Hosts try and find out who is the best property management software in the hospitality industry

Property Management Software (PMS) Reviews by Hospitality Owners

Table of Contents

Maybe you already have a Property Management System (PMS) set up and looking to move?

Maybe you are just starting out and wondering who to go with.

That's why I wanted to put together a blog for you to show you:

a) who is out there

b) who is recommended.

I posted out in the Hospitality Community Facebook Group and carried out additional research to find out the pros and cons of some of the best providers out there. After that, I took the results and compiled a list of Property Management Software Reviews in the report below.

It's important to note that I've listed these in no particular order.

If I have missed anyone out and you would like for me to review them, do reach out via email and let me know

Why You Need a PMS

Before we start, this video explains why everyone NEEDS a PMS for their business. In addition, it will also talk about the reasons why you will get left behind if you don't have one.


Property Management Software (PMS) Companies Reviews


Hostfully

Hostfully’s award-winning software helps vacation rental companies provide 5-star hospitality. With property management and guest experience software for short-term rentals, Hostfully helps property managers automate, streamline, and grow their businesses.
 
Hostfully's Property Management Platform includes pipeline management, upselling tools, owner reporting, a centralised calendar, and a platform for widespread channel distribution.
 
Further, Hostfully's Guidebooks Platform also allows managers to supply travellers with mission-critical property information and local recommendations, with a custom welcome message featuring their unique brands.
 

 
It was recently mentioned as one of the top PMS providers in the Keystone Awards by VRMB and recommended by this user.
 
Boostly readers get $100 off the PMP and two months free of the guidebook subscription when they type in boostly2m when signing up.
 

Guesty

Guesty

Guesty is an end-to-end solution for short-term property managers. The software allows users to manage listings across the usual channels, such as Airbnb, Booking.com and TripAdvisor Rentals.

The system dashboard allows property managers to consolidate their communication, generate detailed reports, analyze their business performance, process payments and more.

Guesty’s mobile app means you can utilise their features anywhere, whilst their website builder allows you to promote your properties and take direct bookings.

The software integrates with a broad range of external management tools so that users can easily sync their reservation and listing information with solutions that complement Guesty’s functionality.

As with a lot of other solutions we've looked at, users really like Guesty and would happily recommend it to other accommodation owners/managers. One user commented that the software was easy to navigate and use, and the support continued to get better and better. They also liked that there were regular developments and that Guesty continued to innovate and move forward.

Others also found it suitable for the ease of linking to other booking sites and integrating the booking setup into their own website.  They liked the functionality and found the connectivity exceptionally well done.

Pros

  1. Easy to navigate and set up
  2. Regularly updated with new features

Supercontrol

supercontrol logo

Supercontrol started in 2007 as a booking engine dedicated to self-catering holiday rentals. This Property Management Software was founded by Robert and Melinda Kennedy, who themselves ran holiday cottages beginning in 1999. The business's growth has seen it become a preferred partner of Booking.com and HomeAway. Also, they have an international office in Poland.

So here we have a booking engine that's gotten quite large reasonably quickly. Fans like Diana, Lindsey, and David like how it integrates with websites and calendars to create a seamless experience. David liked the reporting functionality, too, and Lindsey appreciated the ease of payment.

Pros

  1. Great site integration
  2. Easy payments
  3. Easy to get reports
  4. Automation is useful
  5. Customer support is good

 


Rentals United

Rentals United

Rentals United is a cloud-based channel management solution which assists vacation rental managers with the management of online reservations and guest communications.

Some key features include room bookings, pricing analysis, messaging and data synchronisation. The application enables users to list properties on multiple websites and update pricing and availability details in real time.

They also update your pricing, photos and property information instantly and automatically. In most cases, you don't even need to create accounts on the listing sites, as they take care of that too.

Rentals United integrates with Airbnb, Wishbox, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Trivago and more. Its connection with payment processing tools such as Stripe and HomeAway also enables hosts to collect guest payments in multiple currencies.

On the positive side, reviewers said it was efficient, reliable and user-friendly, with a large number of channels to link to.

Pros

  1. Good speed and stability
  2. User-friendly
  3. Connects to a vast number of channels

Lodgify

Lodgify Vacation Rental Software

Lodgify claims they are everything you need to create a vacation rental website and manage all your bookings.

Their vacation rental software provides owners and property managers with the tools needed to build a website, accept online bookings with credit card payments and manage all your reservations from one place.

