Top 5 Airbnb Investment Calculators: A Comprehensive Guide

Investing in Airbnb properties offers many benefits, the most important one of which is the

potential to generate strong rental income and excellent ROI. However, simply purchasing a property and listing it on the Airbnb website does not necessarily mean turning a profit. To be successful, you need to conduct careful research and analysis.

A good Airbnb calculator has become an indispensable tool to short-term rental property investors who want to optimize their research and analysis processes. A good Airbnb estimator helps investors know what revenue and return a property is expected to bring before even buying it. But with so many tools on the market, it’s hard to know which one is the best Airbnb calculator. To help you out, we’ve ranked the 5 top choices for every investor’s needs.

The 5 best Airbnb calculators for investors and hosts include:

• Awning Airbnb Estimator: Best Overall Airbnb Calculator for Investors and Hosts
• AirDNA Rentalizer: Best for VRBO Data
• Rabbu Airbnb Calculator: Best Free Airbnb Calculator
• AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator: Best for Cap Rate Estimate
• Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator: Best for ROI Metrics

Awning Airbnb Estimator: Best Overall Airbnb Calculator for Investors and Hosts

The Awning Airbnb Estimator allows even beginner investors to accurately calculate what rental income and ROI they can expect from a short-term rental property anywhere in the US market. All they have to do is to enter the property’s:

• Address
• Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Number of guests
• Whether there is a swimming pool and/or a hot tub

This Airbnb calculator works with both listings for sale and off-market properties of different types, like single-family homes, townhouses, condos, apartments, and small multifamily homes. Most importantly, the Awning tool provides all must-have real estate metrics for making an informed decision, free of charge. The Airbnb rental calculator can be used via the Awning website without payment or registration.

Awning Airbnb Estimator Data and Analytics

The Awning Airbnb Estimator provides comprehensive Airbnb data analysis, including all numbers and figures that hosts need in order to invest successfully. The analysis includes the following Airbnb rental data points:

• Estimated annual Airbnb revenue
• Average daily rate (ADR)
• Airbnb occupancy rate
• List of Airbnb rental comps

This data analytics help:

• Primary home owners decide if they should rent out an extra room in their residence
• Second home owners know how much income they can make by renting
• Beginner investors find the most lucrative opportunities
• Experienced Airbnb hosts grow their investment portfolios
• Real estate investors locate good Airbnb arbitrage opportunities
• Property managers estimate their fees as percentage of rental income
• Real estate agents and brokers assist their investor clients

Awning Airbnb Estimator Data Accuracy

The estimates for the Airbnb analytics covered by the Awning tool are computed based on the performance of rental comps in each market. Rental comps, short for rental comparables, refers to active Airbnb listings that have similar features and are located in the same market. Using rental comps is the most accurate method for evaluating the investment potential of a property before owning it.

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering where these comps are coming from, they are actual listings on the Airbnb platform. This is what gives the Airbnb Estimator data such a high degree of accuracy when analyzing vacation rentals.

Awning Airbnb Estimator Cost

The Awning Airbnb Estimator is free to use. Getting access to the best Airbnb calculator in the US market does not require a paid subscription, no matter how many addresses or properties you want to analyze. Unlike other Airbnb calculators, Awning does not hide any of the data behind paid access.

Awning Airbnb Estimator Pros and Cons

The advantages of using the Awning Airbnb income calculator significantly outweigh the disadvantages.

Awning Airbnb Estimator Pros

The main pros are:

• Access to comprehensive, accurate Airbnb data
• Nationwide short-term rental market coverage
• Meeting the needs of different types of real estate investors and professionals
• Used-friendly interface with no learning curve
• Free to use
• With Awning, you can get all-in-one short-term rental investment services including data analytics, properties for sale, broker services, and property management

Awning Airbnb Estimator Cons

The cons include:

• Not including cleaning fees in the estimates
• Not offering Airbnb cap rate and cash on cash return estimates. Nevertheless, investors can use the numbers provided by the Airbnb Estimator with the Awning Cap Rate Calculator to compute this value too. The Cap Rate Calculator is also free.

Awning Airbnb Estimator Reviews

There are no online reviews specific to the Awning Airbnb analysis tool. All reviews focus on the brokerage and property management services provided by the company.

Still, you can find Awning reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 4.2/5 stars based on 14 reviews
• BiggerPockets: Currently a few 5.0/5 star reviews

AirDNA Rentalizer: Best for VRBO Data

The AirDNA Rentalizer is one of the most popular alternatives to the Awning Airbnb Estimator in the US market. This Airbnb calculator offers a few different data points and works with both Airbnb and VRBO data. However, on the flip side, it’s really expensive to use, especially for access to multiple markets.

