15 Best Airbnb Alternatives in 2025 for Ethical, Eco & Unique Stays

Welcome to the Winging It Travel Podcast, your weekly ticket to the world. Dropping every Monday and hosted by me, James Hammond, proudly part of the Voy Escape Network. This is a travel podcast that throws out the itinerary and dive straight into the raw, real and unpredictable essence of global exploration. Chasing moments over milestones, those spontaneous encounters, immersive sounds and unforgettable stories. Whether I'm lost in a mountain village, catching a midnight bus across borders,

or soaking in the pulse of a new culture, Winging It brings you right into the scene, feeling it, hearing it, and living it. This is a podcast for travellers, dreamers, backpackers, and anyone who's ever thought, what if I just went for it and travelled? If you're looking for stories to tell, tips to share, and experiences to inspire, then you're in the right place. There's so much travel content coming your way, it might just spark that trip you've been dreaming about for years. Let's dive in. Hello, and welcome to this week's episode. I'm going to call this Why Explore?

Airbnb alternatives. And the reason I wanted to do this episode today is because I've been chatting with a people I've met recently who have asked me, where can I book accommodation that isn't Airbnb because of the cost and the availability, but also isn't the standard like hotels.com or booking.com because they are hotels? Like what is the alternative to Airbnb? So it got me thinking. I was like, well, I need to do some research.

and list out some alternatives which I'm doing today on this podcast episode. Airbnb has changed the way we travel and it's not always for the right reasons. It's never perfect. There's rising prices, cleaning fees, inconsistent standards. Overtourism is a big one. Like here in Vancouver and Canada, people were buying properties and renting them out as Airbnbs because they can charge two, three, four times the price of rent.

which then caused the rent to go up locally. So a lot of backlash from locals, even from travelers. mean, the prices are pretty insane, especially in Western countries. It's a bit of a disgrace to be fair. So in today's episode, I'm gonna dive into 15 alternatives to Airbnb. From eco-conscious stays to digital nomad co-living, house swaps and unique boutique escapes. So I'm to cover the full array of different types of budget there as well. So if you're looking to travel smarter, more ethically,

And with more connection, I recommend this episode as your guide. So let's dive in. Now, before I crack on with the list, just quickly, I'm not saying here you should never use Airbnb. But what I am saying is, if you are gonna use Airbnb, try to choose a property that you think is genuinely local, good value, not taking the piss out of you as a traveler and a customer, and just a general vibe of positivity and not taking the piss.

I think personally I've never had a real bad experience with Airbnb, but my bad experience is the prices. They are absolutely disgraceful. And I think when you compare to hotels and hostels, it feels quite negative at the minute because the prices just seem way out of control, especially since COVID. And they haven't really gone back down since COVID or before COVID, right? So it's been a bit of a weird one. So I thought, you know what, let's list out some alternatives. Let's check them out.

Let's start exploring alternatives to not just save money, but to travel with a bit of intention, support local people, cut down on the footprint, and meet some awesome people along the way. I'm actually going to break this down into categories because they are different types of alternatives in different parts of the accommodation categories. First up is eco-conscious and impact-driven platforms. And the first one I've got here is FAIR B &B, F-A-I-R B &B.

or one word. They are ethical alternative that donates 50 % of commission to local community projects, only works with local hosts, no big property managers, ideal for travellers who want their money to make a difference. Next up is social BNB. So this connects travellers with NGOs, social businesses and community organisations. And you stay with or near projects that you are supporting. Think rural schools, eco farms and small local guest houses.

And the last one in this category is EcoBnB. So sustainability certified properties, renewable energy, zero waste practices, organic food. They have transparent eco criteria which help travellers choose green stays and perfect if you're serious about sustainable travel. The next category is house swaps, sharing and trust based travel. So my first one on this list is Kindred. Invite only house swapping network with a community feel.

