Top 7 Best Vacation Rental Channel Managers in 2022
Looking for a channel manager to sync your short-term rentals across multiple channels like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and others? Here are our top picks and recommendations.
Updated: October 31, 2022
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
CONTENTS
- What to Look For in a Vacation Rental Channel Manager
- Comparison of the Best Vacation Rental Channel Managers
- Vacation Rental Channel Manager Reviews
- Summary & Our Recommendations
- Alternatives to Our Channel Manager Top Picks
- Quick Recap: Our Vacation Rental Channel Manager Top Picks
If you’re an Airbnb host or vacation rental property manager, using a channel manager is one of the best ways to simplify, automate, and grow your business. But with so many options, how do you know which one’s best for your business?
Listing on multiple channels? Make sure you’re covered with the right insurance policy.
Based on our experience working with a range of vacation rental clients, and our own experience as hosts, we’ve put together this list of the best channel managers for vacation rentals. You’ll also find a comparison table of their pricing and features, to help you compare and find the one that best fits your needs and budget.
Here are our top picks:
- Uplisting – Our top pick. Comprehensive short-term rental management software platform. User-friendly, tons of features, great support, and a premium price tag.
- Hosthub – Best calendar and rate syncing. Offers the most channels by far (200+ native, real-time integrations), and a ‘Zero Double-Booking Guarantee.’
- OwnerRez – Best value for property managers. Owner commission statements and payouts, automation features, great customer support, and flexible, affordable pricing.
- Hostaway – Best for advanced integrations. In-depth integrations and a robust API, and highly customizable features and pricing.
- iGMS – Best advanced feature set. Comprehensive short-term rental management software platform. Tons of advanced features, and a flexible entry-level pricing level.
- Hospitable – Best guest messaging automation. Excellent automation features and growth-friendly pricing.
- Lodgify – Best direct booking website feature. Manage all your channels, including bookings from your own customizable website, in one convenient dashboard.
Compare vacation rental software options with our spreadsheet.
Disclosure: This post and spreadsheet contain affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our reviews are based on the in-depth research we do to recommend the best software, both to our clients and our blog readers.
What to Look For in a Vacation Rental Channel Manager
Channel managers were originally built for hotels to be able to sell rooms on multiple booking sites at the same time. But as the vacation rental industry has exploded, there’s now an increasing number of companies offering channel managers for vacation rentals to meet the demand.
A vacation rental channel manager is software that will automatically distribute your property listings across multiple booking channels. Depending on the software, this means you can sync calendar availability, rates, and other property details.
There are dozens (hundreds, maybe?) of vacation rental channel managers you could choose from, and more popping up all the time. It can be a bit overwhelming, really.
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But not to worry. We’ve done the research for you, as part of our ongoing effort to be able to make the best, most informed software recommendations to our clients. Before we get into our reviews of the best channel managers for vacation rentals, here are a few things to keep in mind while deciding.
- Supported channels – Do they offer native/API integrations (not just iCal calendar sync) with Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and any other channels you want to list your properties on?
- What gets synced – Not all channel integrations are created equal. Some only sync calendar availability, while others can also sync booking details, rates, and property details.
- Value for the price – Everyone loves a good deal, but it’s important to keep in mind the time (read money) you can save if you choose the best platform for your needs, rather than the cheapest.
- Additional features – Most of these platforms offer channel management as just one feature in a suite of vacation rental management features—like a direct booking website builder, owner commission statements and payouts, Quickbooks accounting integration, etc. All of our top picks offer automated messaging (excluding Syncbnb) and direct bookings.
- Number of properties – Some of these platforms can be overkill if you just have 1 or 2 properties. Others are perfectly suited to that.
With these in mind, let’s get into our reviews and comparisons of the best vacation rental channel managers on the market today.
Comparison of the Best Vacation Rental Channel Managers
Here’s a quick comparison of the pricing, supported channel integrations, and additional features of our top picks. The icons under ‘Supported Channels’ represent API integrations with Airbnb, VRBO (and Homeaway), Booking.com, and Expedia.
*The channels listed here indicate 2-way, near real-time, API integrations, which offer a much lower chance of dreaded double-bookings. You can connect to other channels via iCal calendar sync, but they may take an hour or two to update.
Vacation Rental Channel Manager Reviews
Now let’s look at each of these platforms in more detail. Below you’ll find a summary of their pricing and features, pros and cons, and our recommendation on if it’s a good fit for your business.
Uplisting
Pricing: Starts at $100/mo for up to 5 properties. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com (More)
Uplisting is quickly becoming a crowd favorite due to their intense focus on their product’s usability and reliability, and on taking excellent care of their customers. They have virtually no negative online reviews, and they’re adding new features at an impressive pace.
