The Best Property Management Software For Short-term Rental Owners and Managers

As short-term rental owners and managers, we always market properties on multiple short-term rental websites like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking or/and Agoda to get as many bookings as possible. But at the same time, this also means that we need to deal with the amount of tasks day by day.

Let’s say, we should keep calendars synced in time across multiple websites to prevent double bookings, reply to lots of inquires, confirm reservations as soon as possible, send personalized messages to guests at different time, schedule cleaners to guarantee a clean place for guests and take dynamic pricing strategy to maximize bookings and revenue…

Then, we always need a good helper to simplify our management and maximize work efficiency, let’s say, a short-term rental property management software. But there are so many software in the market, it’s always not easy to choose the “best” one.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question “What is the best short-term rental property management software?” based on the specific needs and preferences of each property owner and manager, but there are most considered factors when owners and managers choose property management software.

These factors include channel management, automation tools, cleaning/maintenance task management, team management, financial reports, pricing and customer support. So I compare the most popular short-term rental management software among property owners and managers based on the factors above mentioned and find the best short-term management software.

1. Channel Management

All four software options provide integration with popular short-term rental channels like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com. Additionally, they support iCal connections with other booking sites, making them suitable for short-term rental owners and managers in the Americas and Europe. However, if you are based in Asia, you may want to consider choosing Hostex since it supports direct connection with Agoda, a popular booking channel in the region.

Syncing data in real-time is an essential part of choosing a short-term rental management software. All four software options can sync calendars, reservations, rates, and messages in real-time. However, only Hostex can sync reviews, while iGMS and Guesty can sync listing contents. If managing reviews in one place is a top priority, then Hostex is the better choice. On the other hand, if you attach more importance to syncing listing contents, iGMS and Guesty may be the better options for you.

In addition to syncing data, integration with other tools like dynamic pricing and smart lock platforms can make a short-term rental management software more attractive for users. When it comes to integration with dynamic pricing tools, Hostex and Hospitable only integrate with PriceLabs, while iGMS and Guesty offer more choices. As for integration with smart locks, Hostex can support a wider range of lock types. However, the most important factor to consider is which lock system you are currently using. Be sure to check if your chosen software option supports your lock system before making a decision.

As discussed, each of the four software options has its own strengths when it comes to channel management, data syncing, and integration with other tools. Therefore, users should carefully evaluate their specific needs and consider which features are most important to them before making a decision. By doing so, they can choose short-term rental management software that best fits their business requirements and helps them achieve their goals.

2.Calendar Management

Calendar management is a crucial factor to consider when choosing short-term rental management software, as preventing double bookings is a top priority for property owners and managers.

Hostex’s room type-property calendar is a standout feature, linking listings from multiple rental platforms to properties and room types, and displaying them in a subordinate structure. This makes Hostex ideal for multi-family property owners who list their houses together as one but want to separate them on multiple booking sites. Hostex also allows for a parent-child relationship among properties, making it easy to manage multi-inventory properties. Additionally, the inventory of room types (i.e., the number of available units/beds) in Hostex can be adjusted, making it especially useful for owners who manage multi-unit buildings listed on multiple sites.

Hospitable and iGMS show calendars of listings but don’t support parent-child relationships among calendars and multi-inventory properties. They are more user-friendly for owners who manage separate listings on multiple booking sites. Guesty offers both calendars of listings and calendars of units, but setting up the latter can be more complex. Owners need to create a multi-unit listing in Guesty and connect other listings as sub-units. Moreover, Guesty doesn’t support parent-child relationships among properties and calendars.

In summary, Hostex is ideal for managing all types of properties, while Hospitable and iGMS are more attractive for owners who manage separate listings on multiple booking sites. Guesty is suitable for general listings and multi-unit listing managers.

3.Reservation Management

Reservation management is critical to the success of short-term rental management, and choosing the right software can greatly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. All four software options offer the ability to sync reservations across multiple booking websites in real time and manage them in a single place. They also allow for the addition of direct bookings on multi-calendars and the setting of restrictions like minimum stay requirements.

However, when it comes to modifying synced reservations, there are some differences between the software options. Hospitable and iGMS do not support quick modification of synced reservations, while Guesty allows modification of VRBO upgraded connection reservations. Hostex stands out by supporting quick modification for all types of reservations and allowing for the modification of multiple data points, such as property changes, check-in/out times, number of guests, rates, commission, check-in guides, deposits, and more.

In summary, all four software options offer basic reservation management features, but Hostex provides more advanced capabilities for modifying reservations quickly and efficiently. Property owners and managers should consider their specific needs and priorities when choosing the best short-term rental management software for their business.

4.Automation Tools

Automation tools are essential for short-term rental owners and managers to streamline their operations and improve their overall efficiency. Four software options offer various automation features, including messaging, pricing, reviews, and cleaning tasks. Among these options, Hostex stands out as the best choice for property owners and managers.

