Looking to simplify your vacation rental management? You need a channel manager. A channel manager helps you manage listings, synchronize calendars, and automate pricing across multiple booking sites, ensuring you never double-book and always optimize your revenue.
Here are the 6 best channel managers for vacation rentals:
- Guesty: Best Overall Channel Manager
- Hostaway: Best for Functionality
- Lodgify: Best Budget Option
- Avantio: Best for Scaling Businesses
- Tokeet: Best Beginner-Friendly Tool
- Smoobu: Best Channel Coverage
How We Selected the Best Channel Managers for Vacation Rentals
Choosing the right channel managers for vacation rentals is all about finding the tools that really help hosts succeed. We took a look at different options based on key criteria to make sure they meet the needs of hosts and managers, and deliver real value.
Here’s what we looked at when selecting the best channel managers for vacation rentals:
- Ease of Use: We wanted platforms that are user-friendly, so both beginners and experienced managers can easily navigate and operate them.
- Integrations: It’s super important for these tools to connect seamlessly with other platforms and booking sites.
- Automation Features: We searched for channel managers that automate tasks like pricing updates and calendar syncing, which can save users a ton of time and cut down on manual errors.
- Customer Support: Great customer service can make a difference, so we looked at the quality and accessibility of support each platform offers.
- Pricing: We checked out the pricing schemes to ensure they gave a good return on investment.
- Reviews: We checked out reviews from real users to help us understand overall satisfaction with the software.
After thorough evaluation, Guesty stands out as our top choice. Its comprehensive, top-tier features, fantastic customer support, and positive user feedback make it a standout option for vacation rental managers looking to streamline their operations and increase their booking success.
1. Guesty: Best Overall Channel Manager
If you're looking for the best option for managing short-term rentals, Guesty is it. Their platform covers everything you need—booking, communication, and revenue management—so you can take care of your rental properties seamlessly. It’s so much more than just a channel manager (although it excels at that too)—it’s designed to help both experienced hosts and beginners streamline operations.
While Guesty is great all around, one of the best things about this software is its automation features. It really saves you time by handling repetitive tasks like messaging and booking confirmations, and even more advanced tasks like dynamic pricing. Plus, it integrates well with popular sites like Airbnb and Booking.com, among others, making it very easy to manage your properties in one central dashboard.
When it comes to pricing, Guesty has flexible plans that fit various portfolios and budgets: costs can change based on how many properties you manage and which features you choose. The plans start at $16 per month per rental.
With the amount of functionality that Guesty provides, it’s no surprise that it can take a bit to get the hang of if you’re new to channel and property management software. Some advanced features will cost extra, as well.
On the cheapest plan, for example, you can only connect Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO. To access all the channels that can integrate with Guesty, you’ll need to upgrade to at least the mid-tier option.
Overall, if you’re looking for a solid channel manager to manage your portfolio across different channels, and you have the budget for it, Guesty is our top pick!
2. Hostaway: Best for Functionality
Hostaway really shines when it comes to functionality for hosts. With its all-in-one feature set, it makes managing operations a breeze. The platform has a user-friendly interface that combines booking management, channel distribution, payment processing, communication tools, and more, in one place.
As a channel manager, Hostaway is a preferred partner of Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia, Google Vacation Rentals, Tripadvisor, and Homes & Villas, so you know you’re in good hands. It even connects with more niche distribution channels so you have more options for advertising your properties.
Unfortunately, Hostaway operates on a customized pricing scheme, so you’ll have to get a quote on Hostaway to see if it’s a good fit for your business. This lack of transparency is one of its downsides, as well as the learning curve for its features.
Still, the benefits usually outweigh these minor concerns. Hostaway is a very powerful tool that mixes functionality with effective management; if you’re looking for one platform that can do it all, then Hostaway is a fantastic choice.
3. Lodgify: Best for Growing Businesses
For a budget-friendly option, Lodgify is worth checking out. Although it has a “flexible” rate (i.e., the price goes up depending on the plan you choose and how many properties you have), it’s still one of the best options out there.
Plans start at $15 per month + a 1.9% booking fee for a 2-year contract with one rental, but it can go as cheap as $100 per month + a 1.9% booking fee for 100 rentals—so it’s definitely more affordable the larger your portfolio is.
It also offers a great mix of essential features without compromising on quality. You get a user-friendly website builder, direct booking capabilities, and integration with various online travel agencies, and of course, a synchronized calendar—all perfect for busy hosts who don’t have time to tinker with separate software.