No money exchanged, you host, then stay with others. And great for remote workers or slow travellers with flexible plans. Next in this category is Trusted House Sitters, a very popular one, which you can stay for free in exchange for pet or home care. Win-win for travellers and homeowners, requires trust and responsibility. I think they have a lot of interviews as well. And best for animal lovers or long-term travellers. And last in this list is Couchsurfing, which I would highly, highly recommend. It's the OG.

sharing platform, free stays with locals in exchange for cultural exchange. Still active but smaller community now, paywall added, but brilliant for solo backpackers and spontaneous travel. Next big category is digital nomad and remote work friendly stays. I thought I'd dip in for a couple here. Nomad House. This is an episode actually on my podcast if you head to episode 153 with Marie DeCosse. They are tailored for co-living and co-working, often shared spaces with community.

Great for making connections while working remotely, flexible stays in cool cities or digital nomad hubs, and slightly restricted in the area of the world. I think they're only North America at the minute, but they are looking to branch out too. And the last one in this category is Blue Ground, which is fully furnished apartments in big cities for mid to long term stays. More premium, so more expensive, but great for digital nomads, expats, or remote workers wanting privacy.

Reliable and hassle free, but more structured than a homestay. The next category here is boutique, design focused and offbeat stays. And the first one is land folk. Curated countryside escapes in Denmark and beyond. Scandinavian design, serene settings, very high, ideal for peaceful getaways. Think minimal cabins, lakeside cottages and forest retreats. Next up is Sordes and Canopy and Stars. They're handpicked gems in Europe and the UK.

tree houses, yurts, quirky bed and breakfasts or B &Bs. Lots of personality and charm, nothing cookie cutter, excellent for travelers wanting character and warmth. And the last one in this list is cool stays. So unique rentals like light houses, castles and boats, UK focused but with expanding global reach, eye catching, Instagrammable and ideal for special occasions and a bit pricey.

And the last on the categories is classic vacation rentals in brackets, non Airbnb. So the first one is home stay. I think I've used this a few times. Another recommendation from me, you stay with locals in their homes, more like Airbnb's early days and do cultural immersion. Affordability is high here. Good for those craving human connection, not just a key code. You're probably going to help out around the house. Could be a bit of cooking, bit of cleaning, although you don't have to. It's probably going to be in a nice serene area.

Well kept, but the main thing here is connection. So think homestays around the world is probably one of the best ways to travel if you want local connection and local investment into local communities is probably the best and number one for me. So homestay, that's the first one here. Next up is Home Away, not the TV show in Australia. Once a major competitor to Airbnb, but now part of Verbo or VRBO. Great for family trips or whole home rentals.

offers more consistency and coverage in some regions. And just to note, I do use Verbo occasionally. I do take a look, but I find their coverage not as wide and the price pretty much the same as Airbnb. And the last one on the whole list is called Stays, S-T-A-Y-Z, Australian version of HomeAway and Verbo, reliable option for domestic trips down under. Offers everything from beach houses to mountain cabins. Sounds dreamy. And to finish for me on this list, if you've got a bit of hotels,

which I do book when I travel, and in places where it's very, very popular, I would avoid hotel chains. I'd try and go an independent local hotel, you three star, four star, something like that, but something that's definitely owned by locals. It goes into local community and into the local city rather than to a big corporation. That would be my tactic when booking hotels in popular places of travel or big cities, if you can.

that's a good way to do it as well. So for fairness, there are obviously some cons to each of those categories that I mentioned in the list. So for the eco options, the con may be that it may be less polished or harder to book in certain destinations. And for digital nomad platforms, it could be more expensive, less local feeling if you like. The boutique and curated section could be often limited to Europe or the UK, not budget friendly either.

The swap and trust based ones like Trusted House, it is requires trust, planning, some risk management and quite a lot of time. It's not just going to be turn up, make an application and get accepted. You might have apply for 20, 30 places to get trusted to get your first one, for example, and then you need a nice recommendation from those guys that goes on your profile and they potentially get more and more from there. So it's not easy and it's not quick. Here are some tips for booking safely. So research the platform's vetting system.

