How to Create a Website Like Airbnb: Key Features, Tech Stack, and Cost Breakdown

Airbnb has set the gold standard for online booking platforms. But behind its familiar interface lies a complex system of listings, payments, search algorithms, and trust mechanisms that few startups manage to replicate successfully.

At Clockwise Software, we’ve spent more than 10 years helping founders and product teams build digital marketplaces, in addition to offering real estate software development services and developing location-based apps. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Airbnb a standout product: how its marketplace model works, what technical foundation supports it, and why it earned users’ trust.

Then we’ll show you how to create a website like Airbnb by applying those lessons. We’ll walk you through the process, architecture, features, and practical steps for building your own version of Airbnb, a marketplace that fits your audience and grows with confidence.

What is Airbnb, how it works, and what makes it special

Airbnb is a peer-to-peer booking platform that connects travelers with hosts offering short-term accommodation. From a product perspective, it’s a two-sided marketplace where two user groups, guests and hosts, interact through shared tools for search, payments, communication, and reviews.

• Guests browse listings, compare prices, check availability, and book stays. Their experience relies on accurate search results, secure payments, and transparent ratings.
• Hosts list properties, manage bookings, and communicate with guests. They need visibility, protection, and intuitive tools to run their business efficiently.

The platform acts as a trusted intermediary that coordinates these interactions, processes transactions, and enforces safety and quality standards.

What made Airbnb unique when it first appeared on the market? Its trust infrastructure.

Verified profiles, secure payment handling, insurance coverage, and transparent reviews build confidence on both sides. These mechanisms transformed what could be a risky exchange between strangers into a reliable, scalable business model.

Next, we’ll look at the key features that define how users interact within an Airbnb-like marketplace.

Airbnb features

Airbnb is more than a booking system. It’s a two-sided marketplace where guests, hosts, and admins interact through a unified digital ecosystem. Each role depends on a distinct set of tools, yet all share the same goal — smooth, trustworthy transactions. Let’s break down the key features an Airbnb-like website needs to support each user role.

Admin features

The admin panel is the platform’s control center. It gives your business full visibility into users, listings, payments, and performance metrics.

Core functionality:

• User and listing management: verify profiles, moderate listings, and block scams before they spread.

• Payments and transactions: track commissions, payouts, and revenue with full transparency.

• Dispute handling and support tools: resolve guest-host issues quickly and fairly.

• Analytics dashboards: monitor traffic, bookings, and conversions in real time.

Advanced capabilities:

• Automated fraud detection using machine learning or rule-based systems.

• Custom reporting for deep financial or behavior insights.

• Integrations with CRM, email marketing, and support tools to boost retention.

In Workerbee, for example, the admin panel included tools for managing escrow payments, verifying users, and maintaining trust through rating systems and automated email notifications via MailJet. And in Whitelance, as the marketplace evolved into a white-label product, we extended the admin panel with features for managing multiple tenant accounts, giving platform owners control over separate client instances, users, and settings.

A solid admin panel keeps your marketplace stable as it scales. It’s the place where trust, money, and operations all meet.

Guest features

Guests expect a quick, transparent booking process with reliable support along the way. Every feature that simplifies discovery and decision-making increases conversion and retention.

Core functionality:

• Map-based search with smart filters and instant results.
• Clear, comprehensive listings with photos, descriptions, pricing, and availability.
• User profiles, booking management, and secure payments.
• Reviews and ratings that help guests make confident choices.

Advanced capabilities:

• AI-driven recommendations that surface the most relevant options.

• Dynamic pricing and smart suggestions for nearby or alternative stays.

• Localized content like city guides, multilingual support, and experience add-ons.

We’ve seen this in action. In Smartskip, users needed a way to quickly find relevant options among many listings, so we implemented advanced search and filtering tools that made navigation fast and intuitive. In WijsSpijs, the goal was to let people book local food tours with minimal effort. We supported this with streamlined listings, favorites, and local payment integrations that enabled bookings in just a few taps.

Think of it like a great travel experience: easy to start, clear all the way through, and worry-free at the end.

Host features

Hosts need tools that help them earn more while managing less. A well-designed host dashboard reduces manual effort and encourages platform loyalty.

Core functionality:

• Listing creation with photo uploads, pricing, and availability calendars.

• Real-time notifications for booking requests and updates.

• Built-in messaging for quick, direct guest communication.

