Booking.com or Airbnb: which suits a flat in Georgia?
For a flat in Tbilisi or Batumi, the two platforms cost about the same, but they protect the owner differently. In Georgia, the country, hosts now pay Airbnb a single fee of about 15.5% of each booking, and Booking.com charges a commission set in each property's agreement, typically around 15%, plus a payment fee if Booking.com collects the money. Airbnb checks every guest's identity, offers damage protection and lets hosts review guests; Booking.com confirms bookings instantly and reaches travellers who usually book hotels. Most owners who let by the night end up on both, which needs a way to keep the calendars in step.
This comparison sets out the fees on a sample booking, how and when each platform pays, the protection and control each gives, how to run both without double bookings, and the tax points that follow.
Side by side
| Point | Airbnb | Booking.com |
|---|---|---|
| Host cost | About 15.5% of the booking, deducted from the payout | Commission set in the agreement, often about 15%; payment fee extra when Booking.com collects |
| Who collects from the guest | Airbnb, always | You at the property, or Booking.com through its payments service |
| When you are paid | Released about 1 business day after check-in | After check-out, weekly or monthly; at check-in if you collect |
| Guest checks | Identity verification for every booking guest | Email and card; no identity check found |
| Damage | Damage protection up to USD 3 million; claim within 14 days | Damage request through the platform within 14 days; guest may dispute |
| Liability cover | USD 1 million | USD 1 million, third-party liability only |
| Booking control | Instant Book or requests | Instant confirmation |
| Reviews | Both sides review | Guests only; hosts can report misconduct |
What each platform costs
Airbnb. Airbnb is retiring its old split fee, under which hosts paid about 3% and guests a separate service fee. Under the single host-only fee, most hosts pay 15.5% and guests pay no service fee, and the change cannot be reversed. Industry reports say independent hosts outside the European Union, which includes Georgia, were moved to it by autumn 2026, so guides that quote a 3% host fee are out of date. Airbnb also states that its service fees carry 18% VAT for customers in Georgia.
Booking.com. The commission is a percentage fixed in each property's agreement and shown in the Extranet; Booking.com publishes no rate for Georgia. It is charged on completed stays and also on cleaning fees, on non-refundable bookings, late cancellations and no-shows that are charged. Booking.com invoices at the start of each month for the previous month's stays, and the invoice is paid by direct debit, bank transfer or online; an unpaid invoice can lead to the account being closed. If Booking.com collects from guests through its payments service, the commission comes out of the payout instead, and a payment fee that depends on the property's location is added.
| Case | Platform cost, GEL | Owner receives, GEL |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb, 15.5% host-only fee | 155 | 845 |
| Airbnb, fee plus 18% VAT on it | 183 | 817 |
| Booking.com, guest pays you at the property | 150 | 850 |
| Booking.com, paid through Booking.com | 161 to 181 | 819 to 839 |
The differences are small next to the effect of occupancy and price, so choose on reach, protection and convenience rather than on a percentage point. Check the actual commission in your Booking.com agreement and whether VAT appears on your Airbnb statements.
How and when the money arrives
Airbnb always takes the guest's payment and typically releases the host's earnings about 1 business day after check-in; stays of 28 nights or more are paid in monthly instalments. How fast it then arrives depends on the method: a bank account usually takes 3 to 5 business days, an international wire 3 to 7, PayPal about 1 day and a Payoneer card about 24 hours, where these are offered. The methods available depend on the country of the payout address, and a bank account must be in that same country, so a foreign owner either uses a home address and account or opens an account in Georgia.
Booking.com offers two models. In the first, the guest pays at the property and you collect by card, transfer or cash, which means having a way to take payments in Georgia. In the second, Booking.com collects and pays you after check-out, weekly on Thursdays or monthly by the 15th, or issues a virtual card for each booking that you charge through your own payment provider. Whether Booking.com's payment service is offered for a property in Georgia is shown in the Extranet's finance settings; we found no public list.
