How to Develop an App Like Airbnb

The number of Airbnb hosts are increasing, which is evident that the gig economy is flourishing. Building an app similar to Airbnb might be the beginning of a fantastic business, as more and more people choose to make money by renting out their houses to tourists.

They provide greater comfort, privacy, and value than hotels, vacation rental homes and residences are becoming more and more popular among people traveling through the globe. Holiday rentals are quickly taking the leads in terms of accommodations for leisure travel, and being more pet-friendly.

What is Airbnb ?

Airbnb is a travel company that offers a worldwide network for renting out flats. This programme provides fantastic marketplaces for landowners and those looking for short-term rentals or lodging. Therefore, when you create an app like Airbnb, you give your customers access to an online platform that connects those looking to rent out their vacation homes with those in need of lodging.

The idea of Airbnb is so exciting that it has completely transformed the way people search for apartments because they can get such great deals there. For example, visitors who fly internationally and book a private room with a local family have a cozy, homely vibe similar to that of Airbnb. A taste of cultural immersion is given to them. They can get a real sense of the neighborhood and that location. 

People can offer or rent residential properties for short- or long-term stays through this peer-to-peer web marketplace. Therefore, Airbnb primarily serves as a broker, assisting individuals in leasing any type of lodging for those wishing to rent it privately. 

Airbnb is used by everyone wishing to rent a home, including apartments, rooms, villas, cottages, and even entire properties.

But users of Airbnb aren’t limited to only renting out rooms; they may also reserve a suite, a houseboat, a yacht, or an entire flat.

The Airbnb app is easy to use for both hosts, who are the owners of the properties, and visitors, who are the ones making the hotel reservations. As a result, keep these things in mind when developing an app similar to Airbnb and pay close attention to each stage of the development process.

Tech Stack for an app like Airbnb ?

To construct the Airbnb app-like framework constructively, one must become acquainted with a few programming languages and frameworks.

To create an Airbnb clone app, you must be familiar with the entire tech stack listed below:

• Frontend Frameworks like Angular.js, Vue.js, and React.js 
• Server Side technologies like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean 
• Backend Frameworks like Django, Node.js, or Ruby 
• Databases management technologies like MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MSSQL and Azure DocumentDB
• Network Caching Services like Redis and Nginx 

A strong technical team is essential to the development of a successful app. Building such a team, though, requires resources and time. 

Steps to build an app like Airbnb ?

1. Set up an Idea – Without a goal and an idea, you can only float aimlessly! Writing down your high-level business plan and having a vision are the first steps in developing an application from scratch for a booking service. As you are aware, there are hundreds of travel and house rental apps available in various niches on the various mobile app stores, but only a select few truly stand out and take center stage in their booking Airbnb business model canvas. As a result, establish meaningful objectives that let you focus on the application’s intended audience.

2. Choose a Platform – It is untrue that a cross-platform product may achieve massive user growth. It is a reality that choosing between Android and iOS from the outset is the safest option when developing a new software similar to Airbnb. Selecting just a single platform initially for the application results in a better device environment. Depending on the UI/UX, users may also create different mobile app platforms after analyzing the market and the response of the target audience to the product.

Android has the most market share among mobile operating systems, with iOS coming in at about 25%, according to Stats.

3. Build UI Design – When we are done with the concepts and basic requirements and the system is finally configured to meet the objectives, we can begin working with experts in app development and design to create our app, which is the UI/UX. This action consists of: Sketches, Wireframes, Prototypes, and much more.

It is important to design the user interface (UI) of an application before coding, you know why ? 

One of the key answers is that it enables us to achieve our visual and graphical goals. Software engineers of the backend development team should easily build codes by following the visual guide’s instructions to make the various visual attributes usable. You can also work with a top-tier UI/UX design firm to create your Airbnb app, which will reduce development expenses and time. 