Automated Messaging: Hostex and Hospitable are superior to iGMS and Guesty in terms of auto-response and personalized messaging. While iGMS provides no auto-response, Guesty only allows for setting auto-response and automating messages to confirmed reservations. In contrast, Hostex and Hospitable offer more customization options for automated messaging, allowing property owners and managers to create personalized messages that meet their specific needs.

Automated Pricing: Hostex is the only software option that can adjust the price of unsold properties on the day of arrival according to specific rules, which can help increase occupancy and revenue, being especially useful during low seasons or when there is a sudden increase in demand. None of the other three systems offer this feature.

Automated Reviews: Hostex is the most comprehensive option for automated reviews, enabling property owners and managers to leave reviews with any rating and content. Hospitable supports 5-star reviews and can leave bad reviews at the last moment, while iGMS and Guesty only support automated positive reviews. Additionally, Hostex can automate responses to guests’ reviews and display reviews within the software, which is not possible with the other three systems.

Automated Cleaning Tasks: All four software options can help owners and managers assign cleaning tasks automatically, which can save time and improve efficiency.

In summary, Hostex offers the most advanced and comprehensive automation tools, which can help property owners and managers save time, increase revenue, and enhance the overall guest experience. It’s an excellent choice for those seeking advanced automation features.

5.Guest&Team Management

Short-term rental management software offers helpful tools for team and owner management, including the ability to assign properties and tasks to specific team members automatically and manually. While all four software options provide a team and owners management portal, there are some differences in the level of customization and ease of use.

Hostex stands out as the most flexible and customizable option for team and owner management. With Hostex, property owners and managers can create any roles you want and provide detailed permissions for each role. Additionally, team members can be assigned to properties based on groups, room types and tags set by you. This level of flexibility makes it easy to set up accounts with the desired permissions.

Hospitable offers fixed roles for team members, but does not provide clear access to specific features. Additionally, assigning team members to properties can be challenging if managing a large number of properties, as they must be chosen one by one.

iGMS allows for some roles and permission customization, but only provides eight roles with six types of permissions. While it is easy to set up properties access for team members with iGMS, there may be limitations in terms of flexibility and granularity of permissions.

Guesty also provides fixed roles with fixed permissions, and requires assigning properties one by one, which can be labor-intensive when managing a large number of properties.

Overall, Hostex offers the best options for team and owner management with the most flexibility, and the best balance of customization and ease of use.

6.Financial Reports

Short-term rental management software offers various financial reporting options that can be filtered and exported for analysis. Of the four software options available, each provides different types of financial reports.

Hospitable and iGMS primarily offer financial reports in table format, which can be useful for reviewing data in a detailed and organized manner. However, these reports may not be as visually appealing or easy to interpret as those provided by other software options.

Hostex and Guesty stand out by providing financial reports in both chart and table formats, making it easier to visualize trends and patterns in financial data. This feature can be especially useful for property owners and managers who prefer a more graphical representation of financial data.

Overall, while all four software options provide financial reporting capabilities, the format and presentation of the reports vary. Hospitable and iGMS primarily offer table-based reports, while Hostex and Guesty provide a combination of chart and table-based reporting options. Property owners and managers should consider their specific needs and preferences when choosing the best software option for their financial reporting needs.

7.Price Plan&Customer Support

Short-term rental management software offers both website and mobile app options, allowing property owners and managers to conveniently manage tasks from anywhere at any time. While all four software options provide this feature, there are differences in customer service support.

Hostex and iGMS both offer responsive customer service support, providing property owners and managers with timely assistance when needed. In contrast, Hospitable and Guesty are not as responsive to customer inquiries.

Hostex is the most affordable software option for property owners and managers, offering a 15-day free trial and starting at $7 per property per month when paid annually. This makes it a user-friendly and cost-effective option for managing short-term rentals.

Hospitable offers a 14-day free trial and starts at $40 per month for two properties. The more properties managed, the lower the price per property. This pricing model can be appealing to property owners and managers with a smaller number of properties.

iGMS offers three subscription models: Lite, Flex, and Pro. Lite starts at $19 per property per month, Flex charges $1 per booked night, and Pro starts at $27 per property per month when paid annually. This pricing model allows property owners and managers to choose the plan that best fits their needs and budget.

Guesty starts at $34 per listing per month when paid annually. However, pricing can vary for property owners and managers with more than three listings, as they must contact Guesty to get a custom price quote.

Conclusion

After analyzing the features and pricing of various short-term rental management software options, it is important to choose the option that best fits your specific needs and priorities. While each software option has its own strengths and weaknesses, Hostex is a solid choice for a wide range of property owners and managers.

Hostex offers a comprehensive set of features, including channel management, reservations management, automation tools, and financial reporting capabilities. Its pricing model is also competitive, with options starting at $7 per month per property.

Whether you are a landlord or a manager, an individual or a company, and whether you manage a private residence or a hotel-type property, Hostex can be a good option with comprehensive and affordable short-term rental management software solution.