Savvy
Savvy is an Austin-based vacation rental marketplace connecting travelers directly with verified professional hosts, charging no guest service fees and only a 5% host commission versus 15-20% on Airbnb and Vrbo.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Savvy does
Savvy is a vacation rental marketplace operated by finderco, LLC, an Austin, Texas-based LLC founded in 1998. The platform connects travelers directly with verified professional hosts for short-term stays, eliminating guest service fees and charging hosts a 5% booking commission — materially below the 15-20% take rates typical of Airbnb and Vrbo. Savvy spans 500+ destinations globally, with concentration across US beach markets (Florida Panhandle, South Carolina, Texas Gulf Coast, California) and growing presence in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and parts of Europe.
The platform's core technology is a web-based direct-booking marketplace that surfaces the same properties found on major OTAs at lower prices, supported by a Lowest-Price Guarantee under which hosts agree to match prices found elsewhere. Hosts manage listings through a web dashboard, with automated distribution enabled by 19 property management system integrations (Guesty, HostAway, Lodgify, Streamline, Escapia, Rentals United, OwnerRez, Red Awning, and others). An iOS mobile app is in development. The brand is supported by earned media in publications including USA Today, Forbes, Travel + Leisure, Skift, and Business Insider.
The business model combines a 5% transaction commission with tiered host subscription plans: a free Standard tier, Boost at $24.95/month (3.4x visibility), Boost Plus at $49.95/month (6.6x visibility), and Boost Max at $99.95/month (11.8x visibility). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for travelers and direct-to-host for property managers, supplemented by PMS partner distribution and an Expedia Partner Solutions affiliate channel. Savvy has raised approximately $6.48M across two disclosed funding rounds in late 2023 and early 2026, and operates with 11-50 employees.
Savvy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Savvy
- Legal name
- finderco, LLC
- Website
- https://savvy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Savvy is an Austin-based vacation rental marketplace connecting travelers directly with verified professional hosts, charging no guest service fees and only a 5% host commission versus 15-20% on Airbnb and Vrbo.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Savvy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vacation Rental Marketplace
- NAICS
- General Rental Centers (5323)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Booking Platforms & Booking Engines for Hosts/Managers (THAMALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Whole-Home Rentals (Houses, Villas, Cabins) (THAGANAA), Short-Term Rental (STR) Management for Individual Hosts (BPAJAIAB)
Keywords
Where Savvy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Savvy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Host Subscription Plans: Hosts pay monthly subscription fees for access to the platform with tiered visibility options. Plans range from free Standard to paid Boost tiers ($24.95-$99.95/month) that provide increased search exposure (up to 11.8x baseline visibility).
- Booking Commission: A 5% booking commission on the total booking value (excluding applicable taxes) is charged on all reservations facilitated through the platform, applicable to all subscription plans including the free Standard tier.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard - Free visibility tier included with every listing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Boost - $24.95/month for 3.4x exposure |
| Subscription | Monthly | Boost Plus - $49.95/month for 6.6x exposure |
| Subscription | Monthly | Boost Max - $99.95/month for 11.8x exposure |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Booking Commission - 5% per transaction |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Savvy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Savvy operates a direct-booking vacation rental marketplace that connects travelers with verified professional hosts, eliminating platform service fees and markup found on Airbnb and Vrbo. Travelers search and book vacation rentals for free across 500+ destinations, while hosts pay either tiered monthly subscription fees for boosted visibility (Boost $24.95-$99.95/month) or a 5% commission per booking. The platform integrates with 19 property management systems to distribute professional host inventory at scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Savvy Marketplace A direct-booking vacation rental marketplace connecting travelers with verified professional hosts, enabling bookings without platform markup or guest service fees. Listings span 500+ destinations globally and include houses, apartments, and lakefront properties managed by professional property management companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Travelers save up to 20% compared to traditional vacation rental platforms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Savvy
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Savvy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration19 records
Feature4 records
Savvy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Expedia Partner SolutionscoreSavvy's parent company finderco maintains affiliate relationships with Expedia Partner Solutions, through which listings may originate and be distributed. This provides additional distribution reach for Savvy-hosted properties.
- BarefootcoreBarefoot provides enterprise trust accounting with owner portals and work order management. Integration enables property managers to sync operations with Savvy's marketplace.
- BoostcoreBoost provides dynamic pricing algorithms with automated distribution and unified inbox. Integration enables Savvy hosts to optimize pricing strategies.
- EscapiacoreEscapia provides enterprise vacation rental software with yield management and trust accounting. Integration enables professional property managers to sync with Savvy.
