Vegvisits vs Airbnb for vegan travellers
Vegvisits and Airbnb are both marketplaces where you book a stay in someone's home and pay through the platform. The difference is who the hosts are. Vegvisits requires hosts, and everyone living in the home, to be vegan or vegetarian; each listing is labelled with its kitchen type, and you can filter search by it. Airbnb is a general marketplace with far more listings and countries. If a plant-based home matters most, Vegvisits is built for that; if choice and coverage matter most, Airbnb is.
Is Vegvisits or Airbnb better for vegan travellers?
It depends on the stay. Vegvisits suits travellers who want the home itself to be vegan or vegetarian: a kitchen kept free of meat, a host who has signed up to the diet, and someone local to ask about plant-based food. Airbnb suits travellers who need a wide choice of places, dates and prices, want to book without waiting for a host to accept, or are travelling with people who would rather not keep the home meat-free.
Vegvisits currently lists 941 stays, with hosts in 81 countries.
Airbnb states it has more than nine million active listings in over 220 countries and regions.
How do Vegvisits and Airbnb compare?
| Feature | Vegvisits | Airbnb |
|---|---|---|
| Type of stays | Entire homes, private rooms and shared spaces; hosts may also list retreats and B&Bs | Homes and rooms, plus experiences, services and boutique hotels |
| Who the hosts are | Vegan or vegetarian hosts (a hosting requirement) | Hosts held to Airbnb's ground rules for hosts |
| How diet is described | Each listing has a Vegan or Vegetarian kitchen; search can filter by kitchen type | Listings are described by amenities, including kitchen and dining, and house rules |
| Rules for guests | Guests need not be vegan but must keep the home meat-free, and free of animal food products in a vegan home | Set by each host in their house rules, which guests follow |
| Booking model | Request to book: the host accepts, then you pay | Instant Book or reservation request, depending on the listing |
| Payment | Paid online through Vegvisits and held until check-out | Paid through Airbnb; outside India, a request is charged only once accepted |
| Service fee | A service fee applies and is shown in the price breakdown before you book | Charged when a booking is confirmed; most hosts pay a single fee from their payout |
| Cancellation | The host chooses Flexible, Moderate or Strict | The host chooses Flexible, Moderate, Limited or Firm; stricter policies by invitation |
What does "vegan" or "vegetarian" mean on a Vegvisits listing?
When hosts list a space they choose a kitchen type. In a vegan listing no animal food products are allowed in the home; in a vegetarian listing no meat or seafood is allowed. Vegvisits requires hosts, and everyone living in the home, to keep to the listing's diet, with pet food the only exception.
Vegvisits relies on what members can see and ask: host profiles, guest reviews, optional ID verification, and messages with the host before you book. The FAQ states that Vegvisits can close the account of anyone found to misrepresent themselves. If it matters whether a kitchen has ever been used for meat, ask the host before booking.
How do booking, payment and cancellation work?
On Vegvisits you can message a host with the Contact Host button, then send a booking request. Once the host accepts, you pay through checkout. Vegvisits holds the payment until check-out and then pays the host. Each host picks one of three cancellation policies, Flexible, Moderate or Strict, shown on the listing. If the host cancels, you are refunded in full, fees included.
On Airbnb, Instant Book listings are confirmed straight away, and other listings need the host to accept a request first; hosts typically respond within 24 hours.
If you are comparing specialist sites rather than general ones, see Vegvisits vs other vegan accommodation sites.
Sources
- Airbnb states it has 9M+ active listings worldwide and listings in 220+ countries and regions https://news.airbnb.com/about-us/
- Airbnb describes its offering as stays, experiences and services, including homes and rooms, and mentions boutique hotels https://news.airbnb.com/about-us/
- On Airbnb, Instant Book listings can be booked without host approval; other listings need a reservation request the host must accept https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/85
- Airbnb hosts typically respond to requests within 24 hours; outside India, guests are charged for a request only if the host accepts https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/85
- Airbnb charges a service fee when a booking is confirmed; most hosts must use a single fee deducted from their payout https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1857
- Airbnb hosts choose their cancellation policy; standard short-stay policies are Flexible, Moderate, Limited and Firm; stricter policies (Strict, Super strict) are by invitation https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475
- Airbnb hosts set house rules on their listing, using standard rules and additional rules https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/472
- Airbnb's ground rules for home guests include following the host's house rules https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2894
- Airbnb's ground rules for home hosts set standards for listing accuracy, honouring reservations, communication and cleanliness https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2895
- Airbnb hosts add amenities to their listing in categories including Kitchen and dining https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/586
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be vegan to stay with a Vegvisits host?
No. Guests do not need to be vegan or vegetarian, but they must keep the home meat-free, and free of animal food products in a vegan home. Why Vegvisits explains what staying with a host is like.
When is Airbnb the better fit?
When you need a wide choice of dates, places or prices, want to book instantly, or are travelling with people who would rather not keep the home meat-free.
Which site has more places to stay?
Airbnb, by a wide margin; Vegvisits is a specialist marketplace. You can search Vegvisits stays by place and dates.
How do cancellations work on Vegvisits?
Each host chooses one of three policies, Flexible, Moderate or Strict, and the policy is shown on the listing before you book. The cancellation policies page explains each one.
Is my payment protected on Vegvisits?
You pay online through Vegvisits, not to the host directly. Vegvisits holds the payment until check-out before paying the host.
Can I list my home on both Vegvisits and Airbnb?
Yes. The FAQ says hosts may also host on other platforms such as Airbnb, as long as the home keeps its vegan or vegetarian kitchen. See hosting on Vegvisits.