Who books on each
No study divides bookings in Georgia between the platforms. The indicators that exist point to both being large. On 20 October 2026, Booking.com's own page listed 3,116 apartments in Tbilisi, 1,805 in Batumi, 537 in Gudauri and 382 in Bakuriani. Airbtics, which tracks Airbnb only, reported 2025 occupancy of 63% in Tbilisi and 54% in Batumi, with 78% and 94% of guests from abroad. AirDNA, counting several platforms together, tracked 12,195 short-stay listings in Tbilisi in June 2026.
One factor is specific to this region. Since April 2022 users in Russia and Belarus cannot make new bookings on Airbnb, and Booking Holdings suspended its services in both countries in March 2022. Visitors from Russia are the largest group arriving in Georgia, so a share of them books through other channels or directly, which is one reason Batumi owners often use local sites and messengers alongside the two platforms.
Protection when something goes wrong
Airbnb requires identity verification from every guest who books, screens reservations for risk, and protects hosts against damage up to USD 3 million and carries USD 1 million of liability insurance for them. A damage claim is opened in its Resolution Center within 14 days of the guest's check-out. Damage protection is not an insurance policy, so check your own flat insurance as well.
Booking.com asks guests for an email address and card details; we found no identity check comparable to Airbnb's. A property can ask for a damage payment through the platform within 14 days of the stay, and the guest can accept or dispute it. Booking.com does not collect security deposits upfront, so a deposit has to be taken by the host under the house rules shown at booking. Its free partner liability insurance for 2026 covers claims by third parties up to USD 1 million per stay, but not damage to your own flat, and its terms do not say whether Georgia is included. If a guest does not arrive, you can mark a no-show from midnight on the arrival date until 48 hours after the planned check-out; commission is charged only if you charge the guest a fee.
Cancellations, booking control and reviews
- Cancellation terms. Airbnb offers fixed policies, including Flexible, Moderate, the Limited policy introduced for bookings from 1 October 2025, and Firm, plus an optional non-refundable rate. On Booking.com you build your own rate plans with free cancellation up to a chosen date or non-refundable prices.
- Accepting guests. Airbnb lets you turn Instant Book off and approve each request within 24 hours. Booking.com confirms bookings instantly; its request-to-book trial covered only a few countries.
- Reviews. On Airbnb both sides review each other, which helps you see a guest's history. On Booking.com only guests review; a host can reply and report misconduct.
Using both without double bookings
The simplest link between the two is calendar sync through iCal links, but it is slow: Airbnb updates imported calendars every 3 hours, and Booking.com's partner community says its sync runs about 3 times a day. Two guests can book the same night in that gap, and the cancellation that follows hurts your ranking on both sites. A channel manager connects to both platforms directly and updates them within minutes. Published 2026 prices for small owners include Beds24 from EUR 15.50 a month plus EUR 0.55 for each channel, Guesty Lite from USD 9 per listing a month and Smoobu from EUR 28 for one unit; others quote on request.
Prices can differ between the platforms. The European Union's ban on Booking.com price parity clauses applies to properties in the EU, not to Georgia, so read the delivery terms in your agreement before setting a lower price elsewhere.
Tax and paperwork
We found no sign that either platform withholds Georgian income tax or reports hosts' income to Georgia's Revenue Service, so the owner declares the income or chooses the fixed tax for short stays; our guide to declaring rental income covers both routes. Three other points matter:
- VAT on platform fees. Under the Tax Code, a Georgian company or registered individual entrepreneur that buys a service from a foreign platform must calculate 18% VAT on it by reverse charge, even below the VAT registration threshold, and pay it by the 15th of the following month. A private individual who is not an entrepreneur is not covered by this rule.
- Owners living in the EU. Under the EU reporting rules for platforms, Airbnb and Booking.com report the income of hosts resident in the EU to their home tax authorities, including income from a flat in Georgia.
- Host type. Both platforms ask whether you host privately or as a business. On Booking.com, listings marked as professional must complete trader verification or may not be shown to guests from the European Economic Area.