The solution also allows the synchronization of property data with external booking channels such as Airbnb and Booking.com, Expedia Group, and Homeaway/Vrbo.

Those that have used Lodgify with their holiday rental business seem to come in two camps. Those that love it. And those that aren't as keen.

In the pro's corner, they said it was relatively simple to use, especially with mobile devices. It also has a wide range of features and widgets that many users love. You can also run a free trial too, just to see if the system works for you.

Pros

  1. Comprehensive toolset
  2. Easy to use
  3. Great functionality

Hostaway

Hostaway has become a market leader in marketing, property management, reporting, and guest communication for vacation rental property managers.

 
Hostaway has one of the most extensive lists of integrations in the industry, including deep integrations with Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, and Booking.com. Hostaway connects with an array of systems, including Operto, Beyond Pricing, Zapier, Breezeway, PriceLabs, and more.

 
Customer service and account management at Hostaway are among the best in the industry. Each user is provided with a dedicated account manager to help with both the setup of your account and also be a constant resource and point of contact. In addition, they provide 24/7 technical support.
 
Hostway's system is a more complete solution than other competitors and, as such can be more costly. However, unlike their most direct competitor Guesty, they use a subscription model rather than the commission, which is ultimately cheaper in most cases.
 
Hostaway does have a steeper learning curve than other systems since it is more robust and complete.
 

Pros

  1. Massive list of integrations
  2. Mobile App for owners and employees
  3. Stellar account management and technical support
  4. 2-Way API with all major OTAs
  5. Robust Reporting Tools
 

OwnerRez

OwnerRez PMS review

OwnerRez positions itself as an ‘elite' vacation rental channel manager, PMS and website provider.

OwnerRez is a powerful and flexible system for managing vacation rental properties providing booking and maintenance management, payment scheduling and collection, as well as insightful reporting. OwneRez allows property managers to manage all properties through one dashboard. It supports integration with various listing sites such as Airbnb, TripAdvisor and HomeAway.

Pricing varies depending on the number of properties you have (or manage). There is no cost for taking bookings, no setup fees and no tie-in for minimum length contracts.

Currently, managing up to two properties will cost you $35 per month, rising gradually to $89 for ten properties and $325 for 100 properties.

There are a couple of additional charges for ‘premium' products, but most small users probably won't need them.

It was virtually impossible to find anything negative about the OwnerRez experience. Virtually all users found OwenRez to be a great company to work with, which provided them with an excellent PMS solution and excellent customer support.

Tod was particularly impressed, saying that OwnerRez had saved his company so much time and energy. From calendar syncing, guest communication, automated emails, the amazing variety of reports and integration with other platforms (VRBO, Airbnb, Booking.com, QuickBooks), etc.

He, like many others, was also impressed with the speed of the backend.

The most common complaint from users was the time it takes new users to get used to everything. Otto suggested that it was time-consuming and cumbersome to those who were brand new. But worth it.

It's worth mentioning that OwnerRez offers a ‘Concierge service' that takes care of most of this for you, but that does come at an additional cost.

Pros 

  1. Clear pricing model
  2. Great range of features
  3. Excellent customer support

Uplisting

Uplisting PMS reviewUplisting is a cloud-based hotel management solution that helps small to midsize vacation rental businesses manage bookings, customer support, housekeeping, commission, payments and more.

It allows users to import bookings from various websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com. Primary features of Uplisting include real-time syncing, calendar management, credit card payments validation, reporting and a dedicated client/owner portal.

The platform offers automation tools that enable users to create custom guest messages with personalized templates and filter queries based on source, type and status. Additionally, its automated cleaning scheduler allows users to create turnover tasks, invite cleaning teams and send alerts.

The product is available on a per month subscription pricing, which means 0% commission on all bookings.

Pricing for owners starts at $100 per month for up to 5 properties + $20 for additional properties.

For property managers it's $200/month for 10+ properties + $10 for additional properties.

I talk about this some more on my Uplisting Podcast.

Another product and company that really seems to be appreciated by its users. Uplisting is praised for the seamless connectivity, excellent customer service team and valuable features.

Holly felt the interface is very user friendly, it’s continually improving and evolving, and Uplisting really listen to the clients and their feedback. She also felt that the product is very affordable, saving you hours in so many ways- from automated messaging to bulk pricing, to identity check links etc.

