A Complete Guide to the Development of an Airbnb like Application

Do you wish to create a high-potential app like Airbnb for the travel market? Travelling is something that everyone these days is getting back into. From the pandemic years to today, there has been a rise in the trends of travel and hospitality.

While Airbnb is an established app in the travelling sector, companies can also setup App development like Airbnb, which can help create a worthy competitor and disruptor for the sector.

There is a lot that goes into an app like Airbnb. However, like features and settings that should be included in the framework of the app. The costs and improvements that should be made to the app framework are also different from other apps.

What is the Airbnb App-Building Process?

In this article, you will come to know about Airbnb-like app features and the tech stack that is used to develop such an app. Airbnb has many features that you should be looking at. The travel and hospitality sector has increased in revenue, and one good way of tapping into this channel is to create an app that looks and works like Airbnb. When creating an app like Airbnb, make sure you include elements that are original. The idea is to make an app that works like Airbnb but is different and unique.

What to Know About Airbnb?

Before you go into building an app with Airbnb-like app features, make sure you know the most important facts about Airbnb. The Airbnb app was created in 2008, and it is used by 15 million people around the world.

There are 650,000 hosts available worldwide on the Airbnb platform. With the help of the Airbnb platform, you can book a trip and choose to live with different hosts in foreign countries. Airbnb is so popular that six guests check into one or the other Airbnb property around the world every second.

To build an app like Airbnb, you need to invest in a business model that is viable in the travel sector. Let us find out about the Airbnb business model.

How to Create a Business Model Viable for an Airbnb-Like App?

1. Peer-To-Peer Network

In the peer-to-peer network, the app works on the basis of a mediator between property owners and travellers. The app does not own the properties, but it owns and runs the network of properties that connect via the platform.

It allows travellers to browse through different properties and book the ones that they find suitable. Travellers book and pay for rent once they have booked. In this business model, you can charge a commission from the sellers and the buyers.

2. Advertising

Such travel and hospitality apps can also be used for advertising because they include banners and ads for different hotels in the region, and you can choose one by clicking on the ad.
When the person clicks on the ad and is directed to the hotel website for a booking action, it is an advertising model in action. The money is generated through advertisements.

3. Subscription

The subscription model is also a good model for travel and hospitality apps like Airbnb. When visitors pay for their subscription fees and buy a membership, they can check the hotel’s contact details and offers.

After accessing this information, the travellers can book the hotel they want. The subscription platform is also a good one for comparison. Such travel platforms can be used to book cars or book air tickets, and train tickets. If the travel assistance app has all the necessary tabs in it needed for travel services, it will be very profitable with high footfall.

What are the Desired Features of the Airbnb Platform?

1. Login or sign up

The login or sign-up feature of the Airbnb platform is something that acts as the first entering feature. Every app which works on membership and registrations should be working with a login or sign-up form. The travel and hospitality app collects the information given by the user to fill in for booking rooms. Apps can also offer hybrid login options like Facebook login and Google login.

2. Manage Account

The manage account feature is something included in the framework of all registration-based apps in which users form profiles. The manage account feature has the settings and adjustments that need to be done for better app usability and personalization.As people prefer travelling on their own terms, theseadjustments are very important for the app controls.

3. Search

The search button and search filters are features that should be included in different apps where the customer has to search for things. In a travel and hospitality app, the search bar or filters are used to streamline the search for good hotels. The search bar can be used to search for locations, hotels and lodges in a particular region. The filters built into the app should be useful in finding the right kind of hotel and narrowing down the search.

4. Favourites

Suppose you are a frequent traveller, and you go live at a particular hotel in a particular city you can save them in a favourites list with the favourites feature. The favourite feature actually pops up like a button with the listed hotels, and this can show you the hotels you like and can visit again and again.

5. Booking

Every travel and hospitality app that has a log-in also facilitates booking on the platform too. There should be a definitive booking process that ensures you can confirm a hotel booking. The booking window should also show you the details of your booking after confirmation and during the stay period.

This helps you monitor the bookings and your stay. A customer will want such features on the platform to see the changes that come with the booking from start to end.

6. Reviews

There should always be a review section available online on the app because the person who books needs to look at the reviews left by previous users. The reviews help the users decide on a good hotel that is reliable for its services.

There should be an option to upload photos of the hotels and lodges so that customers can review the hotels and book accordingly. This also increases the transparency of the application.

7. Travel API

When creating a travel app for customers, the development company should also think about integrating a Travel API into the application.

A travel API can be used to receive access to specific functions. The API allows the app to retrieve and integrate the functions of the travel app into other applications.

What is the Cost of Developing a Travel App like Airbnb?

The Cost of developing an app like Airbnb depends on many factors that one should consider when pitching the idea to initial investors. The Cost of the development project depends on the team that you hire to develop the app and the number of professionals working on the project. The professionals need to be paid, and depending on the payment for each, the cost increases.

The Cost of development also depends on the platform and devices for which the application is being developed. The app has to be modified according to the platforms and devices it is supposed to run on. For example, cross-platform app development can take more time than the development of a native app for a single operating system.

Technical Complexity

The apps that you develop can vary in complexity. If the travel and booking app is highly complex in nature, then the costs of development will exponentially increase.

The expertise, tools and manpower invested in the development project will also increase to a great extent. The final cost of development, therefore, depends on the features you want to include and the complexity of these features.

For example, the implementation of monetization strategies for Airbnb-like apps can include a plethora of features that are difficult to implement. Moreover, if the design of the travel booking app is custom-built, then it takes more money and resources. Therefore, all these factors are considered when estimating the final Cost of app development.

What is the Technical Stack Used for the Development of an Airbnb Type of App?

Programming languages like HTML5, CSS etc., as well as Ruby on Rails, Angular, React.js and Django, Node.js, and Meteor.js, are used as tech stack for Airbnb-like apps.

An Airbnb-like app is a good one to invest in, as there is a lot of demand for such apps today. However, make sure that the development team does not entirely copy the concept of Airbnb. The new app should be a mixture of the new and old, with additional features that help it to stand out.