Ask an accountant how these apply to your status before the first payout.
Which to choose
- One flat, owner abroad. Start with Airbnb: it collects payment, checks guests and needs no card terminal. Add Booking.com through a channel manager once reviews build up.
- Batumi in summer. Use both; the extra reach fills more of the short season.
- Monthly guests in winter. Airbnb's monthly stays and instalment payouts suit them.
- Managed flat. Follow the manager's set-up, but keep the listings in your own accounts where possible.
- Company or entrepreneur status. Plan for the reverse-charge VAT on both platforms' fees.
Setting up on both platforms step by step
Open the Airbnb listing first
In your own account, with your payout method.
Collect the first reviews
Price the first weeks to fill the calendar.
Register on Booking.com
As a private host or a business, as applies.
Read the Booking.com agreement
Commission, payment model, invoices and delivery terms.
Connect a channel manager
Or at least link the iCal calendars both ways.
Align the rules
Cancellation terms, deposits and house rules on both.
Set up tax
Fixed tax or annual declaration, and VAT if you are an entrepreneur.
Risks and exceptions
- Double bookings. Calendar sync by iCal is hours behind.
- Unpaid commission. An overdue Booking.com invoice can close the account.
- Deposits. Booking.com does not collect them for you.
- Outdated fee data. Old guides still quote a 3% Airbnb host fee.
- Tax status. Entrepreneurs owe reverse-charge VAT on platform fees.
Frequently asked questions
Is Booking.com or Airbnb cheaper for hosts in Georgia?
They are close: about 15.5% on Airbnb and a commission of about 15% on Booking.com, plus payment costs.
What is Booking.com's commission in Georgia?
It is set in each property's agreement; Booking.com publishes no country rate.
Does Airbnb still charge hosts 3%?
No, hosts in Georgia have moved to the single fee of about 15.5%.
When does Airbnb pay hosts?
It releases the money about 1 business day after check-in.
When does Booking.com pay?
After check-out, weekly or monthly, if Booking.com collects; otherwise you collect at the property.
Which platform protects against damage better?
Airbnb, with damage protection up to USD 3 million and guest ID checks.
Can I list the same flat on both?
Yes, with calendar sync or, better, a channel manager.
Do the platforms pay my Georgian tax?
No, the owner declares and pays it.
Sources
- Airbnb service fees and VAT on service fees, Airbnb (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Airbnb host fees, Hostfully, 28 September 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- When you get paid and payout methods and timing, Airbnb (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Setting up payouts, Airbnb (accessed 20 October 2026)
- AirCover for Hosts and identity verification, Airbnb (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Cancellation policies, Instant Book and calendar sync, Airbnb (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Understanding our commission and paying your invoices, Booking.com Partner Hub (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Payments by Booking.com, Booking.com Partner Hub (accessed 20 October 2026)
- How much Booking.com charges hosts, Guesty (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Damage policy, Booking.com (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Partner liability insurance, Booking.com (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Reporting no-shows and guest reviews, Booking.com Partner Hub (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Apartments in Georgia, Booking.com (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Short-term rental market report 2025: Georgia, Airbtics, 22 January 2026 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Tbilisi supply, AirDNA (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Airbnb blocks bookings by users in Russia and Belarus, AIN.UA, 5 April 2022 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Form 8-K, Booking Holdings, 8 March 2022 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Calendar synchronisation frequency, Booking.com Partner Community (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Beds24 pricing, Guesty pricing and Smoobu pricing (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Booking.com and the Digital Markets Act, Kluwer Competition Law Blog, November 2024 (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Tax Code of Georgia (Articles 161, 165-2, 168), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 20 October 2026)
- Host type and trader verification, Booking.com (accessed 20 October 2026)
Change log
- - Comparison published from Airbnb and Booking.com help pages, partner liability insurance terms, Airbtics and AirDNA data, channel manager price lists and the Tax Code.