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

Booking.com vs Vrbo Vacation Rentals

Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 70
Winner Booking.com
Vrbo Vacation Rentals 4.8★ · Free to download 60

Booking.com is generally better for a wider range of accommodation types and overall ease of use, despite some customer service and booking issues, while Vrbo is better for vacation rentals but suffers from app glitches and hidden fees.

Full reviews: Booking.com · Vrbo Vacation Rentals

Booking.com offers a broader selection of accommodations and is praised for its ease of use and customer service by many, though some users report issues with cancellations and hidden fees. Vrbo specializes in vacation rentals, with users appreciating the unique experiences, but frequently cite problems with app functionality, misleading pricing, and poor customer support.

Head to head

Features & Selection edge: Booking.comR2R3R15R16
Booking.com Booking.com is praised for its wide selection of accommodations, including hotels, flights, and car rentals, and offers useful features like free cancellation and options for family travel R2R16. However, some users report issues with car rental insurance being unreliable and flight changes without notification R3R15.
Vrbo Vacation Rentals Vrbo is favored for its unique vacation rental options and detailed listings, making it a go-to for family travel . Users appreciate the ability to find private and spacious homes . However, some find the app's search and filter functions lacking and wish for better list management .
Ease of Use edge: Booking.comR9R11R12R28
Booking.com Many users find Booking.com easy to use for finding deals and making reservations R11R28. The app is generally considered friendly and functional R28. However, some report login errors, difficulty with specific features like saving properties, and issues with customer support access within the app R9R12.
Vrbo Vacation Rentals Vrbo is often described as easy for booking and navigating, with users appreciating the straightforward options . Yet, a significant number of reviews mention the app being 'busy,' freezing, or having glitches that prevent booking or loading . Users also struggle with opening links in the app and managing reservations .
Reliability & Trustworthiness tieR1R7R13R16
Booking.com Booking.com is seen as reliable by many long-term users, who trust it for finding suitable stays and resolving issues R16R22. However, there are numerous serious complaints about confirmed bookings being cancelled by Booking.com or the property, double bookings, and fraudulent listings R1. Some users also report issues with hotel quality not matching ratings R7R13.
Vrbo Vacation Rentals Vrbo users generally have positive experiences with their booked properties, finding them clean and as described . However, several reviews highlight significant reliability issues, including last-minute cancellations by hosts, properties not matching descriptions, and amenities being unavailable R70R88R106. There are also concerns about inaccurate reviews being posted .
Price & Value tieR3R10R11R29
Booking.com Booking.com is often praised for offering great deals and competitive prices R11. However, many users complain about hidden fees, taxes, and unexpected foreign transaction charges not being clearly displayed R3R29R31R33. There are also reports of unfair cancellation fees R10.
Vrbo Vacation Rentals Vrbo is criticized by many users for unethical and misleading pricing, with hidden fees, taxes, and damage deposits not included in the initial price . Some find the trip insurance too expensive . Despite this, some users still find good value for their stays .
Customer Support tieR1R8R15R22
Booking.com Some Booking.com users report excellent customer service, with issues being resolved quickly and without hassle R8R22. However, a significant number of reviews describe customer service as terrible, rude, unhelpful, or non-existent, especially for complex issues like cancellations, refunds, or fraudulent listings R1R15R27.
Vrbo Vacation Rentals Vrbo's customer service receives mixed reviews; some users find them very helpful when needed, especially in cases of last-minute cancellations . However, many others report difficulty contacting support, useless virtual chats, and a lack of help with host-related issues or problems with properties .
Pick Booking.com if

You need a wide variety of accommodation types, including hotels, flights, and car rentals, and value an app that is generally easy to navigate for booking R2R11.

Pick Vrbo Vacation Rentals if

You are specifically looking for vacation rentals, appreciate unique home experiences, and are willing to navigate potential app glitches and hidden fees for a broader selection of private accommodations .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews regarding customer service and issues with bookings (cancellations, hidden fees), which is common for free-to-download travel platforms. The lifetime ratings are very close, suggesting that while frustrations exist, many users still find value in both services.

Frequently asked

Does Booking.com have hidden fees?
Yes, some Booking.com users report encountering hidden fees, taxes, and unexpected foreign transaction charges that are not clearly displayed in the initial price R3R29R31R33.
Is Vrbo reliable for bookings?
Vrbo's reliability is mixed; while many users have positive experiences with their stays, there are frequent reports of last-minute cancellations by hosts, properties not matching descriptions, and issues with amenities upon arrival R70R88R106R115.
Which app has better customer service?
Customer service for both apps receives mixed reviews; some Booking.com users praise their support, but many others describe it as terrible and unhelpful R8R22R27R49, while Vrbo also has users who find support helpful, but many struggle to contact them or resolve issues .

