Short answer: Airbnb vs Booking.com vs Agoda for hosts in Malaysia: the published fees overlap, at roughly 15% to 20%, so commission alone rarely decides it. For a first unit we would start on Airbnb for its host protection and quick payout, add the others once calendars sync, then judge by your own net income.
We manage more than 100 homestay units in Johor Bahru and Desaru, listed on all three platforms and also bookable direct. Most comparisons on the first page of Google are written by software vendors for hosts anywhere in the world. We could not find one that runs a Malaysian booking through all three, or that asks what happens to the money when a guest cancels. This article does both.
How much commission do Airbnb, Booking.com and Agoda take in Malaysia?
We found no official rate card for Malaysia from Booking.com or Agoda, and third-party guides disagree. So here is what each source says, without picking a winner.
| Platform | Commission reported | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | Mostly 15.5%, others 14% to 16% | Airbnb's help page. It does not name Malaysia, but says all home hosts are moving to this fee and it is mandatory for those using management software |
| Booking.com | 10% to 25%, about 15% typical. Payments by Booking.com adds 1.1% to 3.1% | Hostaway, updated September 2026 |
| Booking.com | 15% to 25% | Hospitable, read November 2026 |
| Agoda | 12% to 25%, or 15% to 20%, or 15% to 25% | Smoobu, Hostex, Hospitable |
| Agoda Homes | 5% to 15%, for single-unit residential hosts | Hospitable and Hostex |
Treat the Booking.com and Agoda lines as ranges to check, not as prices. Your real rate is in your own account: on Booking.com at the Agreement step of registration, and on Agoda in the Bookings & Earnings section of your listing page, according to Hospitable. All of these vendors also sell software to hosts.
What does one Johor Bahru booking actually pay you on each?
Here is an example, not a forecast or a quote: two nights at RM250 plus a RM70 cleaning fee, so RM570 in total. Airbnb says it charges on the nightly price plus fees you charge, and Hostex says Booking.com includes cleaning in its base. We assume Agoda works on the same RM570.
| Platform and rate used | Fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb, 15.5% | RM88.35 | RM481.65 |
| Booking.com, 15% | RM85.50 | RM484.50 |
| Booking.com, 15% plus payments at 1.1% to 3.1% | RM91.77 to RM103.17 | RM466.83 to RM478.23 |
| Agoda, 15% to 20% | RM85.50 to RM114 | RM456 to RM484.50 |
| Agoda Homes, 5% to 15% | RM28.50 to RM85.50 | RM484.50 to RM541.50 |
A five-point gap on this booking is RM28.50. Now compare that with one more booking. After RM70 cleaning and RM12 of utilities per night, one extra Airbnb booking leaves about RM387.65, which equals that five-point gap on about 13 other bookings. So the platform that fills empty nights can beat the platform with the lower rate. Do not choose on the percentage alone, and look at the occupancy your unit needs before worrying about one point of commission.
When does each platform pay you?
| Platform | When the money is released | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb | About 24 hours after check-in. Stays of 28 nights or more are paid monthly | Airbnb says banks take 3 to 5 business days more, and a payout under review can be delayed up to 45 days after check-in |
| Booking.com | With Payments by Booking.com, weekly on Thursdays or monthly by the 15th, says Hostaway | Hostex says Booking.com can also pay by virtual card, chargeable once a booking becomes non-refundable |
| Agoda Homes | First payout within 30 days of your first guest's check-out, then within 24 hours of check-out, say Hospitable and Hostex | Multi-listing hosts can ask to skip the wait on later properties, says Hostex |
Terms differ by account. A listing connected through Agoda's hotel-side system may not run on the Agoda Homes timing above, so read your own agreement. If you start with one unit and little cash, this table matters as much as commission does. A new Agoda host could wait about a month for the first money while the instalment is still due. Once you have several platforms, one bank credit stops matching one booking, and you will need a way to reconcile payouts.
