Here are the top vacation-rental platforms (what they are best for + a short note):

1. Airbnb — global leader for unique stays and private homes; huge inventory and strong guest/host marketplace. (businessofapps.com, apnews.com)

2. Vrbo (part of Expedia Group) — focused on whole-home rentals (families/groups); strong reach via Expedia Group distribution. (expediagroup.com)

3. Booking.com (Homes & Apartments) — a major OTA that’s expanded aggressively into vacation homes and apartments; good for international inventory and flexible booking/payment options. (news.booking.com, rentalscaleup.com)

4. Vacasa (now part of Casago/Vacasa combined operations) — full‑service vacation‑rental management company and marketplace (good if you want professionally managed homes or to list with a manager). (vacasa.com)

5. HomeToGo (and Tripping.com) — metasearch/aggregator that compares listings across many sites (useful for wide search/price comparisons). (hometogo.com, en.wikipedia.org)

6. Tripadvisor Rentals / FlipKey — integrates traveler reviews with rental listings; handy when you want destination research + rental options in one place. (flipkey.com)

7. Plum Guide — curated, vetted high‑quality homes (good when you want a smaller set of rigorously selected properties). (plumguide.com, en.wikipedia.org)

8. Sonder — managed, design-forward apartment/hybrid hotel units (more predictable, hotel-like short-term stays across cities). (en.wikipedia.org)

9. Hipcamp — for outdoor stays (private campsites, glamping, cabins, RV spots)—best if you want camping/unique outdoor experiences. (hipcamp.com, sfchronicle.com)

10. Local/property-manager platforms and specialist aggregators — e.g., Vacasa’s competitors, regional managers, and niche sites (ski/villa/luxury specialists) — useful for specific markets or managed offerings. (vacasa.com, en.wikipedia.org)

Quick tips:

• For maximum selection/searching across platforms, use an aggregator (HomeToGo/Tripping) plus check Airbnb and Booking.com directly.
• If you prefer whole homes for groups, start with Vrbo and Airbnb.
• For professionally managed consistency, look at Vacasa (or other management firms) and Sonder.
• For camping/outdoor trips, use Hipcamp.
• Fees, cancellation policies, guest protections and local regulations vary by platform—check each property’s terms before booking.

If you want, I can: show a short comparison table (fees, typical listing types, best uses) for any 4–6 of these platforms, or find the best sites for a specific destination or travel style.