They also have extra features like security deposits, cleaning scheduling, and lots of other automation features. If it’s in your budget, Uplisting is definitely worth a look.
Pros:
- Easy to set up
- User-friendly
- Tons of extra convenient features
- Great customer support
Cons:
- Higher minimum monthly price ($100 for up to 5 properties)
Our recommendation: Uplisting is best for owners and property managers (1 – 100+ properties), who want a comprehensive short-term rental management software platform. It’s solid, reliable, and has great customer support.
Visit Uplisting.io to learn more.
Hosthub
Pricing: Starts at $19/listing/mo with volume discounts. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Over 200+ including Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and Expedia
Hosthub (formerly Syncbnb) was originally built with a laser focus on keeping all your calendars in perfect sync. They far exceed the competition in this area, with 200+ native channel integrations and a Zero Double-Booking Guarantee. You can sync as many channels as you want and have peace of mind that you’ll never have to deal with a double booking.
Pros:
- Sync over 200+ channels
- Great customer support
- Zero Double-Booking Guarantee
- Lower price
Cons:
- No guest messaging or other automation features
Our recommendation: Syncbnb is best for professional hosts who want to sync their properties across multiple channels, and don’t require many other vacation rental management features.
Visit Hosthub.com to learn more.
OwnerRez
Pricing: Starts at $35/mo for up to 2 properties. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com (More)
Over the years (since 2007), OwnerRez has quietly been growing a loyal customer base, due to their solid software and excellent customer support. They have a flexible pricing model (only pay for the features you want), and lots of advanced features for property managers like a Quickbooks integration and owner commission statements and payments.
Pros:
- Great customer support
- Flexible, ‘a la carte’ pricing
- Advanced features for property managers
Cons:
- Learning curve
- Not the most modern or user-friendly UI
Our recommendation: OwnerRez is best for property managers with several (5 – 100+) properties, especially those interested in these property management features. (Read our full OwnerRez review for more).
Visit OwnerReservations.com to learn more.
Hostaway
Pricing: Customized. Starts at $100/mo. (More)
Free Trial: No
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia, and more. (More)
Hostaway has taken over a great deal of the market share and has excellent reviews across the board. Their support and onboarding are personalized, which means you can spend more time on your business, and they have a marketplace with over 100 integrations. To get started, you’ll need to request a demo and get customized pricing and onboarding, since they don’t offer a free trial.
Pros:
- Lots of advanced features and integrations
- Personalized onboarding
- Great customer support
Cons:
- No free trial
Our recommendation: Hostaway is best for owners with 2 – 25 properties or more. They don’t have a free trial and they have customized pricing, but their product comes with tons of advanced features, integrations, and excellent customer support.
Visit Hostaway.com to learn more.
iGMS
Pricing: Starts at $20/property/mo. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com (More)
iGMS (formerly AirGMS) is another premium, comprehensive short-term rental management software that’s been around the block (since 2015). They have a flexible pricing option ($1 per night booked), which is a great, inexpensive way to get started using a vacation rental management software.
Pros:
- Flexible pricing plan available
- Tons of advanced features for property managers
Cons:
- Higher price
- Some complaints that the UI could be more intuitive
Our recommendation: iGMS is a great option for hosts with anywhere from 1 (on their Flexible plan) to 50+ properties, who want a comprehensive solution.
Visit iGMS.com to learn more.
Hospitable
Pricing: Starts at $40/mo for 2 listings. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO
Formerly Smartbnb, this popular guest messaging software has rebranded to Hospitable and have been hard at work adding additional features, including a channel manager and direct booking websites.
Originally built (and best known) for handling automated messages on Airbnb, it now includes features like calendar sync and operations management.
Pros:
- Easy to set up
- Inexpensive
- Automate guest messaging
- Operations features to help manage your team
Cons:
- Still working out some bugs and kinks in newer features
Our recommendation: Hospitable is best for hosts with 1 or a few properties who want an easy way to sync Airbnb and VRBO, and automate routine tasks.
Visit Hospitable.com to learn more.
Lodgify
Pricing: Starts at $32/mo for 1 property. (More)
Free Trial: 14 days
Channels: Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, Expedia (More)
Lodgify is a great all-around vacation rental management software platform. They have one of the most advanced website builders, offer direct API integrations with the major OTAs, and have a growing set of convenient features for hosts and property managers.
Pros:
- Direct booking website builder
- Affordable price for the value
Cons:
- Some complaints about poor customer support
Our recommendation: Lodgify is a great option if you want to sync your channels with a direct booking website, and want to keep everything in one place.
