Lodgify vs. Hostaway: Compare Vacation Rental Management Software
Vacation rental management software is used to manage vacation rental properties with tools like direct booking websites, channel managers, and analytics. This software streamlines the process of renting out vacation properties by aggregating property listings across online travel agencies (OTAs) to be managed from one space. Most end-to-end solutions like Lodgify and Hostaway also include guest messaging features, property task automations, and more.
This article will discuss the major differences between Lodgify and Hostaway by highlighting the strengths and drawbacks of each. We’ll mention which tool has features that the other doesn’t and give our recommendations for who each tool will suit best.
All of our recommendations are based on research, product demos with the software companies, and dozens of hours spent hand-testing the vacation rental management tools. More details regarding our research process can be found on our vacation rental management category page.
Lodgify & Hostaway Comparison Summary
We personally tested Lodgify and Hostaway. Lodgify received a rating of 84 and Hostaway received a rating of 89.
Lodgify was a bit lower because, though it shines in regards to building a direct booking website for your rental management business, crucial features are only available in the most expensive plan. Hostaway received its high rating because all customers have access to a full set of features. It’s especially valuable for Airbnb managers because messages sent from Hostaway will be delivered directly through the Airbnb inbox.
Here's a breakdown of our review criteria and how Lodgify and Hostaway performed in each category:
| Criteria | Analyst Rating | Features | Usability | Pricing | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lodgify | 84 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Hostaway | 89 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 |
In terms of pricing, Hostaway is likely going to be more expensive than Lodgify. Lodgify begins at $23 per month and can range up to $200 per month if you have 10 properties. Hostaway pricing, on the other hand, is around $50 per property per month, so it’s likely going to be more expensive than Lodgify.
Both solutions offer standard features found in VRMS tools: hosted direct booking websites, channel managers, guest communication tools, task management, owner reports, and more. Lodgify is strongest in terms of the direct booking sites, which is the feature that’s likely Hostaway’s weakest. In contrast, Hostaway has more OTA integrations, and therefore will provide more value for those looking to list properties across many channels.
Lodgify is best for those with under 15 properties who don’t need the most technologically advanced option on the market. Those who are newer to vacation rental property management will find Lodgify easier to implement and will have an easier time navigating the tool during initial use. In contrast, Hostaway is better for those who want a more advanced tool and who are more seasoned in the vacation rental management space.
Here’s a quick breakdown of who will prefer each option:
- You want a software that’s easier to use
- You need to build a modern, customized website for your business
- You only use HomeAway/Vrbo, Booking.com, or Airbnb
- You primarily list your properties on Airbnb
- You have more than 15 properties or are looking to scale your business
- You’d like a more advanced guest invoicing feature
Table of Contents
- Lodgify & Hostaway Comparison Summary
- Lodgify & Hostaway Price Comparison
- Lodgify & Hostaway Feature Comparison
- Bottom Line
Lodgify & Hostaway Price Comparison
It’s hard to directly compare Lodgify and Hostaway pricing, given how complex Lodgify’s pricing model is and given that Hostaway’s specific pricing details are not public. Lodgify will likely cost less depending on the number of properties you manage and the length of your contract with the company.
Lodgify Pricing Details
Lodgify pricing begins at $11 per month for a two-year contract with the Starter Plan. There’s a Starter Plan, a Professional Plan, and an Ultimate Plan. For the Ultimate Plan, customers will pay $154 per month for five properties. An overview of the plans and pricing for monthly contract lengths is below.
| Starter |
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| Professional |
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| Ultimate |
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Hostaway Pricing Details
Hostaway pricing hovers around $50 per property per month. Exact pricing details aren’t available on the website, but you can contact Hostaway and discuss your exact needs and specifications if you’d like to get a custom quote.