What happens when a guest cancels or does not show up?
| Airbnb | Booking.com | Agoda | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation options | Flexible (24 hours), Moderate (5 days), Limited (14 days), Firm (30+ days). Strict was retired on 1 October 2025, says Hostaway | Fully flexible, custom or non-refundable, set by you | We found no clear public host guide |
| No-show | We found nothing specific | You report it manually. Smart Order, October 2026, says the window can run from midnight on the check-in date until 48 hours after planned check-out, and that waiving the fee removes the commission on it | We found no clear public host guide |
Stricter terms protect a peak weekend, but they can also put off guests who are not yet sure of their dates. There is no single right setting, so test it on your own unit.
Now the question most comparisons skip: if a guest forfeits money, who keeps it? Under a management company, ask this in writing. Here is how ours works. A booking marked as a no-show does not count as owner income on our owner report. For a cancelled booking with a check-out date from 1 October 2026, the money actually kept after refunds is split according to the services package setting, which can give it to the operator, to the owner, or share it. Check what your contract says, whichever company you use, including us.
Which platform protects the owner best?
Airbnb is ahead on what is published. AirCover for Hosts lists US$3 million of damage protection and US$1 million of liability cover, plus guest identity checks, though it is not insurance and only covers Airbnb bookings. Hostaway also credits Airbnb with ID verification, review history and messaging before booking.
Booking.com makes instant booking the default, so your calendar has to be right before you switch it on. Hostfully, in a 2024 article, described its guest checks as little more than a credit card, and its liability cover as being for third-party claims rather than your furniture. Damage deposits are something you set up. We could not find an AirCover-style host damage protection in Agoda's public host material.
Which platform should I list on first?
| Your situation | What we would do |
|---|---|
| One unit, your first listing | Airbnb first. Learn the routine with more protection and faster money |
| Airbnb is running, but you have empty weeknights | Add Agoda. Hostex describes its audience as price-sensitive and strong in Southeast Asia |
| Your calendar is reliable and you want instant bookings | Add Booking.com |
| Three or more units on three platforms | Use a channel manager first. Calendar sync has its own traps |
We could not find a reliable figure for each platform's share of Johor Bahru bookings. We also do not publish how our own bookings split by platform, so we will not tell you that one of them "wins" in JB. It can also vary by building and by season.
Three things to know before you add a second platform:
- Reviews do not travel. Each platform starts you at zero, so a new listing can be slow at first.
- Double bookings cost more than a missing channel. Add one platform at a time and watch the first few weeks.
- Booking.com and Agoda share a parent, but they are separate accounts. A 2019 Skift report said some owners who left Agoda still found their properties listed there. It is old, and we only read the open part, but after leaving a platform, check that your dates are really gone.
How do I tell which platform really earns more for my unit?
After three months, list each platform with these figures, taken from your payouts rather than from the booking prices:
- Money received, after commission and payment fees
- Refunds and cancellations
- Cleaning and utilities for those stays
- Nights booked
Money received minus refunds, cleaning and utilities, divided by nights booked, gives net income per booked night. Check two things beside it. Did this platform fill nights the others left empty? And did it cause extra work, such as complaints? If one platform earns a little less per night but fills empty weeknights, it is still adding money. If the whole unit is quiet, go through these five checks and set your floor price before adding another channel.
What should you ask a management company about platforms?
- Which platforms will my unit be on, and under whose account?
- Who pays the platform commission, and is your share worked out before or after it?
- Who keeps money from cancellations and no-shows?
- Will I see each platform's bookings and fees line by line on my statement?
Our own answer has a conflict of interest, so here it is plainly. More bookings earn us more, so we like more channels. On our 90% of revenue plan, used here as an example and not a quote, the platform fee is the owner's cost and our 10% is worked out on total revenue. On the RM570 booking above, that is RM57 to us whichever platform it came from, so a higher-commission platform costs you and not us. Most of the units we manage also sit under the company's accounts, so those reviews stay behind if you leave. We cannot promise bookings or income from any platform.
This is a general summary as of November 2026, using third-party figures that may change. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your rates and terms in your own platform accounts.
If you would like us to look at which platforms make sense for your unit, in any part of Johor Bahru or Desaru, send the details through /ownerenquiry. For the bigger picture, start with how to start an Airbnb in Malaysia.