How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- STR software is priced three ways: per property per month (Lodgify from $14, Hospitable from $29), per listing (Guesty Lite $9), or per booked night (iGMS Flex $1).
- Only Guesty Lite publishes pricing; Hostaway is quote-only, and Guesty Pro and Enterprise are quote-only too.
- Real free options exist: Hospitable's Essentials plan is free with unlimited properties, and Hostex starts at $4.90/month.
- PriceLabs ($19.99/listing/month) is not a PMS but a dynamic pricing engine; we include it because pricing automation is half the revenue battle.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Guesty | Scaling operators and enterprises needing 60+ channels | $9/listing/month (Lite, published) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Hostaway | Portfolio operators (10-100+ listings) wanting 300+ integrations | See website (quote-based) | No |
 Lodgify | Hosts who want the strongest direct booking website | $14/month (Basic, billed annually) | Free trial (7 days) |
 Hospitable | Solo hosts and small portfolios wanting AI messaging | $29/month (Host, 1 property) | Yes |
 OwnerRez | US owner-operators wanting accounting depth and control | $40/month (1 property) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Hostex | Budget hosts wanting full channel management under $5 | $4.90/month (Basic, 1 property) | Free trial |
 iGMS | Hosts wanting automation with pay-per-booked-night pricing | $14/property/month (Lite, billed annually) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Smoobu | European hosts needing GDPR-friendly local tooling | €29/month (Professional Flex, 1 property) | Free trial (14 days) |
 PriceLabs | Any host wanting automated dynamic pricing on top of a PMS | $19.99/listing/month | Free trial (30 days) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best short term rental software
Before comparing features, learn how this market prices itself, because the sticker tells you little. Some tools charge per property per month, some per listing, some per booked night, and several add a percentage on direct bookings processed through their own engine. A tool that looks cheap at one listing can become the most expensive at twenty. Every price below was checked against vendor pricing pages and current third-party reporting in October 2026, and each entry names the pricing model so you can do the math for your portfolio size.
#1
Guesty
Best for: Scaling operators and enterprises needing 60+ channels
Visit guesty.com
Starting price$9/listing/month (Lite, published)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Guesty is the enterprise standard in vacation rental management, built for operators scaling from a handful of units to hundreds. Lite covers up to 3 listings with published pricing around $9 per listing per month, a 14-day trial, and a 1% booking fee. Pro (4 to 199 listings) and Enterprise (200-plus) are quote-only with native payments, accounting and guest screening that Hostaway users often have to assemble from integrations.
The scale shows in the details: 60-plus real-time channel connections, a 230-person support team, and integrations across pricing, smart locks and operations. The honest trade-off is price opacity above Lite and the 1% fee on the entry tier. Guesty suits operators who plan to grow past 10 units and want one platform to grow into. Solo hosts will find cheaper tools that do the job.
What we like- 60+ channel connections with near real-time API sync
- The only tier with published pricing is Lite ($9-29/listing)
- Large support team with 24/7 coverage
Watch out for- Pro and Enterprise tiers are quote-only
- Lite carries a 1% booking fee and caps at 3 listings
#2
Hostaway
Best for: Portfolio operators (10-100+ listings) wanting 300+ integrations
Visit hostaway.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based)
Free planNo
Hostaway is the tool portfolio operators mention most, built for the 10 to 100-plus listing range. It connects to 26-plus channels through direct APIs, including Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and Expedia, and plugs into more than 300 third-party tools, the widest integration ecosystem in this comparison. G2 reviewers give it 4.7 out of 5 and report low double-booking rates despite the sync interval.
The catch is commercial, not technical. Hostaway publishes no pricing; third-party reports put it around $20 to $40 per listing per month with setup fees, and it takes a percentage on direct bookings processed through its booking engine. Get the all-in number, including the direct-booking fee and any onboarding charge, in writing before you commit. Hostaway suits growing management companies that live in integrations.
