AirDNA is known for its data and is, in our opinion, the best in the business for advanced analytics. However, some hosts might want alternatives for various reasons. Whether it's due to specific needs or just wanting a different experience, checking out other options can help hosts understand what’s available in the market. Fortunately, there are plenty of other platforms out there that also offer great insights and tools for hosts.
Here are 6 of the best AirDNA alternatives:
- Mashvisor: Best Overall AirDNA Alternative
- Wheelhouse: Best for Optimizing Revenue
- Hospitable: Best for Improving Guest Experiences
- Lighthouse: Best for Market Data
- AllTheRooms: Best for Historical Data
- Key Data Dashboard: Best User-Friendly Alternative
How We Selected the Best AirDNA Alternatives
Although AirDNA is in a league of its own, other software can help hosts optimize their performance and earnings.
Here’s our criteria for choosing the best analytics platform for managing vacation rentals:
- Comprehensive Data: We first looked at the data each platform provided, including occupancy rates and market trends, ensuring hosts have all the insights they need.
- User-Friendly Interface: We selected platforms with intuitive interfaces that are easy to navigate, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy.
- Customizability: We chose platforms that allow hosts to tailor tools and reports to meet their specific needs and preferences.
- Market Insights: Platforms offering detailed market intelligence and benchmarking capabilities help hosts make informed decisions to stay competitive.
- Integrations: Seamless integration with major booking platforms and other tools is crucial to simplify things for hosts.
- Customer Support: Good support and access to educational resources were important considerations, ensuring hosts can maximize the platform’s potential.
Based on these criteria, the overall best alternative to AirDNA is Mashvisor. It offers tools for property search, rental income estimates, and neighborhood analysis, making it an excellent choice for hosts looking to make informed decisions.
1. Mashvisor: Best Overall AirDNA Alternative
Okay. So you want to move away from AirDNA. What now? Try Mashvisor, the best alternative to AirDNA. This platform offers everything from rental income estimates to neighborhood analysis, helping hosts make smarter decisions.
At $24.99 per month for the cheapest plan (when paid annually) Mashvisor's prices are more expensive than AirDNA’s. Yet, it’s still accessible for both new and seasoned hosts.
The investment is worth it for the depth of insights and tools you’ll get, all in one user-friendly interface, helping you stay on top of market trends and ahead of the competition.
Unfortunately, the sheer amount of data can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, and it does take some time to get used to. But Mashvisor has a lot of guides, and when you get the hang of it, it is a fantastic tool that will give you the opportunities to maximize your investments.
2. Wheelhouse: Best for Optimizing Revenue
Wheelhouse is a highly customizable tool that’s also extremely user-friendly when it comes to getting started with dynamic pricing.
Dynamic pricing is a strategy where your rental’s price is adjusted in real-time based on demand, market conditions, and other factors. While this sounds time-consuming, software like Wheelhouse can do everything for you.
If we’ve already piqued your interest, you can head over to Wheelhouse and get started with their “free plan”, which you can use to explore the platform. Hosts wanting to sign up will find their prices reasonable: they offer two plans, the first charging 1% of total revenue, and the second charging a flat $19.99 per month. Both plans offer discounts for more listings.
Like AirDNA, Wheelhouse has “Comp Sets”, a feature that allows you to easily analyze competitors and your listing’s historical and present data. In short, Wheelhouse’s features can help you surpass your revenue goals and grow your business.
Unfortunately, Wheelhouse’s integration with major booking platforms is lacking. For example, it won’t integrate with Vrbo or Booking.com without a third-party application. If you’re hosting on either of those sites, then Wheelhouse may not be for you.
But, if you’re solely on Airbnb, then give Wheelhouse a shot. Its dynamic pricing capabilities and analytics make it a great alternative to AirDNA.
3. Hospitable: Best for Improving Guest Experiences
Formerly known as Smartbnb, Hospitable is our top pick for hosts looking to boost guest satisfaction through seamless communication.
It’s a fantastic alternative to AirDNA, especially for those who want to stay engaged with guests effortlessly. Hospitable automates messaging across multiple platforms using AI-powered natural language capabilities and offers a variety of templates to simplify communication tasks.
However, these advanced features do come with a cost: Hospitable starts at $29 per month, with additional fees for each listing.
While Hospitable excels in improving communication, its pricing structure may be a bit steep for some hosts. Additionally, setting up the messaging features can be a bit time-consuming. Nonetheless, once you get through the initial setup, it’s a solid and reliable investment worth considering.
4. Lighthouse: Best for Market Data
Lighthouse is a fantastic option for hosts who thrive on digging into detailed analytics. It goes beyond AirDNA by offering a deeper dive into competitor analysis, market trends, and how different booking channels perform. Lighthouse’s comprehensive approach gives hosts everything they need to make smart decisions that boost their earnings.
While Lighthouse may not be the easiest choice for beginners just starting out on Airbnb, it’s great for hosts who want to understand and improve their pricing strategies with advanced data analytics.
If you're serious about optimizing your property's performance and AirDNA isn’t giving you the data you need, consider investing in Lighthouse.
5. AllTheRooms: Best for Historical Data
If you’re a host who finds a lot of value in historical insights, AllTheRooms is the perfect alternative to AirDNA. This software excels in providing very extensive historical data, allowing you to analyze long-term trends and gain a deep understanding of how your market has evolved over time.
AllTheRooms offers various pricing plans tailored to different needs. To access years of historical data, however, you’ll need to subscribe to a higher-tier plan.
For reference, they have a free plan that has access to 3 months of data, while the cheapest paid plan starts at $11 per month (when billed annually) and has access to 12 months of data.
Keep in mind that accessing the platform’s full capabilities can become costly, with plans potentially reaching hundreds of dollars per month.
Despite this, if you’re willing to invest in thorough historical analysis to drive your business decisions, AllTheRooms remains an invaluable tool for hosts.
6. Key Data Dashboard: Best User-Friendly Alternative
Do you find AirDNA to be a little too complicated? Try Key Data Dashboard, our pick for the best user-friendly alternative. This platform is extremely easy to navigate and use, even if you're not a data scientist.
Don’t think that this simplicity makes Key Data Dashboard any less powerful, however. It still provides advanced data and KPIs, plus clear and actionable insights, that help hosts make decisions without the steep learning curve required by other software.
While it’s great for ease of use, it also isn’t the most comprehensive tool—it lacks features such as dynamic pricing, which, as we all know, is invaluable for hosts optimizing their income without spending a lot of time and effort to do so. Still, if you just need a ton of data in a beginner-friendly interface, then Key Data Dashboard is a very nifty tool to invest in.
Bottom Line
AirDNA is known for its advanced analytics, among other capabilities. And, if we’re looking at how comprehensive AirDNA’s features are for hosts in the STR business, then there are a ton of alternative software around.
But when it comes to alternatives, Mashvisor really shines. Its wide range of data, easy-to-use interface, and customizable tools are a game-changer for making investment decisions to optimize your rental’s performance. Whether you're just starting out, or you need to fine-tune your strategy, Mashvisor can help you thrive in this hyper competitive market.