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. [R2] Booking.com 5/5 · US Booking App: I’ve been using that for many years, it’s a great app for choice my stances in different cities around the world! I recommend to every travels !
  2. [R3] 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
  3. [R15] Booking.com 1/5 · US Do not use for car service: Booking collaborates with unreliable car services like Talixo and allows them to steal money from customers. I booked an airport transfer that was never assigned a driver and was forced to rebook with Uber instead. The transfer was long distance and cost $200, so we are not talking about a cheap trip. I have contacted Talixo twice about a refund with no response and boo
  4. [R16] Booking.com 5/5 · US Great Opportunities: I don’t have to overthink anything about my stays. When I travel with my family. I need reassurance that they will never be left out in the cold or sleeping in a sketchy motel. Booking Dot Yeah!! It’s what sums up my piece of mind when it comes to reliability and comfort.
  5. [R9] Booking.com 3/5 · GB Can’t log in: Nice app. Unfortunately I can’t log in due to an error on bookings end. Thankfully, I could retrieve my booking very easily
  6. [R11] Booking.com 5/5 · US Easy bookings: Always easy to use and always find great deals on hotel stays
  7. [R12] Booking.com 3/5 · GB Love the app but it could be improved for superusers…: PLEASE change the save function from immediately making a new list named after that area, to the user being able to select an existing list or make a new one. AIRBNB have this. When looking for properties across a region, for example Maldives, having a new list created per area (e.g., island) is incredibly irritating!
  8. [R28] Booking.com 5/5 · US Excepcional: Aplicación muy amigable, funcional, excelente para encontrar y reservar. Muy recomendable
  9. [R1] Booking.com 1/5 · US They spam and you lie about reservations: I had a reservation that was confirmed and when I called the hotel they denied that they have ever confirmed the date change to booking. Booking kept telling me it’s a system delay and I am all good. Issue # 2 - we had 2 rooms booked about month before and booking decided they will cancel one of the rooms. Hotel told me that they received email from bookin
  10. [R7] Booking.com 1/5 · US My stay: The motel was very stink , spider in need , roaches , and dirty towels .
  11. [R13] Booking.com 1/5 · US No es recomendado: Un desastre de alojamiento, sin aire acondicionado y sucio
  12. [R10] Booking.com 1/5 · US Cancellation charges: I cancelled a single booking with two rooms and now are being charged a double cancellation fee. Not fair. I inquired with customer service and they put the decision in the property owner's hands. Not a good policy.
  13. [R29] 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
  14. [R8] Booking.com 5/5 · US Excelente app: Me encanta mucho usar booking para mis reservas y el servicio al cliente tambien es muy bueno. Recomendado
  15. [R22] Booking.com 5/5 · US Happy Member: I have been using booking for years honestly I should be in one of the commercials lol. But any problems I have they always solved it right away no hassle no hesitation the only app I use to book my rooms in my own hometown or out of state I will forever be a customer
  16. [R31] Booking.com 1/5 · US Got charged Foran transaction fees for the prices shown in the US dollars?: I recently made multiple bookings for hotels and day trips using Booking.com all the prices were shown in the US dollars. With no warning or indication that my credit card will be charged in a Foreign currency now I have close $200 in foreign transaction fees. I have other credit cards that do not charge for transaction fe
  17. [R33] Booking.com 1/5 · US Misleading! Be aware!: Shows the prices on the app in us dollars but charge you in euros. Customer service is non existent .
  18. [R70] Vrbo Vacation Rentals 1/5 · US Never Again: Every time we have used VRBO we have had issues. No parking, unexpected shared location with other families, hosts that never respond to us or even to VRBO staff. Amenities (I.E.: laundry/pool/etc.), shown available on the booking but MIA upon arrival. We will stick with AirBnB or hotels from now on, as we’ve never had an issue with either of those.
  19. [R88] Vrbo Vacation Rentals 1/5 · US Just bad experience all around: My first time attempting to rent a place appeared to go smoothly. Everything goes through and then 30 days before we’re supposed to come out the owner asks me to cancel the reservation because they sold the house. Why are you posting and renting a house that you’re actively trying to sell?? The second place I found was a bit higher but it was 4th of July weekend so
  20. [R106] Vrbo Vacation Rentals 1/5 · US DONT DO IT: Literally ruined our vacation that we spent over a year saving up for. We got called THE MORNING OF by our host saying that they had to cancel. Called Vrbo and they said “yeah we will give your money back in 3-5 business days” and when I explained that we don’t have to money to book a whole new place for all of us they offered ONE free night in a hotel (they offered literally the cheap
  21. [R115] Vrbo Vacation Rentals 1/5 · US Rebooked and left on the street: Unfortunately, I had a miserable experience with VRBO in October 2025. I had friends visiting and we were all left with no accommodation. The owner never responded. It was the worst experience and will never book with VRBO again.
  22. [R27] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible rude customer service: I’ve been using booking for all my travel for several years and the representatives I spoke with today were some of the rudest, could not care less to accommodate or help at all. If I missed my flight and had to stay with my kids at an airport for several days, they would not have seemed to care at all to go one bit out of their way to attempt to not make that happe
  23. [R49] Booking.com 1/5 · US No customer service: Worst customer service ever

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