What we like- 26+ direct channel integrations and a 300+ tool marketplace
- Rated 4.7/5 on G2 from 338 reviews
- Strong automation for guest messaging and operations
Watch out for- No public pricing, quotes only
- Charges a percentage on direct bookings through its engine
- Sync can lag up to 30 minutes
#3
Lodgify
Best for: Hosts who want the strongest direct booking website
Visit lodgify.com
Starting price$14/month (Basic, billed annually)
Free planFree trial (7 days)
Lodgify is built around one bet: hosts should own their guest relationships through direct bookings. The website builder is genuinely the best in this group, with mobile-responsive templates, SEO tools, custom domain support and an integrated booking engine, and every plan charges 0% booking fees. Four plans run from Basic at $14 a month (annual billing) to Ultimate at $62, with the builder included from Starter up.
Channel management covers Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and Expedia with real-time sync, and dynamic pricing is included on the top two tiers. The 7-day trial barely covers importing listings and testing the booking flow, so use it efficiently. Lodgify suits hosts whose strategy is reducing OTA dependence. If messaging automation matters more than websites, look at Hospitable.
What we like- Best-in-class website builder with booking engine and 0% booking fees on every plan
- Fully published pricing with annual discounts
- Dynamic pricing included on Professional and Ultimate
Watch out for- Only a 7-day trial, the shortest here
- Messaging automation is thinner than Hospitable's
- Prices scale with property count
Starting price$29/month (Host, 1 property)
Free planYes
Hospitable, formerly Smartbnb, built its reputation on guest messaging that feels like magic. The AI engine reads guest questions, generates context-aware replies and sends them without you touching the keyboard, which is the feature that matters for a solo host managing properties around a day job. The free Essentials plan covers unlimited properties with calendar sync, unified inbox and basic automation, which no competitor matches.
Paid tiers start at Host at $29 a month for one property, Professional at $59 for two, and Mogul at $99 for three, with per-property add-ons above that and a 12% annual discount. Direct booking websites need Professional; owner reporting needs Mogul. Hospitable suits 1 to 10-property hosts who want automation without enterprise complexity. Larger portfolios will outgrow the channel list.
What we like- Free Essentials plan with unlimited properties, real channel sync and unified inbox
- AI messaging that detects questions and replies automatically
- Dynamic pricing included on paid plans
Watch out for- Direct booking website only on Professional and up
- Accounting and owner statements only on the Mogul tier
- Smaller channel list than Guesty
#5
OwnerRez
Best for: US owner-operators wanting accounting depth and control
Visit ownerrez.com
Starting price$40/month (1 property)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
OwnerRez is the control freak's PMS, in the best sense. The per-property sliding scale starts at $40 a month for one property and drops to $2 per property past 200, with no booking fees, no setup fees and no contracts, all published on its pricing page with a 14-day trial. Accounting depth is the differentiator: QuickBooks real-time sync, owner portals with statements, trust accounting support and rental agreement e-signatures.
The trade-off is onboarding effort. Reviewers consistently say the learning curve is real, the interface prioritizes function over polish, and support is email-only. It is built primarily for the US market, with weaker international tooling. OwnerRez suits owner-operators and managers who want financial transparency and customization and will invest a few days in setup. Hosts who want something that works out of the box should pick Lodgify or Hospitable.
What we like- Per-property sliding scale with no booking fees and no contracts
- Deep accounting with QuickBooks sync and owner statements
- Vrbo Premier Partner with direct API
Watch out for- Real learning curve and a functional rather than polished interface
- Email-only support with no phone line
- Premium features like hosted websites are paid add-ons
#6
Hostex
Best for: Budget hosts wanting full channel management under $5
Visit hostex.io
Starting price$4.90/month (Basic, 1 property)
Free planFree trial
Hostex is the value disruptor: real channel management, unified inbox and automation starting at $4.90 a month for one property on Basic, or $7 on Pro. Channel coverage is broader than its price suggests, with Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Trip.com and Google Vacation Rentals, plus unified reservation management and pricing sync.
It is a smaller, younger company, so expect a thinner integration marketplace and less hand-holding than Guesty or Hostaway. But for hosts whose needs are calendar sync, messaging automation and multi-channel distribution, Hostex delivers the core job at a tenth of the enterprise price. It suits budget-conscious hosts with 1 to 20 properties who do not need accounting depth or owner portals.
