AirDNA alternative: what AirDNA's free plan covers and how AirROI compares

Choosing the right short-term rental analytics platform is crucial for success, and for years AirDNA has been the prominent name. If you're weighing an AirDNA alternative, start with what AirDNA itself gives away, then what you would pay for more. AirROI, the alternative we build, offers its market analytics and revenue calculator free.

Quick answer: AirDNA's free plan gives you a limited version of its Rentalizer revenue calculator and limited market insights once you create a free account; the customizable Rentalizer and comp sets start with Market Research at $125 a month, or $400 a year billed annually. For a free alternative, AirROI's calculator needs no account and shows a revenue estimate with percentile ranges alongside the 50 comparable properties near the address, in 190+ countries.

AirROI's free calculator shows the comparable properties near an address, with the spread of their annual revenue and a map. Try it free, no account needed.

Both AirROI and AirDNA provide valuable Airbnb data and insights for hosts, property managers, and investors. Below, we cover what AirDNA's free plan includes and what its paid plans cost, then compare AirROI vs AirDNA across six key pillars:

1. Analytics Scope & Depth (Property Coverage, Historical Data, Filters)
2. Airbnb Data Accuracy & Forecasting Horizon
3. Airbnb Dynamic Pricing Tools & Customization
4. Rental Revenue/Yield Calculators & Competitive Sets (Comp Sets)
5. Platform Performance & User Experience (UX)
6. Cost & Value Proposition (Is there a free AirDNA alternative?)

Is AirDNA free?

Yes, in part. AirDNA's Free plan costs $0 and, in AirDNA's words, is "free forever." It includes a limited version of Rentalizer, AirDNA's revenue calculator, plus limited market insights and for-sale property browsing. You need a free AirDNA account, but no credit card. The customizable Rentalizer, comp sets and longer history require a paid plan.

According to AirDNA's subscription plans page, a free account gives you:

• every short-term rental market worldwide, with the last 12 months of history;
• Rentalizer lookups for any global address;
• 30 rolling days of pricing recommendations for a connected property.

When we entered an address on AirDNA's Airbnb calculator page in September 2026, it asked us to create a free account before it showed an estimate. AirDNA's own FAQ there describes Rentalizer as free "with no credit card required," and says paid plans add "custom comp sets, the full financial calculator, and unlimited PDF report downloads."

AirDNA pricing

These are the plans on AirDNA's pricing page for hosts, investors and property managers, with prices as of September 2026:

A few more terms from the same page:

• The annual billing option is labelled "Save 73%."
• AirDNA says every plan, including Free, comes with global coverage.
• There is no time-limited trial for the paid research plans, and AirDNA says it doesn't run promo codes.

AirROI's market analytics and revenue calculator are free. Developers who want the same data in their own tools can use the AirROI API, priced from $0.01 per call.

1. Analytics Scope & Depth

Comprehensive analytics are fundamental for understanding STR market reports. Here's how the platforms compare:

• Property Coverage: AirROI tracks 20M+ listings worldwide, giving a broad picture of active Airbnb listings and market dynamics. AirDNA says it tracks 15M+ active listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com across 120,000+ markets, according to its pricing page.
• Historical Data: AirROI provides access to 15+ years of historical Airbnb data, crucial for analyzing long-term seasonality and trends. AirDNA says it has tracked listings daily since 2014; its Free plan shows the last 12 months of market history and its Market Research plan the last 36 months.
• Filtering & Analysis Tools: AirROI often receives praise for its flexible filtering and sorting options, enabling more granular analysis of metrics like Airbnb occupancy rate or ADR Airbnb trends compared to AirDNA's interface.

Winner: AirROI - With significantly broader property coverage, much deeper historical data, and potentially more flexible analysis tools, AirROI currently offers a more comprehensive analytics package, vital for thorough Airbnb market analysis.

2. Data Accuracy & Forecasting

Reliable data is non-negotiable. See our deep dive on Why Accurate Airbnb Data is Crucial.

• Accuracy: Both platforms strive for high Airbnb data accuracy, generally achieving around 95%+ accuracy against benchmarks for core metrics like revenue, occupancy, and ADR. While minor variations exist depending on the specific market and metric, both are considered reliable sources by many users.
• Forecasting Horizon: AirDNA's forward-looking Pacing data shows "the next six months of market performance," according to its help centre, and future demand data comes with its paid Market Research plan. AirROI offers predictive analytics (e.g., demand forecasts, projected occupancy rate) up to a full 12 months ahead, providing a longer strategic view.

Winner: AirROI - While both boast strong accuracy, AirROI's longer forecasting horizon gives it a slight edge for forward planning and analyzing future STR occupancy trends.

