The Top 5 Free and Open Source Hotel Management Software Solutions Compared
Originally published on Capterra’s Hotel Management Blog
UPDATE 10/11/2016: This post has been updated with additional information since the original version went live. Description have been changed to better reflect a solution’s capabilities and arranged for greater clarity.
The great thing about hospitality is that it’s often free.
Think of all the times your friends have had you over and offered you food, encouragement, advice, and even a shoulder to cry on.
It speaks volumes of your friendship and volumes of your friends. They didn’t have to treat you to a bottle of wine or delicious takeout, but they did anyway, free of charge.
While the hospitality industry is a little less selfless, it still operates on a similar concept: excellent service. It’s something that should always accompany your hotel stay, no matter the room cost or quality.
Hotel management software also aims for this same bar of excellence. Some solutions achieve this through outstanding support or a user-friendly interface. Others, like your friends, do it for free.
This is where free and open source options come in. Because aside from the obvious lure of freebies, free and open source hotel software allows you to set up a tool even with a small budget so you can get back to what matters. It’s what hospitality’s all about.
But rather than waste your valuable time sifting through search results, I’ve done the research for you. Below, I’ll lay out the top five free and open source hotel management software solutions and compare their pros and cons.
Solutions are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Abacre Cloud Hotel Management System
This free cloud-based solution for hotels and motels is designed for Windows and browser-based interfaces. It’s made for properties ranging from small family-run hotels and motels to large chains.
Pros
- Customizable user interface
- Encrypted database and varying access privileges
- Work shift manager for employees
Cons
- Product intended for Microsoft Windows
- Mac operating systems must use web-based interface option
- Relies on stable internet connection
2. ASI FrontDesk Freeware
This solution from Anand Systems is genuinely free and promises a wealth of features at your fingertips. In the first six months of its launch, ASI FrontDesk Freeware was downloaded more than 42,000 times.
Pros
- Walk-in feature for unexpected guests
- Automatic database backup and restoration
- Accepts multiple currencies
Cons
- Only available for hotels and motels of ten rooms or less
3. HotelDruid
HotelDruid is an open source program for hotel management developed by DigitalDruid.Net, and can be used for bed & breakfasts, vacation houses, and hotels. While it’s free to download and install this solution, if you’d prefer to have someone else handle hosting and implementation DigitalDruid.Net offers paid hosting plans; cost for those varies with your number of rooms, but does cap out at 250 units.
Pros
- Configure number and details of rooms
- Group bookings
- System backup