What we like- Full channel management from $4.90 a month per property
- Broader channel coverage than Hospitable including Expedia and Trip.com
- Clean, simple interface
Watch out for- Smaller company with a thinner integration ecosystem
- Support and onboarding less developed than the big players
#7
iGMS
Best for: Hosts wanting automation with pay-per-booked-night pricing
Visit igms.com
Starting price$14/property/month (Lite, billed annually)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
iGMS prices differently from everyone else. The Flex plan charges $1 per booked night with a $20 monthly minimum per property, which means a quiet month costs you the minimum and a busy month costs you proportionally. Lite starts at $14 per property per month on annual billing for up to 4 properties, and Pro starts at $18 with full channels, financial reports and dynamic pricing.
The automation suite is the draw: guest messaging templates, automated review requests, cleaning and task management, team management and key exchange tracking. Flex's per-night model suits seasonal hosts and new listings with uncertain occupancy. High-occupancy properties will pay less on the flat Pro plan, so run your own occupancy math before choosing.
What we like- Flex plan charges $1 per booked night with a $20 monthly minimum, so slow months cost little
- Strong automation for messaging, reviews and cleaning tasks
- Free trial with no credit card
Watch out for- Lite plan caps at 4 properties and covers Airbnb only on channel management
- Revenue management features need higher tiers
#8
Smoobu
Best for: European hosts needing GDPR-friendly local tooling
Visit smoobu.com
Starting price€29/month (Professional Flex, 1 property)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Smoobu is the European specialist: channel management, reservation dashboard, automated messaging and a booking website for hosts and small managers, with GDPR compliance built in and features like tourist tax collection and registration numbers that US-focused platforms skip. Pricing starts at €29 a month for one property on Professional Flex (plus a 0.9% booking fee), with Professional Prepaid at €35 without the fee and Teams Pro+ at €55.
The interface is simple and the learning curve short, which suits non-technical hosts. US-based hosts should note the euro billing and European support hours, and everyone should note the missing Google Vacation Rentals connection. Smoobu suits hosts in Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Italy running 1 to 20 properties who want local tooling over global scale.
What we like- Built for European regulations with tourist tax and registration number handling
- Simple interface with a short learning curve
- Bills in euros with no setup fees
Watch out for- Priced in euros, which complicates US cost comparisons
- Support runs on European business hours
- No Google Vacation Rentals integration
#9
PriceLabs
Best for: Any host wanting automated dynamic pricing on top of a PMS
Visit pricelabs.co
Starting price$19.99/listing/month
Free planFree trial (30 days)
PriceLabs is included as the honest adjacent tool: it is not property management software, it is a dynamic pricing engine that plugs into your PMS or channels. The engine adjusts nightly rates daily based on demand, seasonality, events, booking windows and comparable listings, with granular rules for minimum stays, orphan gaps and last-minute discounts. Dynamic Pricing runs $19.99 per listing per month in major markets ($9.99 elsewhere), with discounts from the second listing and a 1% of revenue option.
Most PMS tools on this list integrate with PriceLabs directly, and several include their own lighter pricing automation. If your PMS includes dynamic pricing, try it first. If you manage more than a couple of listings and want to own your pricing strategy rather than accept Airbnb's Smart Pricing, PriceLabs is the default serious choice, with the best free trial in the category at 30 days.
What we like- The deepest dynamic pricing controls in the category with 47+ adjustable settings
- Published per-listing pricing with volume discounts
- 30-day trial with no credit card
Watch out for- Not a PMS, it only does pricing, so you need another tool for everything else
- The settings depth overwhelms hands-off hosts
How we chose
We built the longlist from STR industry coverage, G2 and Capterra reviews, and host community discussion, then checked each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026 for current plans, per-listing versus per-property models, booking fees and trials. We favored tools with real channel management, published or verifiable pricing, and credible host bases, mixing enterprise PMS platforms with SMB tools and including one adjacent dynamic pricing tool, clearly labeled. We excluded discontinued products and tools without meaningful channel sync. No vendor paid for placement, and we did not run hands-on trials; the write-ups reflect published facts and reviewer consensus.