3. Dynamic Pricing Tools & Customization

Optimizing revenue often involves smart pricing. Both platforms offer Airbnb dynamic pricing capabilities:

• AirROI: Known for its extensive rule-based customization for dynamic pricing strategies. Users can fine-tune settings for last-minute bookings, far-future dates, orphan days, day-of-week variations, and occupancy-based adjustments, offering granular control for maximizing Airbnb profit. Our API allows full integration, though basic non-pricing settings might require using the Airbnb interface otherwise.
• AirDNA: Sells dynamic pricing as Adapt, at $20 per listing per month with a 30-day free trial as of September 2026. Its Free plan also includes 30 rolling days of pricing recommendations for a connected property.

Winner: Tie - This depends on user preference. AirROI offers deeper dynamic rule customization, potentially appealing to hands-on optimizers. AirDNA might offer a slightly more integrated flow for all listing edits within its UI. Both are powerful Airbnb dynamic pricing tools.

4. Rental Revenue/Yield Calculators & Comp Sets

Evaluating investment potential and benchmarking performance are key uses for these tools.

• Revenue/Yield Calculators: Both platforms offer tools to estimate potential Airbnb revenue and calculate ROI (often called Rentalizer by AirDNA and Revenue Calculator by AirROI). These tools help assess Airbnb investment opportunities by inputting property details and receiving performance estimates based on market data.
• Comp Set Analysis: AirDNA has long been recognized for its Comp Set feature, which is part of its paid Market Research plan (Comparable Sets). AirROI now integrates comparable property analysis within its calculator/market research interfaces, allowing users to benchmark against similar listings based on features, location, and performance metrics (ADR, occupancy rate, etc.).

AirDNA's Rentalizer vs AirROI's free calculator

AirDNA's Rentalizer asks you to create a free AirDNA account before it shows an estimate, and custom comps, the full financial calculator and unlimited PDF reports come with its paid plans. AirROI's calculator needs no account: enter an address and property details, and it shows a revenue estimate with 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles alongside the 50 comparable properties near the address, with their revenue, nightly rates and occupancy. For what BNBCalc, Rabbu, Chalet and others show without paying, see our ranking of Rentalizer and seven other calculators, tested on homes in four countries.

Winner: Tie - Both platforms provide essential functionality for revenue estimation (acting as an Airbnb income calculator) and competitive benchmarking. The specific interfaces and methodologies differ slightly, but both deliver core value.

5. Platform Performance & User Experience (UX)

How easy and fast is it to get the insights you need?

• AirDNA: Documents each plan's features in its help centre, and its Free plan lets you explore every short-term rental market worldwide before paying.
• AirROI: Generally recognized for its fast, responsive interface, even in large markets. It offers free community support, fostering a collaborative environment for users seeking help or sharing best practices for short term rental data analysis.

Winner: AirROI - Superior platform speed and accessible, free community support contribute to a potentially better overall user experience, especially for those analyzing complex markets or needing quick answers.

6. Cost & Value Proposition

This is often the deciding factor for many users, especially when searching for an AirDNA alternative.

• AirDNA: Offers a Free plan with a limited Rentalizer and limited market insights. Its Market Research plan costs $125 a month, or $400 a year billed annually (about $34 a month), and Adapt dynamic pricing costs $20 per listing per month (as of September 2026; see AirDNA pricing above). Getting comprehensive vacation rental statistics, such as submarkets, CSV exports and 36 months of history, requires a paid plan.
• AirROI: Offers its core platform, including extensive analytics, dynamic pricing tools, and market research capabilities, completely free.

Winner: AirROI - Offering a comparable (and in some areas, superior) feature set at zero cost makes AirROI an extremely compelling free AirDNA alternative. The value proposition is hard to beat.

AirROI vs AirDNA Feature Comparison Chart

Other AirDNA alternatives

AirROI isn't the only option. Here is what four other tools offer, from their own sites and our tests in September 2026:

For what each of these shows on the same homes, alongside BNBCalc, AirDNA and Awning, see eight Airbnb calculators tested side by side.

Conclusion: Is AirROI the Best AirDNA Alternative?

While AirDNA remains a capable platform, AirROI has emerged as a powerful and, crucially, free AirDNA alternative. Based on this comparison:

• AirROI leads on property coverage (20M+ listings; AirDNA says 15M+), historical depth (15+ years; AirDNA has tracked listings daily since 2014) and forecasting horizon.
• Both platforms offer high data accuracy and essential revenue calculation and comp set features.
• AirROI excels in dynamic pricing rule customization and platform performance/UX.
• AirROI's free price point presents an undeniable advantage over the cost of AirDNA's paid plans.

For Airbnb hosts, investors, and managers seeking comprehensive short-term rental analytics, Airbnb data tools, dynamic pricing, and market insights without the hefty price tag, AirROI presents an extremely compelling case. It delivers extensive features and robust data, making it arguably the leading free AirDNA alternative available today.

Related reading:

• Best Airbnb Calculators of 2026, Tested
• Airbnb data API comparison: AirROI vs AirDNA and others

AirDNA plan details and prices were checked against AirDNA's pricing page, calculator page and help centre in September 2026 and can change. AirDNA and Rentalizer are trademarks of AirDNA, LLC.

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