GastgeberDirekt · Problem aware
Airbnb commission
15.5% of every booking: what the Airbnb commission really costs.
Since the switch to the single host-only fee, Airbnb keeps 15.5% of every booking from hosts using a channel managerSoftware that manages calendars, prices and bookings for all platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo …) in one place – e.g. Hostaway, Smoobu, Guesty, Lodgify or Beds24. The website is simply connected as one more channel. – from October 2026 also in the EEA and Switzerland. Booking.com usually charges 15% or more.
15 minutes · free, no obligation · reply usually the same day
An example
- €120,000 revenue via Airbnb
- €18,600 commission per year
- 30% of it booked direct
- around €5,000 saved – after payment fees
- Over 5 years
- around €25,000, without a single extra guest
Which bookings you can win back
- Regulars who come back every year – and book through the platform again
- Referrals from friends and family of past guests
- Guests who google your property's name after seeing it on Airbnb
- Guests who want to save the platform's service fee
What it takes
Your own booking site that is as easy and trustworthy as the platform: live calendar, final price from the first click, secure payment and real reviews. Plus your own CRMGuest management: a list of all guests with contact details, stays and characteristics (e.g. kids, dog). The basis for newsletters, returning-guest discounts and personal offers., so every guest becomes a contact – platform guests too, once they leave their email in the guest Wi-Fi or at check-in.
What is allowed – and what isn't
Guests who come via a platform must not be actively lured away from the platform for their current booking; that breaks its rules. It is allowed and common to contact past guests with their consent (e.g. newsletter sign-up) and to make your own site visible wherever guests search anyway. Each platform's rules apply – if in doubt, get legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can my own site be cheaper than Airbnb or Booking.com?
In the EU, wide best price clausesA contract clause under which your own website was not allowed to be cheaper than the platform. No longer permitted for Booking.com in the EU – direct-booking perks are possible. are no longer allowed for Booking.com. A direct-booking advantage is therefore common – details depend on your contract with each platform. It is optional: the same price with a different perk works too.
How quickly does my own site pay off?
That depends on revenue and direct share. The calculator on the homepage shows it with your numbers; in the website check we work it out together.
Is Airbnb still important?
Yes. For new guests the platform remains the most important shop window. The point is not to pay commission again for every returning guest.
Free website check
How much commission can you win back?
In the free website check we calculate it with your numbers – honestly, even if the answer is “not yet”.
What you take away from the website check – even if you never buy:
- Your personal savings calculation: what platform commission costs you today
- 3 concrete improvements for your current website and listings
- An honest assessment of whether your own booking site pays off for you
Because every setup is individual, we only take on a few new hosts per month.
replies personally, usually the same day
PS: If you've read this far, you probably know the feeling: every platform booking costs commission, the guests don't really “belong” to you – and somehow it should work better. That's exactly where I stood a few years ago. 15 minutes are enough for a first conversation. The solution is often closer than you think – and if your own booking site isn't right for you (yet), I'll tell you – honestly.
Julian