• Transaction and payout history for financial clarity.

Advanced capabilities:

• Analytics dashboards showing revenue and occupancy insights.

• Integrations with property management software (PMS) for automatic syncing.

• AI-powered content tools. For example, one of the marketplaces we built used AI to automate profile completion. This approach works well for helping hosts create polished listings faster and with less manual effort.

Hosts need tools that help them earn more while managing less. A well-designed host dashboard reduces manual effort and encourages platform loyalty. For example, in Lilypad, we have implemented map-based interfaces and real-time communication components that improve how users navigate and interact with content. For a rental or real estate mobile app, such as Stonebay, we developed workflows for managing property details, pricing, and availability.

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Together, these features form the foundation of a scalable marketplace. When designed around user needs and business goals, they transform a simple booking site into a trusted, data-driven ecosystem.

Technical architecture: how Airbnb works under the hood

Behind Airbnb website design and clean interface lies a complex architecture designed to handle millions of listings, real-time search, and secure transactions. Let’s take a look at how Airbnb’s architecture evolved until the team found a foundation that could easily scale. This will help you plan the right setup for your own marketplace before you start to develop a website like Airbnb.

In its early years, Airbnb ran on a single Ruby on Rails monolith that managed every function: user sessions, payments, search, and messaging. This setup made sense for a small team that needed to launch fast and validate the idea.

As the platform grew, performance and scalability needs pushed Airbnb toward a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and later to microservices. Independent services now handle key domains such as bookings, reviews, and payments, communicating through APIs. This approach improves reliability and enables multiple teams to develop features in parallel.

For new products, our marketplace development company usually recommends starting with a modular monolith, a single codebase divided into logical modules. It offers fast iteration and lower maintenance costs in the early stages, while keeping the door open for a gradual move to microservices later. This shift makes sense when:

• The platform expects rapid growth or seasonal traffic spikes.

• Several teams work on separate areas of the platform, like bookings, payments, or messaging.

• The product mixes different tech stacks or complex integrations.

A booking marketplace requires a stack that supports real-time updates, secure payments, and fast search.

• Frontend: React or Vue.js for web, React Native or Flutter for cross-platform mobile apps.

• Backend: Node.js, Python (Django/FastAPI), or Ruby on Rails for APIs and business logic.

• Infrastructure: AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure for hosting and scaling.

• Databases and tools: PostgreSQL or MySQL for structured data, Redis for caching, Elasticsearch for search, Docker and Kubernetes for deployment automation.

Building a website similar to Airbnb calls for collaboration between:

• Backend engineers: handle APIs, payments, and data integrity.

• Frontend developers: create complex UI elements such as maps, calendars, and filters.

• DevOps specialists: ensure reliability, monitoring, and scalability.

• QA engineers and security experts: maintain performance and user trust.

There is no need to clone Airbnb’s setup. What matters is finding a structure that fits where your product is right now and what you’ve got to work with. That way, you can launch fast and grow without hitting roadblocks later.

Website development process step-by-step

Turning your Airbnb-style idea into a real, working product starts with having a solid roadmap. In this section, you’ll see every stage, from discovery to launch and beyond, following the approach we use to build a website like Airbnb. You’ll see what choices to make, what deliverables to prepare, who to involve, and how to keep your scope, timeline, and budget in check so the project stays on track.

App planning and discovery

The discovery phase lays the foundation for everything that follows. The goal here is to help you understand the landscape, find your edge, and define exactly how your platform should function, look, and grow.

Our discovery process helps you move from idea to implementation plan. Together, we define what your app needs to do, how each feature should behave, and what technologies are the best fit. You’ll leave discovery knowing why your app matters, who it’s for, and what your MVP should include.

We also translate business insights into a technical roadmap you will use to create a website like Airbnb. That means outlining architecture, integrations, and priorities so your development team builds the right thing from day one. A well-run discovery saves time, money, and a lot of second-guessing later. What you’ll get at this stage:

• Cost and timeline estimate

• Prioritized feature list and MVP scope

• Technology stack recommendations and integration plan

• Detailed development roadmap

• Risk management plan

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UI/UX design

In a booking marketplace, design has to balance uniqueness with precision. Every screen supports a decision (finding the right place, confirming availability, completing payment), so clarity and speed matter more than decoration.

