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

Booking.com vs Priceline

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

For overall reliability and customer service when issues arise, Priceline appears to have a slight edge, despite both apps facing similar complaints about booking discrepancies and hidden fees.

Full reviews: Booking.com · Priceline

Both Booking.com and Priceline offer extensive travel booking options and are generally easy to use. However, both also struggle with customer service and booking accuracy, leading to significant frustration for users when problems occur, though Priceline's issues seem slightly less frequent or severe in recent reviews.

Head to head

Features & Selection edge: Booking.comR2R3R12R34
Booking.com Booking.com is praised for its wide selection of accommodations globally, including hotels and homes, and its ability to book flights and extras R2R34. Users appreciate the free cancellation option and the ability to save properties . However, some users find the save function for lists irritating R12.
Priceline Priceline is noted for combining all travel needs in one app, offering hotels, flights, and rental cars R92. Users like the ability to pay over time for reservations and receive price drop alerts R92. However, some express a desire for better car rental upgrade/downgrade options and more detailed hotel information .
Ease of Use tieR11R26R28R30
Booking.com Many users find Booking.com easy to use, navigate, and efficient for finding and booking accommodations R11R28. The app is described as user-friendly and quick R26R30.
Priceline Priceline is also frequently described as simple, easy, quick, and efficient to use, with features like remembering user information . However, some users find it confusing and difficult to use, especially when trying to modify reservations .
Reliability & Accuracy edge: PricelineR1R3R15R19
Booking.com Booking.com faces significant reliability issues, including confirmed reservations being denied or canceled by hotels R1, double bookings R19, and fraudulent listings . Users report issues with car services not being assigned drivers R15 and flight times being changed without notification . There are also complaints about misleading prices that don't include final fees or taxes R3R31R33 and inaccurate hotel ratings R45.
Priceline Priceline also has reliability problems, with users reporting rental cars being unavailable upon arrival , double charges due to app errors , and reservations not being found by hotels . Descriptions are sometimes inaccurate , and 'Express Deals' can be disappointing . Some users also note that prices quoted before tax can be misleading .
Price & Value edge: PricelineR3R11R29R31
Booking.com Booking.com is often praised for offering great deals and being one of the cheapest options R11. However, users frequently complain about hidden fees, taxes, and unexpected foreign transaction fees that make the final price higher than initially displayed R3R29R31R33.
Priceline Priceline users consistently highlight finding great rates and discounts, especially for rental cars and hotels . Some users, particularly VIP or Platinum members, report significant savings . However, others feel prices are not significantly lower than booking directly and are sometimes quoted before tax . There are also complaints about price increases when trying to book .
Customer Support edge: PricelineR8R10R22R25
Booking.com Booking.com's customer service receives overwhelmingly negative reviews, with users describing it as terrible, rude, unhelpful, non-existent, and unresponsive R27R35. Issues include agents putting decisions in property owners' hands R10, difficulty getting cancellation waivers R25, and being hung up on . While some users report positive experiences with problems being solved R8R22, these are less frequent in recent reviews.
Priceline Priceline's customer service also receives significant criticism, with users calling it an 'absolute joke', 'abysmal', 'rude', 'hostile', and 'unhelpful' . Users report being double-charged with no resolution , issues with refunds , and a lack of response during critical situations . However, some users report positive experiences, appreciating the ability to call with questions and receiving good service R92.
Pick Booking.com if

you prioritize a vast selection of global accommodations and generally find the app intuitive for straightforward bookings R2R34R11R28.

Pick Priceline if

you are looking for potentially better deals, especially as a loyal customer or VIP member, and appreciate the option to pay over time for reservations .

Evidence note: Both apps have a high lifetime rating, but recent negative reviews for both highlight significant issues, particularly with customer service and booking reliability. The volume of negative customer service reviews for Booking.com appears slightly higher and more severe compared to Priceline.

Frequently asked

Do Booking.com and Priceline have hidden fees?
Yes, both Booking.com and Priceline have complaints about hidden fees; Booking.com users report unexpected final fees, taxes, and foreign transaction fees not included in initial prices R3R29R31R33, while Priceline users note prices quoted before tax can be misleading .
Which app is better for customer service if something goes wrong?
Based on reviews, Priceline appears to have a slight edge in customer service, with some users reporting positive experiences and the ability to call for assistance R92, whereas Booking.com receives overwhelmingly negative feedback for rude, unhelpful, and unresponsive support R27R35R49.
Can I trust the hotel ratings on these apps?
Users express distrust in hotel ratings on both apps; Booking.com users report paying for trashy hotels marketed with high ratings R45, and Priceline users suggest not trusting app reviews and checking external forums for real deals R97.

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. [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!
  4. [R34] Booking.com 5/5 · US Perfect Travel companion: Booking is a perfect travel partner. Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a home. I can book whole trips, flights, rooms, extras whatever I need. I can also rent hotel rooms but for me having my own space and knowing what’s around makes Booking my travel partner. No issues with the app or the way it works. Never offline.
  5. [R11] Booking.com 5/5 · US Easy bookings: Always easy to use and always find great deals on hotel stays
  6. [R26] Booking.com 5/5 · US Vacation Rescue: Booking.com helps me find all the hotspots when my brain is too booked up to try focus on booking a family vacation
  7. [R28] Booking.com 5/5 · US Excepcional: Aplicación muy amigable, funcional, excelente para encontrar y reservar. Muy recomendable
  8. [R30] Booking.com 5/5 · US Honest and very lovely app: One of my favorite travel, and loyal friend is Booking.Com , its always with me ❤️
  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. [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
  11. [R19] Booking.com 1/5 · US Double booked: Unbelievably double booked. The undoing process was painful. No refund for two weeks. Horrible experience.
  12. [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
  13. [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
  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. [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.
  16. [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
  17. [R25] Booking.com 1/5 · US Waving the cancellation: Booking.Com makes it very difficult to get the approval process to waive the cancellation. I have called multiple times and the agent also called the Hotel as well and they agreed that they will not charge me but for some reason another you need an email but your agent called the property and they agreed so this is a very unhappy experience with Booking.Com and I will not
  18. [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 .
  19. [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
  20. [R35] Booking.com 1/5 · US Horrible customer service: We used booking.com quite often for our son’s wrestling tournaments and never had an issue until now. When booking the hotels, I find them by typing in the location that his tournaments are at so I know the hotels are close. This time, the hotel booked was over an hour away. When searching the name of the location, the exact same hotel pops up, but with the location need
  21. [R49] Booking.com 1/5 · US No customer service: Worst customer service ever
  22. [R92] Priceline 5/5 · US My only way to book for trips.: I love using this app when it comes to booking stay, and flights. I’m a loyal fan of this app because it’s helped me out immensely from spending over my limits and still allowing to stay with budget. But still living up like a queen. Their prices are unbeatable and I love the alerts when prices drop. Their customers reply is also a plus for Q&A.
  23. [R45] Booking.com 1/5 · US Don’t trust them about hotels: Don’t trust them about hotels. Just paid $500+ for an apparently trashy 2 star hotel that was marketed as 8.7/10 on booking.com. Made our stay in Venice a misery. Don’t trust booking.com. Go on Google instead
  24. [R97] Priceline 1/5 · US Don’t trust these App Reviews: I even tried to submit my review of a hotel I stayed in that was zero stars. Mind you 3 out of the 5 hotels I liked. The both hotels I hated are because I didn’t do my DUE DILIGENCE and check reviews from ppl in different forums as to the real deal. Once I checked I am kicking myself. It was all there in people’s words to avoid them. This App no doubt gets monies fro

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