This view was shared by Trish, who commented that it does everything we want it to do, quickly and efficiently and with no bugs so far! The information upload and download are faster than every single product we tried. Add to this the fact that the customer service is top notch. Not another company out there has taken such an interest in not only making sure everything is set up correctly but also taking suggestions to heart. I never have to wait more than a few hours for a response ever. And they keep adding more and more fabulous features. And, in case you’re wondering, I love the software for its intuitiveness and ease of use (I’m the non-techy one in the family, but I’m the one who runs the business), and my husband is a crazy smart engineer, and he loves the software as well.

Pros 

  1. Good value for money
  2. Great range of features
  3. Excellent customer support

Smoobu

Smoobu PMS review

Smoobu is an online vacation rental solution designed to help businesses streamline processes related to reservations, communications, guest experience and more.

It comes with a channel manager, which lets users connect the platform with third-party rental channels such as Airbnb, Agoda, Expedia or Booking.com and automatically sync data such as minimum stays and prices.

Smoobu comes with a reservation system, which provides a centralised dashboard to add bookings or blocked dates, share calendars with employees and export bookings as CSV tables.

Pricing is available on monthly and annual subscriptions. Smoobu does offer a free version, but it's pretty limited so the majority will go for the Professional version.

Pricing for the pro version starts at £13 per month for one unit. There are no commission or setup fees to add. Each additional unit costs around £3.50 per month extra, so its price is very competitive.

The majority of reviews were excellent, as opined by Carsten, who reported that the channel manager was straightforward to use and works great. Synchronization with the major portals is very easy, quick and reliable.

This was backed up by Nico, who thought, after two years of use, that Smoobu is probably the Channel Manager with the best ‘Features/Price' ratio.
It has all functionality a small-middle accommodations managing service would need. The subscription is very reasonable too. They haven't stopped improving since I know them and they have the perfect support.

Pros 

  1. Very low price
  2. High level of functionality

 

Zeevou

Zeevou PMS review Zeevou is a community of like-minded hosts that help you grow your vacation rental business and increase your profit while achieving more freedom. By using Zeevou you will find the time to scale your business and spend more time doing the work you actually enjoy because you are fully covered.

The all-in-one solution includes a globally scalable PMS with a state-of-the-art direct booking website and real-time distribution to 200+ channels, automated communication and guest management tools, cleaning and maintenance oversight, as well as fully customisable monthly owner statements.

This is specifically created to take away the stress of seemingly never-ending responsibilities – and allow operators to focus on the things that they genuinely enjoy.

Pricing for Zeevou starts at around £24 per month per unit. If you want more features, like dynamic pricing etc., they provide a Pro version, which increases the price to £38 per month.

In the main, users found the onboarding process very easy and stress-free. They also liked that the system is intuitive and easy to use.

Paul was especially effusive, suggesting that Zeevou allowed him to manage all important aspects of his online business via the major OTAs. Emails are configurable, and automated and customisable workflows take care of most of the requirements he had in the day to day management of bookings, calendars, payments, security deposits, terms and conditions and ID verification and then guest contact and management.

Donatas also suggested the main features he liked were the possibilities with email marketing to guests, as it has a huge amount of variables that can be adjusted to everyone's needs.

It seems clear that customer requests for additional functionality have been listened to and embodied.

Pros 

  1. Easy setup and onboarding
  2. Intuitive and easy to use software
  3. Excellent customer service team
  4. Great features

Newbook

newbook PMS

 

NewBook is an award-winning Property Management System (PMS) and Booking Engine designed for hotels, motels, hostels, short-term rentals, and more.

It includes a PMS, an online booking engine, a channel manager, a reservation system, and a provides payment gateway.

Users of Newbook found it easy to use and great value for money, with very good support staff. One user reported that “The program is perfect for us to manage 20 plus cabins and camping sites. The support staff are always helpful and in a good mood.”

Another praised the ability to receive read receipts in the system for any emails sent to guests.

Toby, a user in Australia, loved the fact that every keystroke and every action is recorded in the audit log.

Overall, reviews for Newbook are massively positive.

Pros 

  1. Good value for money
  2. Excellent support staff
  3. As complex or easy as you like

Hospitable PMS

Hospitable

Hospitable (formerly Smartbnb) is the property management solution that centralizes all your properties in one convenient dashboard and automates communication with guests, yet sounds totally human. 

Pricing starts from $40 per month.

They have a ‘smart AI' system that seems to work well. Tim said the biggest plus of Hospitable is the automated email platform. It's highly customisable, and after a bit of playing around, I was able to come up with a setup that I am very happy with, with most of the routine emails being sent automatically. 