We also love how straightforward it is to use. The platform is designed so that even those who aren’t super tech-savvy can navigate it easily, helping you stay productive and efficient.
However, there are a few downsides, like limited advanced features compared to some more comprehensive platforms. Lodgify also connects with the top channels, but may not have more niche connections like Hostaway does—you might need to use an iCal integration for some extra functionality.
But, if you’re budget-conscious or you have a large list of properties, Lodgify is great. It strikes a nice balance between essential features and affordability while being user-friendly so you can comfortably grow your business.
4. Avantio: Best for Professional Managers
Avantio is a fantastic choice for professionals who handle multiple (20+) properties, thanks to its functions designed specifically for managers who want to broaden their reach and operations. If you've outgrown more basic solutions, this advanced platform is just what you need.
Its solutions include a robust property management software, a solid channel manager, and a website builder, with handy tools for property marketing and reporting. They even have multi-currency functionality and connections to niche channels from all over the world.
But the best thing about Avantio is how scalable it is. As your business grows, so do your needs, and Avantio’s functionalities adapt smoothly. Each package they offer varies depending on your needs, and they charge zero commission fees—only a price per number of properties you have.
Unlike Guesty and Lodgify however, Avantio’s pricing scheme isn’t transparent..
Avantio is also not available on mobile, which means that if you’re a host on-the-go, you’ll have trouble managing things. And, because of how advanced Avantio’s tools are, expect a bit of a learning curve when it comes to switching your software. But that just means that Avantio is a powerful partner to have, with a solid suite of tools that can scale alongside your business.
5. Tokeet: Best Beginner-Friendly Tool
If you’re new to managing vacation rentals, Tokeet is a great choice. Its user-friendly interface makes it super accessible; Tokeet was designed with beginners in mind. You can manage bookings, create listings, and connect with popular platforms like Airbnb and VRBO without feeling overwhelmed.
Like most management software, Tokeet operates on a flexible pricing scheme: it charges per property you own, with the cheapest being $11.99 per month for a 1-year contract for one rental.
What’s great about Tokeet is that they don’t do “plans”—all of their features, including a very beginner-friendly channel manager, can be accessed with the lowest fees. Again, you’re only paying extra for any additional properties.
Aside from this extremely transparent pricing scheme, two of the things that set Tokeet apart are its awesome automation capabilities, like dynamic pricing, that integrate seamlessly with an easy-to-use channel manager, which help you breeze through tasks and save time. Tokeet’s automations are very simple, and can be created easily on the platform.
There are a couple of downsides—some users might find that while the interface is beginner-friendly, it can take a bit to get the hang of some advanced features. Tokeet’s customer support is also not as responsive as you’d expect for a tool that markets itself as “beginner-friendly”.
Despite these, Tokeet is still our top choice for those new to the game. It offers all the essentials to kickstart your business without overwhelming you, which is great for hosts who are interested in streamlining their operations from day one.
6. Smoobu: Best Channel Coverage
If you're a property owner looking to expand in the vacation rental market, check out Smoobu. It's been recognized as one of the best options out there for getting your listings seen across multiple channels.
With Smoobu, you can easily aggregate your listings from major platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO—along with more niche channels and your own website—which means more exposure and more bookings for you! In fact, Smoobu has connections with over 100 different vacation rental platforms.
Smoobu also has some cool features, like its smart pricing scheme that changes the rate of your prices automatically across all channels when you change it in one. This smart pricing scheme accounts for the commission fees of each channel, so you get a consistent rate each and every time without manual work on your part.
We love Smoobu for how user-friendly it is. It makes managing bookings and syncing calendars very easy, so you’ll never have to worry about double bookings or missing messages from guests. And, whether you're new to the rental business or you're ready for an upgrade, Smoobu is a fantastic tool to help you thrive.
And the best part is, Smoobu’s most basic plan is completely free. That means you can test out Smoobu and some of its functions without a time limit. However, if you want their awesome channel manager, you’ll need to subscribe to at least their €23.20 per month plan (for a 2-year contract).
While the price isn’t great, especially for hosts handling rentals stateside, Smoobu is still one of the best around when it comes to marketing on different channels and simplifying everything in the process.
Bottom Line
Are you looking to elevate your vacation rental business, or at least streamline your operations? If so, get a proper channel manager that can help you save time and avoid headaches. Our suggestion is Guesty: with its easy-to-use interface, awesome features, and top-notch customer support, Guesty makes it very easy to manage your properties while improving the booking and rental experience of your guests.