AirDNA Rentalizer Data and Analytics

AirDNA provides the following data Airbnb data points:

• Annual revenue
• Average daily rate
• Occupancy rate
• Operating expenses
• Net operating income
• Cap rate
• Seasonal revenue forecast
• List of top comparison properties

These estimates are calculated based on the address of a property, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the number of guests.

AirDNA Rentalizer Data Accuracy

As reported by AirDNA, the estimated rental revenue has an accuracy of at least 94.9% for Airbnb and 98.7% for VRBO. However, based on reviews from users and online forums this accuracy statement is inconsistent.

AIrDNA is able to achieve this data accuracy by obtaining daily data from 35,000 hosts, 10 million Airbnb and VRBO listings, and 1.1 million channel and property management software managers. The data is sourced, verified, and analyzed by a team of data scientists.

However, customers complain about data inaccuracy issues in specific markets. It’s also important to understand that the Airbnb analytics don’t consider significant factors like the impact of guest reviews.

AirDNA Rentalizer Cost

AirDNA markets its Airbnb calculator as free, but that’s not true. With a free account, hosts get full unlimited access to the Santa Monica, CA market data as a sample as well as to 100 searches. Moreover, these searches show only limited data and analytics.

For full access, the pricing of the paid AirDNA subscription plans depends on the market coverage and gets very steep for analyzing many locations. The cost of the AirDNA Rentalizer starts at:

• $12/month for a single neighborhood or city
• $179/month for a single state
• $299/month for a single country
• $599/month for the global market

Subscriptions include access to the other AirDNA tools as well.

AirDNA Rentalizer Pros and Cons

As the best Airbnb calculator for VRBO data, the AirDNA Rentalizer has its own benefits and drawbacks.

AirDNA Rentalizer Pros

The most important pros are:

• Access to both Airbnb and VRBO data
• Nationwide coverage
• All important data points included in the analysis

AirDNA Rentalizer Cons

Some cons to take into consideration include:

• Very limited free access
• Unaffordable pricing for multiple markets
• Data accuracy issues reported by customers

AirDNA Rentalizer Reviews

About 100 customers have reviewed the AirDNA platform online.

You can find AirDNA reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 3.5/5 stars based on 86 reviews
• G2: Currently 3.8/5 stars based on 3 reviews
• BBB.org: Currently 1.0/5 stars based on 1 review

Happy Airbnb investors highlight the usefulness of the tool, the visual format of the analysis, and the intuitive interface. Unhappy hosts report data inaccuracy, the absence of rental comps in certain markets, the deceitful pricing structure, scammy practices, inability to cancel, and lack of customer support.

On the BiggerPockets Forums, AirDNA customers also discuss problems with the AirDNA Rentalized data accuracy.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator: Best Free Airbnb Calculator

The Rabbu Airbnb Calculator is yet another tool that allows beginner and experienced vacation rental property investors to investigate the potential income of any US address. This Airbnb tool offers comprehensive analysis with many important numbers. In addition, using Rabbu data is totally free.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Data and Analytics

After entering an address and number of rooms, Airbnb investors get access to estimated:

• Seasonalized monthly revenue projection
• Annual revenue
• Average daily rate
• Occupancy
• RevPan: Revenue per available night
• List of comparables

Once you’ve got this initial analysis, you can further customize the evaluation by adding:

• Average rating
• Available amenities
• Number of reviews
• Property type

Upon adding a purchase price, the Return Calculator - a part of the Rabbu Airbnb Calculator - shows:

• Cap rate
• Gross yield
• Cash on cash return
• Total investment
• Monthly expenses
• Financing
• Upfront equity
• Net operating income
• Leveraged new cash flow

The Airbnb data analytics provided by Rabbu do not include cleaning fees, Airbnb fees, property management fees, and other service fees. The estimated rental income is gross.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Data Accuracy

Rabbu does not provide an estimate of its data accuracy. They explain that the Airbnb property analysis is based on data from millions of Airbnb listings across the US. The data team runs a series of algorithms and formulas on a weekly basis. All data is updated every week.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Cost

Using the Rabbu Airbnb Calculator is absolutely free. That’s what makes it one of the top choices for Airbnb hosts.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Pros and Cons

Using the Rabbu Airbnb estimator for analyzing the investment potential of short-term rentals in a certain market brings its own advantages and disadvantages.

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Pros

The most considerable pros are:

• Comprehensive Airbnb data analysis
• Multiple filters to customize analysis
• Free access

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Cons

The pros that Airbnb hosts should keep in mind include:

• No accuracy commitment
• No online reviews

Rabbu Airbnb Calculator Reviews

Relatively few customers have reviewed Rabbu.