Many now verify hosts and properties, which is good. Read reviews thoroughly, just like you would on Airbnb. Understand the cancellation policy, especially for eco or smaller platforms. Use travel insurance, that's a big one, especially for swaps, house sits, or couch surfing. And be realistic. If it's free or super cheap, it likely comes with trade-offs. If it sounds too good to be true, it normally is. So to wrap up this episode.

What I'd like to try actually, I think I'm going to look into Kindred for its community vibe and how swapping potential. I like the sound of FairBnB or SocialBnB for more meaningful travel, also EcoBnB. I need to start getting involved in that. Trusted house sitters we tried before and failed, so we may give that another go, but it is high on my list. And if you had success or disasters with Airbnb alternatives, let me know. Maybe we can add them in at later date.

But can reach out to me on Instagram, Winging It Travel Podcast, or leave a review and share your favorite alternative platform. If you found this helpful, consider sharing the episode or buy me a coffee to support the pod. And let me finish with a story actually for some accommodation. We were hiking the Langtang Valley. You might have heard that episode on Winging It. If not, what happened was on the first day, we got to pretty much the first point on the trek called Hotel Pairo. And Emma was not feeling very well. And she's like, ah, I just need to...

chill for a few hours, have lunch and see how I feel. Then it got to the point where actually we need to stay the night because Emma is not sure she can carry on but wants to give it a chance the next day. And let me describe this place. Then I'll come to the people. This place is pretty earthy. And what I mean by earthy is this is a place on the Langtang Valley Trek that no one really stays at. It's too quick into the trek and on the way down you're almost close to Sai Bribesi to the major hotels. So you just crack on anyway.

So this place is very basic wooden huts, basic beds, not the best mattress, not the best ventilation, a real proper drop-down toilet, and it's just proper earthy. Like, if you are needing some comfort, some cleanliness, and a proper working toilet and a shower, this is not the place for you. For us, we don't mind. We're to that sort of accommodation in Asia.

This was fine. But the people who own it, and I don't know their names, could not have been nicer to us. They cooked Emma the most amazing soup, added a few bits in there to make her feel better. They gave us the most amazing bananas, checked in on us every hour or two for tea or coffee, no extra charge for the wifi, which is unbelievable, even though I didn't feel comfortable accepting it. And we had dinner around their campfire in the evening, sang some songs.

exchange stories and there's even a blackout. think the electricity went a little bit. So all these things were happening. But honestly, I can remember the guy's face. And when I came back down on the trek, because Emma went back to Kathmandu and I carried on. So like a week later, I came back down, he gave me a hug, shook my hand and asked how Emma was doing and almost made me cry. Like what a guy. And interestingly, when I came back down, the young guy who works there, maybe his son or his nephew was ill. So I went into my first A pack, gave him some

Ibuprofen paracetamol, some fever tablets, and is really appreciative of that. like, mate, you helped us out so much on the first night. No need to say thanks because this is just us returning the favor. Honestly, the nicest people, the Nepalese are up there for some of the nicest people I've ever met. And hospitality is incredible. And you may perceive they don't have much, but they have humility, they have kindness, and they have a willing to help people in an hour of need. So that was a nice story as I

Now edit my Langtang Valley immersive episode. Nice to recall, great memories, great soup, and honestly, the best taste of bananas I've ever had. Unbelievable. And until next time, happy conscious travels. Cheers. Thanks for tuning in to the podcast episode today. If you've been inspired by today's chat and want to book some travel, if you head to the show notes, you'll see some affiliate links below, which helps support this podcast. You'll find Skyscanner to book your flight.

You'll find booking.com to book that accommodation. Want to stay in a super cool hostel? You'll see Hostel World down there too. You'll find Revolut to get your travel card sorted. Click the Giggs Sky link to get your eSIM ready for your trip. And more importantly, you'll find Safety Wing Insurance to get that travel insurance for your trip. There are many more to check out. So when you click that link and book your product, a small commission goes towards me and the Wigginit Travel Podcast. Thank you in advance and enjoy your travels.