Guesty and Hostaway are two of the best-known property management systems (PMS) for short-term rentals. Both connect your listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, put every guest message in one inbox, and automate the repetitive work of running rentals. The real differences are in who each one is built for, how pricing works, and how much you can start with.
This comparison is based on each company's official pricing and feature pages, checked on November 15, 2026.
Quick answer
- Choose Guesty if you want a clear, low entry price for a few listings (Guesty Lite) and a path to grow into a full property-management platform without switching software.
- Choose Hostaway if you already manage several listings, want an all-in-one system with SMS and WhatsApp in the same inbox, and prefer a pricing quote tailored to your portfolio.
| Feature | Guesty | Hostaway |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Hosts starting small who want to grow into a full PMS | Growing managers with several listings |
| Starting price | From $9/mo | [VERIFY] price |
| Audience | Short-term rental hosts | Short-term rental hosts |
| Published starting price | From $9/month (Guesty Lite) | Not published, quote by listings |
| Entry plan | Lite, ideal for 1–3 listings | Quote tiers start at 2–14 listings |
| Free trial | 14 days (Guesty Lite) | Demo on request |
| Main channels | Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com (60+ on Pro) | Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google, Expedia and more |
| Unified inbox | Yes, with ReplyAI drafts | Yes, incl. email, SMS and WhatsApp |
| Direct booking website | Yes, no % fee on direct bookings | Yes, direct booking engine |
| Owner portal | Guesty Pro | Yes (aimed at 15+ listings) |
| Visit Guesty (opens in a new tab) | Visit Hostaway (opens in a new tab) |
Prices checked on November 15, 2026, may change. Amounts shown in US dollars (USD).
Pricing: published price vs. custom quote
This is the biggest practical difference.
Guesty publishes an entry price. Guesty Lite is described as ideal for 1–3 listings and starts from $9 per month; the plan card adds "+1% per reservation", so check the exact terms for your setup before signing. Guesty says Lite comes with a 14-day free trial. Guesty Pro (ideal for 4+ listings) and Guesty Enterprise (200+ listings) are priced by quote, based on how many listings you manage. Guesty offers monthly or annual plans, and says the annual plan costs less.
Hostaway does not publish prices. Its pricing page asks how many listings you manage (2–14, 15–49 or 50+) and gives you a quote. Hosts with a single listing are sent to a separate page. If you want to know your cost before talking to sales, Guesty Lite is easier to evaluate.
Features compared
Channel management and calendar
Both tools sync rates, availability and reservations across the major booking sites and show everything in a multi-calendar, which is the core job of any PMS: preventing double bookings.
- Guesty Lite syncs with Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo. Guesty Pro expands this to 60+ channels, including Expedia and Google Vacation Rentals.
- Hostaway lists Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google, Expedia and Marriott Homes & Villas among its connections.
Guest messaging and automation
- Guesty includes a unified inbox where ReplyAI drafts a personalized reply for each message, plus automated guest messages and cleaning tasks after each checkout.
- Hostaway offers a unified inbox that brings in Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com messages along with email, SMS and WhatsApp, plus AI reply suggestions, automated messaging and automated reviews. It also promotes a new AI CoHost feature.
Pricing tools
- Guesty includes PriceOptimizer with Lite (per the plan card) and offers it as an add-on for every plan.
- Hostaway includes dynamic pricing and AI revenue management features.
Direct bookings
Both let you build a booking website so guests can book with you directly instead of through an OTA. Guesty states it charges no percentage-based fees on reservations made through its direct booking engine (standard payment-processing fees still apply). Hostaway offers a direct booking engine and guest portal.
Tools for property managers
If you manage homes for other owners, look at owner reporting:
- Guesty Pro adds an owners portal, owner statements, revenue management and task management.
- Hostaway highlights financial reporting, owner statements and owner portals for 15–49 listings, and task workflows, user permissions and accounting integrations for 50+ listings.
Support
Guesty lists 24/7 support on Guesty Pro. Hostaway advertises 24/7 phone support.
Pros and cons
Guesty
Pros
- Published entry price from $9/month with Guesty Lite
- 14-day free trial on Lite
- Grow from Lite to Pro on the same platform, no migration
- No percentage fees on direct bookings
Cons
- Pro and Enterprise pricing requires a quote
- Lite connects to fewer channels than Pro
- Several tools are paid add-ons
Hostaway
Pros
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp in the same unified inbox
- Broad channel list including Google and Expedia
- Owner statements and portals for growing managers
- 24/7 phone support advertised
Cons
- No published pricing, you must request a quote
- Quote tiers start at 2 listings; single-listing hosts are routed separately
Which should you choose?
Frequently asked questions
Is Guesty cheaper than Hostaway?
Guesty publishes an entry price (Guesty Lite from $9 per month), while Hostaway only gives custom quotes. For larger portfolios, both are quote-based, so compare real quotes for your number of listings.
Does Hostaway have a free trial?
Hostaway's site offers a demo and a quote based on your number of listings. Guesty Lite advertises a 14-day free trial.
Can I use Guesty with only one listing?
Yes. Guesty Lite is aimed at hosts with 1 to 3 listings.
Which one connects to more booking sites?
Guesty Pro lists 60+ channels. Hostaway lists major channels including Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google and Expedia. Check that the channels you use are supported by the plan you choose.
Do they charge fees on direct bookings?
Guesty says it charges no percentage-based fees on direct bookings through its booking engine; payment-processor fees still apply. Ask Hostaway about fees for your plan when you request a quote.