Hostaway vs. Guesty (and Hospitable)
Comparing three industry giants in vacation rental software
Hostaway and Guesty are well-known enterprise solutions built for property management companies. Both offer an expansive suite of features but require advanced knowledge, lengthy onboarding, and setup costs.
To enrich this comparison, we’re introducing Hospitable—the G2 best-rated vacation rental software of 2024–25, offering powerful automation and unmatched usability.
TL;DR comparison table
Hospitable is the only option that combines host-friendly pricing with tools built for co-hosts and PMs. It also leads in user satisfaction according to reviews on G2 and Capterra.
Guesty splits features: Lite is limited, Pro is enterprise-only with no trial.
Hostaway is fully enterprise-focused, with no free trial and a setup fee.
Platform summaries
Feature comparison
Communication automation
While all three platforms provide scheduled messages, guest reply drafts with AI, and reviews automation with AI, Hospitable offers unique native efficiencies that its competitors lack.
Full Guest Reply Automation: Hospitable is the only provider that offers a completely automated reply system, a feature entirely absent from both Guesty and Hostaway. Issue Alerts: Hospitable natively provides automated alerts for guest issues, whereas neither Guesty nor Hostaway offers this functionality. Automated Upsells of Vacancy Nights: Both Hospitable and Hostaway include native support for upselling vacancy nights to guests. Guesty, however, requires the use of third-party integrations to achieve the same result.
AI & Intelligence
Hospitable and Guesty provide an AI performance assistant to help users analyze business data, Hostaway lacks this functionality entirely.
Hospitable distinguishes itself further as the only platform among the three to include AI guest summary. It's a tool that provides concise briefs of guest communication histories. MCP server: a feature only Hospitable offers at the moment, enabling users to connect their favorite AI agents, such as Claude or ChatGPT, to automate their business while talking to an AI.
Operations
All three platforms support cleaning job status tracking in app, Hospitable also offers an option of task notifications via SMS/email without forcing cleaners to create accounts. Furthermore, Hospitable is the only provider in this comparison to include a native cleaner marketplace and cleaner payment in app, whereas Guesty and Hostaway rely on integrations only.
Hospitable bundles smart lock check-in and smart thermostat sync directly into its Professional and Mogul plans. In contrast, both Guesty and Hostaway treat smart locks as a paid add-on, and neither platform offers native support for thermostat synchronization. Dynamic pricing is a core feature included in Hospitable’s Host, Professional, and Mogul plans. For Guesty and Hostaway users, this functionality is only available as an additional paid add-on.
Guest experience & compliance
All three platforms offer core features such as a guest portal, guest identity verification, security deposits, and rental agreements, Hospitable maintains a distinct advantage in native flexibility and cross-channel automation.
Extended stays upsells with auto-adjustment of messages, tasks, and locks: Hospitable is the only platform in this comparison that offers this feature, ensuring that when a guest lengthens their stay, all associated schedules and security access codes are instantly recalibrated. Native upsells: Both Hospitable and Hostaway provide native support for upselling across all channels. In contrast, Guesty’s native capability is limited strictly to direct bookings, potentially restricting revenue growth from guests arriving via OTAs.
Direct booking
Integrations
Property management solutions
Why choose Hospitable?
Hospitable is the smarter choice for:
- Hosts and co-hosts - Property managers
It combines:
- Leading AI automation tools - A user-friendly interface - No onboarding fees - No contracts - Dynamic pricing included on Host, Professional, and Mogul plans - Smart lock and thermostat management included from the Professional plan - Full-scale property management solutions, including owner payouts
Common questions
What is the difference between Hostaway and Guesty?
Both are enterprise-grade solutions, but they have different focus areas:
Hostaway is known for its high "Relationship" scores on review sites and its popularity in the Asia-Pacific region. It requires a $500 setup fee and several hours of onboarding.
Guesty is a global brand that splits its product into Guesty Lite (for 1-3 units) and Guesty Pro (for enterprises). Guesty Pro includes a built-in CRM and multi-unit support but often locks users into long-term contracts.
Hospitable (The Alternative): Unlike the others, Hospitable has no setup fees, no obligatory contracts, and consistently wins the G2 "Best Usability" badge.
How do Hostaway’s and Guesty’s prices compare?
Pricing for both is complex and often "hidden":
Hostaway generally requires a custom quote. There is no free trial, and you must pay an onboarding fee to start. Many features like dynamic pricing and smart locks are paid add-ons.
Guesty Lite starts at ~$39/mo, but Guesty Pro is enterprise-priced. Like Hostaway, advanced automation features are often extra costs.
Hospitable starts at $0/mo ($29/mo for a more substantial paid plan) with a 14-day free trial. Crucially, Dynamic Pricing is included for free on Host, Professional, and Mogul plans, and Smart Lock/Thermostat sync is included starting from the Professional tier.
Which is better for guest communication automation: Hostaway or Guesty?
Both offer scheduled messages and AI-suggested drafts, but they still require a human to "click send" for personalized answers.
Hospitable pioneered Full Guest Reply Automation. Using its Inbox AI, Hospitable can autonomously answer guest questions 24/7 without host intervention.
Which is better for professional property managers: Hostaway or Guesty?
Choose Guesty if you manage boutique hotels or complex multi-unit buildings that require a full CRM.
Choose Hospitable if you want to streamline owner relations. Hospitable is the only PMS that handles Actual Owner Payouts (moving the funds) and provides Branded Owner Portals as a standard feature.
Hostaway is a strong all-rounder for large teams, but its lack of native owner payout tools often requires managers to use external accounting workarounds.
Which is better for STR operations automation: Guesty or Hostaway?
Hospitable integrates the "physical" stay more deeply than its competitors:
Hospitable includes native sync for Smart Locks and Thermostats starting from its Professional plan. In Guesty and Hostaway, these are typically paid third-party add-ons.
Hospitable features Automated Upsells for vacant nights, which proactively messages guests to extend their stays, directly increasing revenue without manual effort.