TL;DR Summary
Airbnb charges Indian hosts 15–18% commission per booking. On Unpaqd, hosts pay zero commission — keeping 100% of every rupee earned. For guests, this means lower prices, no surprise service fees, and a unique BidYourStay mechanic to negotiate even better deals. If you’re an Indian traveller or homestay host still defaulting to Airbnb, this guide shows exactly what you’re leaving on the table.
The Commission Problem Nobody Talks About
Every time you book a homestay or guesthouse on Airbnb in India, you’re paying more than the host’s asking price. Airbnb adds a guest service fee of 10–14% on top of the listed rate. On the host’s side, Airbnb deducts another 15–18% from each payout. The result: a ₹5,000-per-night homestay in Manali actually costs you ₹5,600–₹5,700 at checkout, while the host walks away with ₹4,100–₹4,250.
This double-sided commission model has become the norm on global OTA platforms. Indian hosts and travellers have largely accepted it as the cost of doing business online. But that’s starting to change.
Unpaqd is India’s zero-commission homestay platform. No cut taken from hosts. No surprise fees added for guests. And a first-of-its-kind BidYourStay mechanic that lets travellers negotiate prices directly with hosts — something no global platform offers.
Here’s a full breakdown of how the two platforms compare, so you can decide which one actually works better for you.
Unpaqd vs Airbnb India: At a Glance
| Feature |
Unpaqd |
Airbnb India |
| Commission to host |
Zero — ₹0 per booking |
15–18% per booking |
| Guest service fee |
None |
10–14% added at checkout |
| Price bidding |
Yes — BidYourStay mechanic |
No |
| India-specific support |
Yes — built for Indian hosts |
Limited; global platform |
| Listing focus |
Verified homestays only |
Mixed: hotels, serviced apts, homes |
| Typical price saving for guests |
10–20% vs Airbnb listings |
Benchmark |
| Host earnings per ₹5,000 booking |
₹5,000 (100%) |
₹4,100–4,250 (after 15–18% cut) |
| Languages supported |
English + Hindi (growing) |
English-primary |
For Guests: Where Do You Actually Save?
1. No Service Fees
Airbnb’s service fee — typically 10–14% of the booking subtotal — is added after you’ve already picked a property and fallen in love with it. By the time you hit “Confirm and Pay,” the total is noticeably higher than the listed nightly rate. On Unpaqd, the price you see is the price you pay. No hidden charges at checkout.
2. BidYourStay: Negotiate Like You’re at a Local Market
Unpaqd’s BidYourStay feature is genuinely unique in India. Instead of accepting a fixed listed price, you can place a bid at a price that works for your budget. Hosts can accept, counter, or decline. It’s a transparent negotiation — the same way you’d haggle at a local market, but built into the platform. Analysis of past bids shows that around 90% of accepted bids fall within 0–20% below the listed price, meaning you have a genuine shot at a better deal without making an unreasonable offer.
3. Verified Homestays Only
Airbnb India’s listings include a growing number of serviced apartments, commercial properties, and hotel-style establishments that use Airbnb as a distribution channel. These might be fine places to stay, but they’re not what most people picture when they search for a homestay. Unpaqd lists only verified homestays — owner-operated, locally rooted properties where you’re actually staying with or near a host.
For Hosts: What Does Zero Commission Actually Mean?
The difference is most visible when you look at the numbers side by side.
| Monthly bookings |
Earnings on Airbnb (after 17% cut) |
Earnings on Unpaqd (zero commission) |
| ₹1,00,000 gross |
₹83,000 |
₹1,00,000 |
| ₹2,00,000 gross |
₹1,66,000 |
₹2,00,000 |
| ₹5,00,000 gross |
₹4,15,000 |
₹5,00,000 |
| Annual (₹10L gross) |
₹8,30,000 |
₹10,00,000 |
A Goa homestay doing ₹10 lakh in annual bookings keeps ₹1.7 lakh more on Unpaqd than on Airbnb. That’s a month’s worth of extra profit, just from switching platforms.
Host-Specific Advantages on Unpaqd
- Zero commission on every booking — keep 100% of your earnings
- India-first platform: support designed for Indian hosts, not adapted from a global product
- Built for homestays: no competing with serviced apartments or commercial hotels on the same listing page
- Direct guest communication enabled through the platform
- List and go live in under 10 minutes
Why Not Just Book Direct with the Host?
A fair question. If commission is the problem, why not simply message the host on WhatsApp and bypass the platform entirely?
The short answer: trust and security. For guests, direct bookings have no payment protection, no cancellation policy framework, and no dispute resolution if something goes wrong. For hosts, taking money offline creates liability and removes the accountability that comes with a verified platform profile.
Unpaqd solves this by removing the commission without removing the infrastructure — you still get verified listings, secure payments, reviews, and platform accountability. You just don’t pay a 15–18% toll to access them.
When Airbnb India Might Still Make Sense
This guide isn’t about dismissing Airbnb — it’s a capable platform with global reach and a massive existing inventory. There are scenarios where it still makes sense:
- International travel outside India, where Unpaqd doesn’t operate
- Very remote destinations with limited Unpaqd coverage (inventory is growing rapidly)
- If you specifically want a serviced apartment or hotel-style property rather than a true homestay
For India-based homestay travel, however, the fee structure alone makes Unpaqd the stronger default choice for both guests and hosts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Unpaqd safe to book on?
Yes. Unpaqd verifies all listed properties and hosts before they go live on the platform. Payments are handled through the platform, not directly with the host. The process is similar to any major OTA, without the commission fees layered on top.
How does BidYourStay work?
BidYourStay lets you submit a custom price offer to a host for your chosen dates. The host has the option to accept, decline, or counter your bid. Most successful bids come in at 0–20% below the listed price. It’s particularly useful for longer stays or last-minute bookings where hosts have flexibility on pricing.
Do I pay any fees on Unpaqd?
Unpaqd does not add guest service fees on top of the listed price. The price you see when you search is what you pay at checkout.
Can Indian hosts list on Unpaqd if they are already on Airbnb?
Yes. There’s no exclusivity requirement. Many hosts list on multiple platforms simultaneously. The key difference is that bookings coming through Unpaqd carry zero commission, so over time it makes sense to build your Unpaqd profile and reviews to drive more traffic through the zero-commission channel.
What types of properties are listed on Unpaqd?
Unpaqd lists verified homestays across India — from hill station cottages in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, to beachside properties in Goa and Kerala, to heritage homes in Rajasthan. All listings are owner-managed homestays, not commercial properties.
Ready to book a homestay without the fees?
Browse verified homestays across India at unpaqd.com — and place your first bid today.