New: Updated Hostelz vs Hostelworld vs Booking Comparison

We’ve fully updated our Hostelz vs Hostelworld vs Booking comparison to reflect how these platforms actually work today.

The updated guide compares all three across the things travelers really care about, including:

• Price transparency
• Hostel-specific filters
• Inventory coverage
• Availability accuracy
• Long-stay support

We also added the latest platform updates to make sure the comparison reflects real booking conditions in 2026 — not outdated marketing claims.

The result is clear once again:

Hostelz remains the #1 resource for finding hostels worldwide.

We list more hostels than any other platform and compare prices across major booking sites, giving travelers access to the largest and most accurate hostel inventory available online.

This isn’t opinion. It’s backed by data.

Which platform has the biggest hostel inventory by reservations?

It’s difficult to compare exact numbers because Booking.com doesn’t publish hostel-specific figures separately, but we can look at what’s publicly known. Booking.com is one of the largest accommodation platforms in the world with millions of properties globally across all lodging types — including hotels, apartments, hostels, and more — but does not disclose how many of those are hostels alone.

In contrast, Hostelworld focuses almost exclusively on hostels: it lists more than 14,000 hostels, making it one of the most dedicated hostel booking platforms available.

Hostelz, as a price comparison engine, aggregates listings from multiple sources (including Hostelworld and Booking.com) and aims to surface all hostels available online, which effectively gives travelers access to a broader inventory than any single booking platform on its own.

In practice, Booking.com has the largest overall accommodation inventory, Hostelworld has extensive hostel-focused coverage, and Hostelz brings them together so users can compare prices and availability across both and other sites in one place.

Read the updated comparison here:

https://www.hostelz.com/hostelworld-vs-booking-vs-hostelz-best-hostel-website-comparison

About the author: Nomadic Nina

I'm Nomadic Nina, a curious and adventurous traveler who has spent most of my life exploring the world. From the deserts of Africa to the jungles of South America, I've traveled to dozens of countries on multiple continents. I've gained a deep appreciation for the diversity and richness of the world's cultures.