Awning vs Vacasa: An Honest Comparison for STR Property Owners in 2026

Awning and Vacasa both offer full-service short-term rental management. If you're evaluating both, you're asking the right questions — but the differences in how each company operates, prices its services, and generates returns for owners are significant. Here's an honest breakdown. For independent context, see Awning's top Airbnb management companies review.

Fee Structure: What You Actually Pay

Vacasa charges 25–35% of gross revenue depending on market, plus potential additional fees for specific services. Their fee is not published — it's quoted per property after a sales conversation.

Awning's fee structure is transparent and available on the Awning vacation rental management page. No hidden onboarding fees, photography fees, or channel add-on charges.

Channel Distribution: How Many Platforms Your Property Appears On

Vacasa lists on Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and their own direct booking site, plus a selection of other channels. Their distribution is broad but varies by market.

Awning distributes across 50+ booking channels as standard — including Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals, Expedia, and Awning's direct booking platform. More channels mean more visibility. Awning's Airbnb marketing service covers channel optimization as part of management.

Operations: What's Actually Included

Both Awning and Vacasa offer genuine full-service management. That means: listing setup and optimization, dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest communication, professional cleaning and turnover, check-in/out management, supplies restocking, and maintenance coordination.

Awning additionally includes home automation setup and a custom guest guidebook as part of onboarding — both of which Vacasa offers selectively.

Technology and Owner Experience

Vacasa has a functional owner portal with booking and revenue data. Their app has improved over time but has received mixed reviews from owners.

Awning's owner portal provides real-time booking data, occupancy and revenue tracking, and maintenance history. The focus is on giving owners complete transparency without having to ask their manager for information.

Company Stability

Vacasa has undergone significant restructuring since 2022 — including substantial layoffs and leadership changes. This has introduced operational variability in some markets.

Awning has maintained stable operations and continued to grow its managed portfolio and market presence through this period.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Validate Before You Decide

Use Awning's Airbnb income estimator to get a projected net income for your property under Awning management. Cross-reference with Airbnb market data for your area and independent tools like AirDNA to verify the projections any manager provides.

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📎  Awning Tools and Resources

→ Free Airbnb Income Estimator

→ Airbnb Market Data by City

→ Awning Cleaning Service

→ Awning Home Automation

→ Awning Guest Guidebook Service

→ RedAwning Portfolio Management

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