4. Integrate unique Airbnb features – In recent times, it’s more typical to embark developing an app similar to Airbnb with a basic feature list. For instance, the primary features of the Airbnb app fall into three categories: 

4.1. Host Features – 

• Accommodations – Both hosts and tenants benefit greatly from the ability to market their accommodations. They must describe every piece of data and database, including how to customize the apartment’s style and guest count. You must also permit the posting of pictures and videos and the establishment of a nightly fee.
• Requests – In order to accommodate all requests from travelers, property owners would need to have a display and high screen resolutions. Therefore, there is a choice to approve or deny any appeal.
• Push Notifications – As soon as a traveler requests a stay, the owner will be notified right away. This has to do with hosts who receive unapproved requests, updates on reservations, and host approvals.  

4.2. Guest Features – 

• Registration – In order to begin using software such as Airbnb, the client must register. For this, the user must have an email address and password, which is a straightforward substitute for Airbnb.
• Login – After registering on an app such as Airbnb, the user has to quickly log in using a variety of credentials, including email address, Google account, and social network profiles such as Facebook. 
• Search and Favorites – To construct an app comparable to Airbnb, users and guests must have access to a search engine with criteria such as area, space to arrange their next trip dates, availability, etc., and be able to store favorites as well as wish lists in case they need to plan their vacation in advance.
• Live Chats – During the Stay, the guest can also access this chat feature which allows to upload a photo or video from within the chat interface.
• Booking option – The ability to schedule a queue service is the fundamental component of every concierge service company. People can select the sort of apartment or house they want to stay in and make reservations using the search engine if the lodging alternatives are available on the selected days. 
• Payments – Assist customers in making a simple and straightforward purchase. Like any other financial transaction history, payment gateways must be dependable, secure, and easy to use.

4.3. Admin Features – 

• Admin Panel and Dashboard – The system administrator can manage all outsourcing businesses’ microservices and operations with this function and area. Examine every service request on a single page, complete with the required information about the travel destinations, including name, time, and payment method.  
• Assign Requests Manually – One of the key components that allows the administrator to manually assign service requests from the admin panel, depending on guidelines, to the delivery driver or service provider on behalf of the clients.
• Fare Project Management – With only a few clicks, the organization administrator may better manage scalability by managing service costs.
• Admin Reports – The administrator will have access to the whole report for the company, which includes information on the total number of inquiries, authorized fees, participants, user behavior, drivers, and service provider commission. 

You can work with a top mobile app development company that specializes in on-demand app development to provide such exclusive features.

5. Test and Launch – After the development team completes the development of the travel app, it’s time that we should be moving towards the testing team and communicating with the QA team to ensure that the Airbnb-like solution is operating efficiently. To ensure that users have an excellent experience and viability, any issues discovered must be fixed and retested. After debugging, the mobile application is prepared for user launch. Consider step 6, which is to maintain the app clone in accordance with demands and technical lessons, if you want to remain in the market for a longer period of time.

How much will it cost to develop an app like Airbnb ?

The development of an interactive, dynamic holiday rental app such as Airbnb can be expensive. For most of the travel apps, the cost to create an app initially depends on many factors such as,  

• Team composition and location,
• Platforms for implementation,
• The quantity of experts and developers
• Features of real estate apps and their technological complexity
• Volumes and the tech stack
• Level of customisation for the design
• Options for app architecture and more.

However, if you consider developing an app similar to Airbnb, the development time for software engineers would be around 130 days, and the cost of the app would vary depending on the number of hours worked, the requirements of the project, and the goals (you may ask the project manager about specifics like goals and mechanisms).  

Conclusion

Developing an application similar to Airbnb may be a lucrative and difficult endeavor. Make sure your app has all the features that are necessary for Airbnb to become a successful platform. Airbnb is a favorite among travelers from all over the world. An app with good design and functionality can draw in and keep more users, which boosts growth and income.

If you are still doubting whether the online travel industry will keep on rising or not in the future, tell me who doesn’t like to travel? Everyone loves it, right? Therefore, making an investment in a travel app such as Airbnb would undoubtedly result in a sizable profit for your startup building.