How pricing actually works in this market
Three pricing models dominate, and the cheapest depends on your portfolio. Per-property flat rates (Lodgify, Hospitable, OwnerRez, Hostex) favor busy properties: one monthly fee regardless of bookings. Per-listing rates (Guesty Lite, PriceLabs) scale linearly with portfolio size and are easy to compare. Per-booked-night pricing (iGMS Flex) favors seasonal or low-occupancy listings, since slow months cost almost nothing.
Then come the fees that are not on the headline. Guesty Lite takes 1% of bookings. Hostaway takes a percentage on direct bookings through its engine. Smoobu's Flex plan adds 0.9% on bookings. Lodgify charges 0% booking fees on every plan. Add the OTA host fees (3 to 15% on Airbnb and Vrbo) and payment processing on top, and the software line item is only part of the stack.
Model your real cost at your real size. Take your property count, your average monthly bookings and your direct-booking share, and run them through two or three pricing pages before you decide. A $29-a-month tool with a 1% booking fee costs a $10,000-a-month property $129; a $40 flat tool costs $40. The trials are short, mostly 7 to 14 days, so arrive with your listings imported and your questions ready.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best STR management software for a single property?
Hospitable is the strongest pick: the free Essentials plan includes real channel management and a unified inbox, and the $29 Host plan adds AI messaging and built-in dynamic pricing. Lodgify Starter at $26 a month (annual) is the alternative if you want a direct booking website from day one.
How much does short term rental software cost?
Per-property plans run $5 to $40 a month per property (Hostex at the bottom, OwnerRez at $40 for one). Guesty Lite runs $9 per listing per month with a 1% booking fee. Hostaway is quote-only with third-party reports around $20 to $40 per listing. Guesty Pro and Enterprise are quote-only. Budget extra for booking percentages, payment processing and dynamic pricing add-ons.
Do I need a PMS if I only list on Airbnb?
If you list on one channel and manage one property, Airbnb's own tools plus calendar discipline can work. A PMS earns its keep when you add a second channel, automate guest messaging, or build direct bookings. Hospitable's free plan and Hostex at $4.90 a month make the experiment cheap.
Which STR software has the best direct booking website?
Lodgify, by most accounts: the website builder is its flagship feature, with professional templates, SEO tools, custom domains and 0% booking fees. OwnerRez and Hospitable include websites on higher tiers, and Guesty includes them on Pro. None of them replace a real marketing strategy, but they remove the technical barrier.
Can these tools prevent double bookings?
Yes, when connected through direct APIs rather than calendar feeds. Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, OwnerRez and Hospitable all sync availability across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. Calendar-feed (iCal) syncing is slower and less reliable; prefer tools with direct API connections to each channel you use.
What is dynamic pricing, and is PriceLabs worth it?
Dynamic pricing adjusts your nightly rates automatically based on demand, seasonality, events and comparable listings. PriceLabs at $19.99 per listing per month is the deepest standalone tool, with a 30-day trial. Several PMS platforms include lighter built-in pricing: Hospitable includes it on paid plans, Lodgify on Professional and up. It is worth it once you manage more than a couple of listings or operate in a seasonal market.
Sources we checked (16)
- https://staystra.com/best-property-management-software-str-hosts-2026/
- https://staystra.com/best-str-channel-manager-2026-hostaway-guesty-lodgify-ownerrez-beds24/
- https://staystra.com/str-property-management-software-2026-hospitable-guesty-ownerrez-lodgify/
- https://staystra.com/hospitable-review-2026/
- https://www.lodgify.com/comparisons/best-vacation-rental-software/
- https://www.lodgify.com/comparisons/hostaway-alternatives/
- https://www.lodgify.com/comparisons/hospitable-vs-guesty/
- https://hostex.io/blog/hostex-or-hospitable/
- https://www.igms.com/faq/
- https://www.saasworthy.com/product/igms/pricing
- https://www.lodgify.com/comparisons/smoobu-alternatives/
- https://www.smoobu.com/en/comparisons/ownerrez-alternatives/
- https://www.bnbcalc.com/reviews/pricelabs-airbnb-review
- https://www.g2.com/products/guesty/competitors/alternatives
- http://truvi.com/blog/ownerrez-reviews/
- https://www.ownerrez.com/discovery-webinar-scheduled
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.