Is StayCanadian Canadian-owned?
Yes. StayCanadian is operated by StayCanadian Travel Inc., an independent company based in British Columbia, founded by a Canadian short-term rental host.
Is there a Canadian alternative to Airbnb?
Yes. Several Canadian-owned platforms list vacation rentals across the country, and StayCanadian is one of them. Here is how they differ from Airbnb and Vrbo, and what that means whether you are booking a stay or hosting one.
What makes StayCanadian different
StayCanadian is an independent Canadian company based in British Columbia. We are a discovery platform, not a booking site. Every one of our 1,200+ listings links to the host's own booking website, where you book and pay the host directly. That changes three things:
- No platform fees. StayCanadian does not add a service fee to your booking. You pay the host's price plus the host's own taxes and cleaning fee.
- You deal with the host. Questions, changes and cancellations go through the host's own policies, not a platform's.
- The money stays in Canada. Hosts keep what Airbnb or Vrbo would have taken as commission, and StayCanadian's membership revenue stays with a Canadian company.
Hosts pay StayCanadian a flat membership per property, not a percentage of your booking.
Other Canadian options, and where StayCanadian fits
Several Canadian companies list vacation rentals, and most of them specialize by region or property type. Cottages in Canada and CottageVacations.com focus on Ontario cottage country. WeChalet focuses on chalets in Quebec and Eastern Canada. Fairbnb.coop runs a co-operative booking model with a Canadian chapter.
StayCanadian takes a different shape. We bring stays from across Canada and every property type into one place, from a Whistler condo to a Canmore chalet to a Muskoka cottage, so a traveller can plan a trip anywhere in the country from a single search. And we are the discovery layer, not the booking site: every listing sends you to the host's own website to book. If you want one Canadian place to start a search for a Canadian stay, that is what we built.
How StayCanadian compares to Airbnb and Vrbo
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| Comparison point | Airbnb | Vrbo | StayCanadian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owned in | United States | United States (Expedia Group) | Canada (British Columbia) |
| Who takes your booking | Airbnb | Vrbo | The host, on their own website |
| Fee added to the traveller | Built into the price shown (host-only fee model) | 6% to 15% guest service fee | None |
| Fee charged to the host | 15.5% of the booking | 12% of the booking, including payment processing (from Oct 29, 2026) | Flat membership, from $390 per year per property |
| Reviews | On Airbnb | On Vrbo | On the host's site and via third-party review feeds |
| Cancellation terms set by | Platform policy tiers | Platform policy tiers | The host |
Airbnb and Vrbo figures are those platforms' published rates as of October 2026 and change over time. Check each platform's help centre for current terms.
If you host: list everywhere, and know what each channel costs
The question travellers ask is "is there a Canadian alternative." The question hosts should ask is "where should I list." The answer is everywhere that brings you bookings. Airbnb and Vrbo have the traffic. Booking.com reaches international travellers. StayCanadian reaches Canadians who want to book direct. A channel manager keeps the calendars in sync, so the work of listing on four platforms is mostly done once. What differs is what each channel costs you per booking. Here is the math on a property grossing $40,000 a year in bookings (for example, 160 nights at $250).
Scroll sideways to see the full table.
| Channel | Host fee model | Cost on $40,000 of bookings | Added to the guest's price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | 15.5% host-only fee (required for all Canadian hosts since September 2026) | $6,200 | Nothing extra; the fee is inside the host's price |
| Booking.com | About 15% commission (varies by market) | $6,000 | Varies |
| Vrbo | 12% commission, payment processing included, on bookings made from Oct 29, 2026 (was 5% + 3%) | $4,800 | 6% to 15% guest service fee |
| StayCanadian | Flat membership: $390 a year for one property, less per property as you add more | $390 | Nothing |
Vrbo's figure is new: on October 29, 2026 it replaced its 5% commission plus 3% processing with a single 12% commission that includes processing, and retired its annual subscription. Hosts who were on the subscription move to 12% when their term ends.
StayCanadian sends the traveller to your website, so you still pay your own card processing (typically around 3%) on bookings that come through us, the same as any direct booking. The membership covers itself when one booking of $390 or more comes through StayCanadian in a year.
Annual membership is $390 per property for your first four properties, $240 for properties five to 24, $150 for 25 to 74, and $90 from 75 up. Monthly billing is $39, $24, $15 and $9. See the membership page for details.
Common questions
Does StayCanadian charge travellers a fee?
No. You book on the host's website and pay the host's price. StayCanadian is paid by hosts through a flat membership.
Is StayCanadian affiliated with Airbnb or Vrbo?
No. StayCanadian is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or any other booking platform. Those names are used only to compare how the services work.
Can a host list on StayCanadian and Airbnb at the same time?
Yes, and most do. StayCanadian syncs availability from the host's calendar (iCal), so bookings taken anywhere show as unavailable here.