- GuestycoreGuesty offers a unified dashboard for automation, channel management, and guest communications. Integration enables property managers to sync listings and bookings with Savvy.
- HostAwaycoreHostAway provides unified inbox for channel management with automated messaging and dynamic pricing tools. Integration enables Savvy distribution for HostAway users.
- LiveRezcoreLiveRez provides property management software with CRM and trust accounting features. Integration enables property managers to sync with Savvy's marketplace.
- LodgifycoreLodgify provides website builder with integrated booking engine and channel management tools. Integration enables property managers to sync their Lodgify-hosted properties with Savvy.
- OwnerRezcoreOwnerRez specializes in direct booking engine with custom quote generation and channel sync. Integration enables property managers to distribute listings to Savvy.
- Red AwningcoreRed Awning provides distribution across 50+ channels with 24/7 guest support and automated management. Integration enables Savvy distribution for Red Awning property managers.
- Rentals UnitedcoreRentals United provides global channel management and distribution platform for vacation rentals. Integration enables property managers to distribute listings to Savvy worldwide.
- StreamlinecoreStreamline provides enterprise property management with owner portals and trust accounting. Integration enables professional property managers to sync operations with Savvy.
- TrackcoreTrack provides revenue management system with dynamic pricing and automated reporting. Integration helps Savvy hosts optimize pricing and track performance.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Savvy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor operates a major travel marketplace that includes vacation rental listings alongside hotels and attractions. Tripadvisor competes for traveler attention and booking share across the same demand base as Savvy.
- Vacasa: Vacasa is a large professional vacation rental management company offering full-service property management and bookings. Vacasa operates on the supply side in a similar market and overlaps with Savvy's professional host base.
- Booking.com: Booking.com (Booking Holdings) is the world's largest online travel agency with significant vacation rental inventory. While not Savvy's direct niche, Booking.com competes for the same cost-conscious traveler demand with its own commission-based marketplace.
- Evolve: Evolve is a vacation rental management company that partners with property owners and distributes listings across major OTAs. Evolve represents the professional property manager segment that Savvy directly serves on its marketplace.
- Google Vacation Rentals: Google Vacation Rentals aggregates short-term rental listings from multiple providers in search results. As a powerful discovery channel, Google represents both a distribution opportunity and competitive threat for Savvy's organic traffic.
Direct peers
- Vrbo: Vrbo (owned by Expedia Group) is a major vacation rental marketplace specializing in whole-home rentals. Savvy competes head-to-head with Vrbo's host commission structure (typically 8-20%) by offering a flat 5% commission plus subscription tiers.
- Whimstay: Whimstay is a direct-booking vacation rental platform targeting cost-conscious travelers with lower fees than traditional OTAs. Both Savvy and Whimshare compete in the fee-disruption segment of the vacation rental market.
- Airbnb: Airbnb is the dominant vacation rental marketplace globally, connecting travelers with hosts. Savvy directly competes by offering a no-guest-fee alternative with verified professional hosts, positioning itself against Airbnb's ~15%+ host commissions.
- Hopper: Hopper is a mobile-first travel booking app offering alternative pricing models including price freeze and refund guarantees. While broader than vacation rentals, Hopper represents a similar challenger OTA model targeting cost-conscious travelers.
Emerging players
- Plum Guide: Plum Guide is a curated vacation rental platform focusing on quality-verified homes in major cities. Plum Guide shares Savvy's quality-over-quantity positioning with verified professional hosts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Savvy social profiles
Digital presenceSavvy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Savvy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Savvy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Savvy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Savvy
What does Savvy do?
Savvy operates a direct-booking vacation rental marketplace that connects travelers with verified professional hosts, eliminating platform service fees and markup found on Airbnb and Vrbo. Travelers search and book vacation rentals for free across 500+ destinations, while hosts pay either tiered monthly subscription fees for boosted visibility (Boost $24.95-$99.95/month) or a 5% commission per booking. The platform integrates with 19 property management systems to distribute professional host inventory at scale.
Is Savvy a public or private company?
Savvy is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Savvy founded?
Savvy was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Savvy based?
Savvy is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Savvy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Host Subscription Plans are the primary driver. The others are booking Commission.
Who are Savvy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tripadvisor, Vacasa, Booking.com, Evolve and Google Vacation Rentals. Direct peers are Vrbo, Whimstay, Airbnb and Hopper. Plum Guide is listed as an emerging player.
Does Savvy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Savvy.
What industry is Savvy in?
Savvy's product category is Vacation Rental Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMALAE, Direct Booking Platforms & Booking Engines for Hosts/Managers, with a secondary code of THAGANAA, Whole-Home Rentals (Houses, Villas, Cabins). Its NAICS code is 5323.