Jonathan was of the same opinion, stating that it enabled the automation of 90% of his communications.

Many other users commented that the system is very good value, while most appreciated the quality of the support provided.

Pros 

  1. Good value for money
  2. AI messaging

Tokeet Tokeet PMS

Tokeet offers a complete, fully integrated suite of products for all aspects of your rental business. Their platform contains all the tools you need to grow from 1 to 1000 rentals. Tokeet is a one-stop shop for vacation rental management software solutions. – Channel Management – Reservation & Property Management – Dynamic Pricing – Automation That Saves Time & Money – Integrated eSignatures

Users, in general, liked Tokeet, especially the customer support.

Pouvanart praised the simplicity of using the system, while Martin said that he uses Tokeet on more than 60 properties and is very satisfied with its performance, functionality and use. He went on to say that he thinks it's easily automated and it is efficient and effective for his business.

Pros 

  1. Simple to use
  2. Captures electronic signatures and IDs

Eviivo Eviivo PMS

Eviivo is an all-in-one booking suite and provider of systems to manage guests, bookings and OTAs. Rates, availability, photos, terms, and policies automatically sync and update across all your OTAs.

Features include a free website, email designer, intelligent payment solution and essential dashboards.

One user summed up her experience of using eviivo by saying that she finds the eviivo system generally easy to use and, if she ever has a query, there are ‘how to' videos available as well as the online chat for support. She only needs to update her calendar and rates in one place, and it automatically transfers over to the online booking agencies. All her payments are also handled by the system.

Many users are very positive about the customer service and the amount of online help that's available to answer any questions too.

Pros 

  1.  A very capable software package
  2. Very good on-line support and good off-line self-learning modules
  3. Visually it is excellent.

Hostify Hostify PMS

Users love Hostify! Nadyak reported recently that Hostify is an absolute game changer for vacation rental management. Their PMS and channel manager tools are incredibly user-friendly and make managing their properties a breeze. The calendar syncing feature is a lifesaver and has greatly increased his booking efficiency. The customer service team is also top-notch and always goes above and beyond to ensure their needs are met.

Another user stated that with Hostify, they had seen a significant increase in bookings and overall revenue. 

Ana reported that The platform had become the neurological centre of her business. Saying you can manage hundreds of properties from a single program and also multi-units. It works for vacation apartments as well as for her hotel and residential buildings.

  1. Easy to use
  2. Great multi calendar
  3. Many integrations

iGMS

iGMS software automates up to 90% of daily hosting tasks & management. It easily controls all OTA accounts like Airbnb, Booking.com, & Vrbo from one multi-calendar.

It can automate your guest communication & cleaning management, accept payments and monitor your financial performance. It also allows you to collaborate with your team & use rich direct integrations to grow your revenue.

Pricing starts from $20 per month, and there is a free trial.

The vast majority of users love iGMS although the customer service can be variable. Kent, who has used the system for two years, stated that managing vacation rentals without IGMS is a daunting task. IGMS allows him to manage all listings from all platforms in one place. They also just partnered up with pricelabs, which saves him lots of time. He added that they were very quick to respond when he needed assistance.

In addition, they are constantly adding more management tools to make the user experience better. 

  1. Ability to edit your products pricing
  2. Excellent reporting
  3. Easy to use

Beds24

An award-winning channel manager, PMS, booking engine, and payment collection.

Beds24 is a cost-effective, powerful, reliable and flexible All-in-one-solution which simplifies workflows and automates tasks.

It includes smart automation tools to manage bookings, prices, availability, and guests. The channel manager automatically keeps inventory and prices up to date across all channels, while the booking engine has fully customizable widgets, live availability, and prices.

Users of the system are very complimentary about it. Ruben suggested that BEDS24 has unlimited options for any solution you might be thinking of inside your accommodation business. It is easy to understand and manage and has many layers to explore and improve your business. The system has a large number of channels that are plug and play and at least as many third party software partners and payment providers.

Valerie reported that once installed. It is so easy to use. Overall, it has helped her gain a lot of time. Most of all, she loved their customer service as they answered quickly and really tried their best to understand the problem and provide solutions.

  1. Easily configurable
  2. Highly customizable widgets can be easily embedded in any webpage
  3. Good documentation for every feature

 

Disclaimer

Some of the businesses above are Boostly partners, and if you sign up for them via my link, it will help support the Boostly website and business; however that this does not disparage any of the information shown above. All of the views are from hospitality community members or system users.
 
Check out my list of other PMS providers.

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