Lodgify & Hostaway Feature Comparison
The tools are fairly similar in terms of features, but differ in terms of integrations with OTAs and some other smaller features. For a full analysis of each solution’s features, read our Lodgify review and Hostaway review.
| Feature | Lodgify | Hostaway |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb API | Yes | Yes |
| Agoda API | No | No |
| Booking.com API | Yes | Yes |
| Expedia API | Yes | Yes |
| HomeAway/Vrbo API | Yes | Yes |
| TripAdvisor/FlipKey API | No (iCal) | Yes |
| CanadaStays iCal | No | Yes |
| Misterb&b iCal | No | Yes |
| Direct Booking Websites | Yes | Yes |
| Property Management Features | Yes | Yes |
| Automated Guest Messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Task Management | Yes (Ultimate Plan only) | Yes |
| Owner Access and Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Robust Integrations | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Application | Yes | Yes |
Lodgify's Top Features
Lodgify’s best feature, as mentioned above, is their advanced, customizable website templates. They also offer a solid list of API integrations with some of the largest OTAs, though importing existing listing details can only be done with Airbnb, somewhat with Booking.com, and sometimes with HomeAway/Vrbo. More details are offered below.
Website Templates
Given that Lodgify began as a company that offered site templates as a main product, it makes sense that this is the strongest section. There are four different templates to choose from, all of which are easily customizable. This section is significantly more advanced than the same in Hostaway, as Hostaway only offers one lightly customizable template.
Channel Manager
Lodgify offers API integrations with Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and HomeAway/Vrbo. This is a great list of OTA integrations, particularly for newer rental property managers. However, a slight drawback is that existing listings will only automatically transfer into the Lodgify platform from Airbnb. With Expedia and Booking.com, this is not the case. This is only a minor drawback, but one worth noting. Hostaway does import listings more easily than Lodgify, so it’s the better option in that regard.
Listing Management
While it’s a bit of a drawback that you can’t import existing listings except with Airbnb, Lodgify makes it easy to set up rental properties from within their platform. They offer an easy-to-navigate listing management section where you can create properties and add photos, amenities, descriptions, and more. It functions much the same way as rental setup does with Airbnb, so if you’re experienced doing that, it should be easy.
Hostaway's Top Features
Hostaway is a great option due to its range of API and iCal integrations with the biggest OTAs. You can import properties directly from Airbnb and control all aspects of bookings from within the Hostaway platform, and we found the property management process overall to be more complete and detail-oriented than with Lodgify. For a more in-depth overview of Hostaway’s features, check out the full review here.
OTA Integrations
Hostaway offers more API integrations than Lodgify and has a few smaller OTA iCal integrations, like with CanadaStays and Misterb&b. It’s much simpler in Hostaway than in Lodgify to control which properties are synchronized with which channels, as seen in the image below. You can easily toggle certain OTAs on and off for all properties.
Direct Booking Website
The direct booking website, shown below, is quite basic and is not nearly as advanced or varied as the options you get with Lodgify. You can customize the site very lightly, which may not be an issue if you’re not looking for anything fancy. If you don’t like the look of the website below, you should opt for Lodgify instead because you’ll get more value from the templates there.
Inbox & Messaging
Messaging with guests is crucial for staying on top of bookings and keeping guests informed about their stays. A significant drawback to this section is that while you’ll get notifications for incoming messages on desktop, you’ll need to then refresh the page for messages to show in the inbox. This is a bit tedious and was one of the biggest issues we had while testing Hostaway.
Templates & Automations
Hostaway’s templates are helpful for creating reusable message templates to send to guests, and automations will allow you to pre-schedule them to be sent to guests at a certain date, when guests take certain actions in regards to their reservations, and more. Hostaway is stronger in this regard, so if you have more properties and want to put communications on auto-pilot, it’s the better option.
Bottom Line
Overall, Lodgify is not quite as robust as Hostaway, but it’s still effective. It has very strong direct booking website templates and has a modern interface that property managers will find easy to navigate.
Hostaway, on the other hand, is a stronger VRMS that’s better suited for experienced property managers with larger property portfolios. It’s particularly strong for Airbnb managers and has an open API that you can utilize to connect with external vendors and platforms.
If you’re interested, visit Lodgify or Hostaway today to get started.