What makes a booking interface feel effortless? It’s not just how it looks, but how quickly users can move from discovery to decision. We focus on clarity, consistency, and accessibility so both guests and hosts can find what they need in seconds, on any device. Here’s what we hand over once design is done:

• Low- and high-fidelity wireframes

• Clickable prototype you can test with real users

• A reusable design system and style guide your devs can rely on

MVP development

With your concept and design locked in, it’s time to bring your vision to life and create a website like Airbnb. During MVP development, we focus on building the core flows that power the entire guest–host experience: searching, booking, messaging, and payments. Our approach balances speed with structure, so you can test the product in the real world and iterate with confidence

Frontend engineers craft responsive, intuitive interfaces. Backend engineers build the APIs, handle integrations, and secure your data. Meanwhile, DevOps keeps everything scalable and stable..

We work in short, focused sprints so you can see progress in real time and adjust direction as insights appear. This keeps the process flexible, transparent, and results-driven. By the end of this stage, you’ll have:

• A fully functional MVP ready for first users

• Tested integrations for payments, maps, and notifications

• A deployment pipeline prepared for future scaling

Testing and QA

Quality control is integrated into the build cycle. Every critical flow, from booking and payment to messaging and listing management, goes through continuous checks in different environments to catch issues before they reach users. We mix manual and automated testing to keep coverage broad and efficient:

• Functional and regression tests to verify every user path works after each update

• Integration tests to ensure third-party APIs like payments, maps, and authentication behave reliably

• Load and performance tests to confirm the platform stays stable when traffic spikes

Deployment and launch

During this stage of online marketplace development, we focus on the production environment, setting up monitoring, and making sure everything runs reliably in production.

We prepare the full deployment pipeline with CI/CD, configure cloud hosting for scale (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and set up monitoring for performance and error tracking. Special attention goes to testing payment flows, messaging reliability, and availability updates under load.

Once the platform is live, we make sure the environment is stable, core flows work as expected, and the team has the tools needed to support early users and monitor key metrics. User feedback becomes the foundation for next-step improvements. What you’ll have at this point:

• A live web or mobile app ready for real users

• Monitoring and analytics in place for performance tracking

• A short-term support plan for the first release cycle

Maintenance and growth

After the launch, the real test begins: can your platform handle live traffic, changing user needs, and business growth? This stage is where your MVP grows into a reliable, scalable product.

At this point in SDLC, your focus should shift to consistency, quality, and scaling with confidence. It’s time to move from launch mode to long-term growth and product stability. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Stabilize the app through systematic QA and performance optimization

• Refine business metrics such as conversion, retention, and average revenue per user

• Expand functionality based on real user requests and feedback

• Automate delivery with CI/CD pipelines for frequent, reliable releases

For example, after building an MVP marketplace for Workerbee, post-release work was focused on improving the app's functionality. We added more payment options and new roles to support strategic partnerships, and refined other features based on user feedback.

Cost to develop an app like Airbnb in 2026

Building an MVP for an Airbnb-style product typically costs between $80,000 and $12,000, depending on scope and complexity. The final cost estimate for software development depends on what you want to include, how complex the platform is, and the technology choices you make. A few main factors influence cost to build a website like Airbnb:

• Product scope and features. Complex booking logic, payment flows, and integrations increase both effort and price.

• Design approach. A straightforward, minimalist interface takes less time than a fully custom design system.

• Technical approach. Choosing between a modular monolith and microservices, or cross-platform versus native apps, directly affects development speed and cost.

• Integrations. Adding APIs for maps, payments, ID verification, messaging, or analytics introduces extra complexity.

• Team composition and location. Developer rates vary by region and by how specialized your roles are.

An example of cost breakdown for MVP looks like this:

When your MVP starts gaining real users, it’s time to upgrade. Adding features such as AI-driven recommendations, flexible pricing, fraud checks, and multi-currency payments typically brings the total cost to $120K–$250K+, based on scope and scaling goals.

Instead of planning a massive release, define clear milestones. Build the MVP first, validate the model, then expand step by step. This approach helps control costs while ensuring the product grows in the right direction.

Challenges in building an Airbnb-like marketplace

When you build a website like Airbnb, it goes way beyond listings and bookings. You’re juggling tech, business rules, and user trust across several roles at once. Here are the main challenges that come up and some practical ways to tackle them.

The “chicken-and-egg” problem

Every marketplace needs both sides to thrive, supply and demand, but one always shows up first. No listings mean no guests, and no guests mean no hosts.