Visit Lodgify.com to learn more.
Summary & Our Recommendations
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the vacation rental channel management software options that are available. With these in mind, here are our recommendations.
Uplisting – Our Most Recommended Vacation Rental Channel Manager
Taking into account your business size and needs, budget, and personal preferences, the ‘best’ channel manager will be different for everyone. But if you want the absolute best money can buy, we recommend Uplisting.
Uplisting is an intuitive, reliable, and modern short-term rental management platform with a ton of advanced features and great customer support. They’re also growing quickly, and they regularly release new features based on customer feedback.
Whether you’re a host with a few properties, or a large property management company, Uplisting can help you manage and scale your business. You can start a free 14-day trial (no credit card required) at Uplisting.io, or schedule a demo.
Other Recommended Channel Manager Alternatives to Consider
Besides Uplisting, Hostaway and iGMS are two options that are similar in terms of features, pricing, and customer support. They’re both worth a look if you’re considering alternatives to Uplisting.
If you’re interested in a lower priced alternative to Uplisting with a similar feature set, we recommend OwnerRez. While it’s not as intuitive or modern, OwnerRez offers an extremely solid product with a long list of property management features, excellent customer support, and flexible, à la carte pricing.
If you’re looking for a super solid channel manager to list on multiple channels and avoid double bookings, and you don’t need a lot of the other features, then we recommend Hosthub, with its unmatched channel syncing and Zero Double-Booking Guarantee.
And if a customizable direct booking website builder is a top priority, then check out Lodgify. In addition to having the most advanced vacation rental website builder, they offer a robust channel manager and other advanced property management features.
Alternatives to Our Channel Manager Top Picks
If you’re looking for more alternatives, here are a few to consider. While these didn’t quite make our top picks list, they’re still worth a look if you’re interested in comparing options to find the best vacation rental channel manager for your business.
- Guesty / Guesty for Hosts – Guesty is a full-service, end-to-end solution for larger property management businesses. Their percentage based pricing model can be cost prohibitive, and some reviews say they’re a jack of all trades, master of none. But in 2021, Guesty acquired Your Porter App and turned it into Guesty for Hosts, which is a more affordable option for hosts with up to 3 properties.
- Tokeet – Tokeet is an alternative that’s similar to Lodgify in terms of pricing and feature set, including a customizable website builder.
- Hostfully – Hostfully is another alternative with a similar price and features. They don’t have a free trial, and require a $400 setup fee (waived with an annual subscription). Use code EGNTNJ494 for $100 off your Hostfully subscription.
- Rentals United – Rentals United is a well-established channel manager for short-term and holiday rentals. They have an open API, and many other platforms actually have an integration with Rentals United, like Syncbnb, Guesty, and others.
- Lodgix – Lodgix offers a WordPress plugin that might be a good option to explore for those familiar with WordPress development.
- Cloudbeds – Cloudbeds is a large, well-established hospitality software company. They acquired OneRooftop, adding vacation rental channel management to their suite of products.
- Smoobu – Smoobu offers a wide range of vacation rental management features and has excellent reviews for customer support. They also have a free plan available.
Quick Recap: Our Vacation Rental Channel Manager Top Picks
Here again are our top picks for the best channel managers for Airbnb and vacation rentals:
- Uplisting – Best overall. Comprehensive short-term rental management software platform. User-friendly, tons of features, great support, and a premium price tag.
- Hosthub – Best calendar and rate syncing. Offers the most channels by far (200+ native, real-time integrations), and a ‘Zero Double-Booking Guarantee.’
- OwnerRez – Best value for property managers. Owner commission statements and payouts, automation features, great customer support, and flexible, affordable pricing.
- Hostaway – Best for advanced integrations. In-depth integrations and a robust API, and highly customizable features and pricing.
- iGMS – Best advanced feature set. Comprehensive short-term rental management software platform. Tons of advanced features, and a flexible entry-level pricing level.
- Hospitable – Best guest messaging automation. Excellent automation features and growth-friendly pricing.
- Lodgify – Best direct booking website feature. Manage all your channels, including bookings from your own customizable website, in one convenient dashboard.
We hope this has helped you get a better sense of your options, and you feel better equipped to choose the best channel manager for your vacation rental business.
Compare vacation rental software options with our spreadsheet.
Written by The Floorspace Team
This article was written as a collaborative effort by multiple members of the Floorspace team. We’re a group of internet marketers and designers, with a wide range of experience marketing and managing short-term rentals.
This article was first published at https://www.getfloorspace.com/best-vacation-rental-channel-managers/