You can find Rabbu reviews on:

• Birdeye: Currently 4.1/5 stars based on 47 reviews
• Yelp: Currently 1.5/5 stars based on 7 reviews

Most online reviews focus on the property management services provided by Rabbu, not their Airbnb calculator.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator: Best for Cap Rate Estimate

The AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator helps hosts evaluate what rental income a property is expected to generate based on the performance of comparable properties in the same location. The analysis looks into the address of the property, the number of rooms and bathrooms, and the number of guests. This Airbnb calculator is the best tool for estimating the expected cap rate as not all other short-term rental calculators offer this ROI metric.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Data and Analytics

The short-term rental data analysis done by the AllTheRooms Airbnb calculator shows:

• Average daily rate
• Occupancy
• Revenue
• Operating expenses
• Net operating income
• Cap rate (upon entering an estimated purchase price)

A good feature of the Revenue Calculator is the integrated financial calculator which helps investors make more precise decisions. But AllTheRooms does not offer a list of Airbnb comps with this tool.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Data Accuracy

It is not possible to confirm the accuracy of the Airbnb data analysis provided by the AllTheRooms vacation rental calculator. The company website does not discuss how the data is obtained and analyzed. Furthermore, there are very few reviews by customers that mention this tool.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Cost

One of the reasons we’ve ranked AllTheRooms among the best Airbnb calculators is the completely free plan suitable for small-scale investors who are just getting started. It provides access to average daily rates, 100 active listings per market, 3 months of historical data, and 1 week of future data.

Paid plans include:

• Basic (for avid researchers) for $19 per area per month
• Pro (for advanced researchers) for $49 per area per month

The pricing can get rather expensive if you’re interested in analyzing vacation rentals in a few different locations.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Pros and Cons

When compared to other top Airbnb calculators, AllTheRooms offers certain advantages and disadvantages.

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Pros

The most important pros are:

• Cap rate estimation
• Analysis of major Airbnb data points
• Access to historical and future data (not integrated with the Revenue Calculator, so it requires a separate search)
• Easy-to-use platform
• Works for Airbnb hosts, property managers, and hospitality professionals

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Cons

The main cons include:

• Limited free plan
• Lack of comparable Airbnb listings
• No explanation of the data processes and accuracy

AllTheRooms Revenue Calculator Reviews

There are almost no online reviews of AllTheRooms on third-party websites.

You can find AllTheRooms reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 2.6/5 stars based on 4 reviews

Customers mostly complain about technical issues with the website and limited analysis.

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator: Best for ROI Metrics

The Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator is the last on our list of the best Airbnb estimators for investors in the US market. The tool estimates more than just the rental income and occupancy rate to include return on investment. However, Mashvisor uses only Airbnb data and does not include VRBO listings.

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Data and Analytics

Similar to other best Airbnb calculators, the Mashvisor tool asks hosts to enter an address and number of bedrooms and bathrooms to start the analysis.

With a free plan, investors get access to:

• Occupancy rate
• Average daily rate

Afterwards, they can further customize the Airbnb analysis by choosing a property type.

The Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator offers a lot of important data points, but access to them requires a paid subscription. These Airbnb analytics include:

• Average monthly revenue
• Active listings
• New listings
• Rental expenses
• Cash flow
• Cash on cash return
• Cap rate

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Data Accuracy

Mashvisor gets data directly from the Airbnb platform. The Airbnb Calculator works only with entire properties listed on Airbnb, excluding single rooms or shared spaces. The analysis is based on the performance of comps in each area.

However, the company does not commit to a minimum level of data accuracy.

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Cost

Mashvisor offers a free plan for the Airbnb Calculator, which includes the average daily rate and Airbnb occupancy rate only.

For access to the other Airbnb data metrics, investors need a paid subscription, and a quarterly plan costs:

• $29.99 per month for Lite
• $99.99 per month for Standard
• $119.99 per month for Professional

Moreover, only quarterly and annual plans are available.

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Pros and Cons

The Mashvisor Airbnb rental calculator had some benefits and drawbacks compared to the other top tools.

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Pros

The most important pros include:

• Airbnb ROI analysis
• Interactive and customizable analysis

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Cons

The  main cons include:

• No data accuracy estimate
• Limited free coverage
• Costly paid subscriptions

Mashvisor Airbnb Calculator Reviews

There are 700+ online reviews of the Mashvisor Airbnb analytics website.

You can find Mashvisor reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 444 reviews
• BBB.org: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 260 reviews

Positive reviews highlight the beginner-friendly platform, the amount of available data, and the detailed analysis. In their negative reviews, dissatisfied customers complain about the glitchy website, the non-user friendly tools, issues with data accuracy, and poor customer service.

Takeaway

Our review shows that these are the 5 best Airbnb calculators for investors and hosts in the US vacation rental market. Among them, Awning is the absolute winner as it provides investors with full access to all the must-have Airbnb data analytics, free of charge. Moreover, it works nationwide, for all property types. The AirDNA Rentalizer is a good alternative for hosts who’d like to use VRBO data as well, while the calculators on AllTheRooms and Mashvisor could work for investors who’re interested in ROI metrics too.