Solution: Start small and focused. In most cases, it makes sense to begin by attracting hosts first, so guests have something to browse and book when they land on your platform. Choose one city or niche to build momentum faster. Offer early hosts something extra, like reduced fees, better visibility, or referral rewards. On the tech side, simple tools for manual onboarding or bulk listing imports can help you fill your catalog quickly. Once there’s content, it’s much easier to attract and convert guests through marketing or partnerships.

Handling complex integrations

Your marketplace will probably connect to a bunch of third-party tools: payments, maps, identity checks, chat, analytics, and more. These integrations are essential, but they come with real risks: if a payment gateway fails, a guest can’t complete a booking. If map data loads slowly, search becomes frustrating. If verification is delayed, a host might drop off before completing onboarding. Each service introduces a dependency you don’t fully control, and even minor delays or outages on their side can damage trust on yours.

Solution: Go with an API-based setup and add solid error handling. Use tools like RabbitMQ or Kafka to handle heavy events in the background. That keeps your platform running smoothly, even when outside services get a little slow.

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Building trust and safety

People share sensitive info when they book or host, so your platform has to feel rock solid. Even one breach or bad experience can break trust overnight.

Solution: When you create a website like Airbnb, add functionality for user verification, secure payments, and early content moderation early on. Later, you can consider using AI to help detect fraud or abuse before it spreads. Always show users you care about their safety: set clear rules, respond fast, and stay transparent.

Scaling architecture and performance

More users mean more data and heavier traffic. Those spikes during holidays or special events can hit your system hard if it’s not ready.

Solution: Begin with a modular monolith; it’s easier to manage when your team is small. Later, move toward microservices as your platform scales. Use caching, load balancing, and autoscaling to stay stable no matter how many users show up.

Balancing innovation and maintainability

Big ideas are exciting (AI features, smart recommendations, automation), but adding them too early can cause more problems than progress. These features often require complex data, stable infrastructure, and mature user behavior patterns. So, things that most early-stage platforms don’t have yet.

Solution: Get your basics stable before you innovate. Once your bookings, uptime, and retention look steady, then start experimenting with real estate tech trends. This keeps your team on track and your product easy to maintain long term.

Now, you know what you’re building and how to create a website like Airbnb, the next step is finding the right team to make it happen.

Choosing the right development team for your project

The way you structure your collaboration with a software development partner is just as important as the product idea itself. The right cooperation model shapes how efficiently you progress from concept to launch and how effectively you scale over time. At Clockwise Software, we work with several cooperation models that fit different stages of product maturity.

Full-cycle product development

Starting fresh and don’t have an in-house team? Go with full-cycle outsourcing. You’ll have a single team that can create a website like Airbnb from the ground up, from concept to launch, without the handoffs between teams that often slow things down.

You’ll have BAs, PMs, designers, developers, and QA engineers, all under one roof. They move as a unit, so there’s no wasted time or miscommunication.

It’s the best choice when you need one team fully responsible for the product, a team that takes ownership of the entire custom software development process and delivers with accountability.

Dedicated development team

Need extra hands to speed things up? A dedicated team can plug into your existing setup or take full ownership of development if you want to improve an existing product and currently don’t have an in-house team. You set the goals and priorities, and we take care of delivery.

It’s a great fit if you already have a roadmap but need more engineering power to hit your milestones faster. You stay in control of the direction, we bring the skills and consistency to get things done and build a website like Airbnb.

This setup works best for scaling companies or startups with long-term goals. It keeps things moving fast, flexible, and under your full control.

Discovery phase

If you’re still shaping your idea of how to create a website like Airbnb and not quite ready to code, discovery is where you start. We help you test your concept, explore the market, and build a roadmap that actually makes sense.

We’ll look at competitors, define your target users, outline features, and plan the tech side so you know exactly what to expect when development begins.

This phase is great for founders who want clarity before diving in. You’ll come out with a clear plan, realistic costs, and the confidence that you’re building something people actually need.

Conclusion

To create a website like Airbnb you need vision, the right tech choices, and a team that knows how to balance both. With clear strategy, solid design, and consistent improvement, your idea can grow into a product that stands out in any market.

Don’t have a dev team to execute the project? For over a decade, we’ve helped companies build, scale, and refine digital marketplaces that people rely on every day. If you’re planning to do the same, we’re here to help you do it right, from discovery to launch, and far beyond.