usually honored and requires a police report. you are essentially wasting your money and will need to buy insurance again with the actual company. Additionally, the prices they show do not inc
  26. [R64] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible customer service: I was trying to cancel a reservation, few minutes after I make that reservation, but the customer service representative keeps giving vague responses. I've made more than four calls, yet the cancellation hasn't been successful.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store