Lodgify vs. Smoobu (with Hospitable)
A well-known player in the space, Lodgify provides a wide range of features but does not score highly in user reviews. It comes with a 7-day free trial, transparent pricing (note: booking fees apply on the starter plan), and some automation tools available as paid add-ons.
TL;DR comparison table
Hospitable, Smoobu, and Lodgify all support iCal syncing and direct bookings.
Hospitable offers the widest platform coverage and is built for hosts, co-hosts, and managers, while Smoobu and Lodgify focus on individual hosts.
Hospitable has the strongest ratings (4.9 G2 / 4.8 Capterra). Smoobu scores lower, and Lodgify sits in the middle.
Pricing varies: Hospitable starts at $0/month ($29/mo for a more substantial paid plan); Smoobu at $30/month + 0.9% fee; Lodgify at $20/month + 1.9% fee. All offer free trials: 14 days with Hospitable and Smoobu, and 7 days for Lodgify.
Platform summaries
Feature comparison
Communication automation
Hospitable provides deeper AI-driven automation than both Smoobu and Lodgify:
AI reply drafts: Hospitable and Lodgify offer AI reply drafts; Smoobu does not.
Full guest reply automation: Hospitable includes full automation; Smoobu and Lodgify do not.
Issue alerts: feature unique to Hospitable.
Automated upsells: Hospitable supports automated vacancy-night upsells; Smoobu and Lodgify lack this.
AI review automation: Hospitable automates guest reviews with AI; neither Smoobu nor Lodgify does.
AI & Intelligence
Hospitable maintains a clear technological lead over Smoobu and Lodgify by incorporating advanced intelligence and developer-focused tools that its competitors lack.
While Smoobu and Lodgify stick to traditional property management features, Hospitable offers an AI performance assistant for natural language data analysis and an AI guest summary to instantly condense communication histories. With Hospitable MCP, you don’t need to build automations. Just connect your AI agent and let it run tasks like messaging, scheduling, and booking updates.
Operations
Hospitable maintains a clear operational lead over Smoobu and Lodgify by offering native, automated solutions for team management and property hardware.
While all three platforms support cleaning job status tracking, Hospitable provides a more seamless experience with task notifications via SMS and email. In contrast, Smoobu limits alerts to email (requiring signup), and Lodgify forces staff to use a specific app with a registration process. Hospitable is also the only one of the three to offer a native cleaner marketplace and in-app payments, whereas its competitors rely entirely on external integrations.
The technical gap extends to smart home and pricing features. Hospitable includes smart lock check-in and smart thermostat sync in its Professional and Mogul plans, while Lodgify treats locks as a paid add-on and Smoobu uses integrations only. Neither competitor offers native thermostat synchronization. Additionally, dynamic pricing is bundled into Hospitable's main tiers, while both Smoobu and Lodgify charge for it as a separate paid add-on.
Direct booking
Integrations
Property management solutions
Hospitable is a much better fit for property managers:
Owner statements & payouts: Hospitable includes both; Smoobu doesn’t support either, Lodgify supports statements but not payouts.
Expense management: Included in Hospitable and Lodgify; missing in Smoobu.
Listing management: Available in Hospitable only.
Accounting integration: Hospitable supports professional accounting integrations; Smoobu and Lodgify don’t.
G2 Ratings: Hospitable (Purple) vs. Lodgify (Gray), Smoobu not represented | Spring 2026
Usability
8.39/10
Results
8.50/10
Implementation
Relationship
Smoobu vs. Lodgify vs. Hospitable: summary
Why choose Hospitable
Advanced AI tools
- Auto Inbox fully automates guest communication. - Copilot provides performance insights through natural-language queries. - Automated upsells help boost revenue from vacant nights.
Dynamic pricing included
Built into Host, Professional, and Mogul plans, with no additional cost.
Smart lock and thermostat management
Included starting from the Professional plan.
Property management solutions
Includes tools like owner statements, owner portals, expense tracking, and integration with professional accounting systems. Hospitable is the only PMS that offers owner payouts.
Common questions
Is Lodgify or Smoobu better for hosts with only 1–2 properties?
Smoobu is often preferred by very small hosts because of its "all-in-one" simplicity and its flat-fee structure.
Lodgify is the better choice if you want your 1–2 properties to look like a high-end boutique brand, thanks to its superior website builder.
Most 1–2 property hosts choose Hospitable because it offers the most advanced automation (like Auto-Reply and Smart Lock sync) starting at just $29/month, with no setup fees and a 14-day free trial.
Are Smoobu or Lodgify any good for professional property managers?
While both platforms are excellent for individual hosts, they lack the "heavy lifting" features required by professional property management companies :
Neither platform offers Automated Owner Payouts (the actual transfer of funds between accounts) or professional accounting integrations (like QuickBooks/Xero) natively.
Lodgify and Smoobu lack robust "Multi-Unit" support and granular team permissioning.
Professional managers typically look to Hospitable for its Branded Owner Portals, Copilot AI performance reporting, and the ability to actually pay owners within the platform—features that Lodgify and Smoobu do not currently provide.
Which is better for guest communication automation: Lodgify vs Smoobu?
Between the two, Smoobu is often cited for having a more reliable unified inbox and simpler template triggers.
Both platforms rely on traditional "scheduled templates" (if X happens, send Y). Neither offers the AI-driven autonomy of Hospitable.
Only Hospitable offers Full Auto-Reply, which uses a "Knowledge Hub" to answer guest questions about things like parking or Wi-Fi without you lifting a finger. It also includes Issue Alerts, which scan guest messages for complaints (like "the AC is broken") and alert you immediately.
How do Smoobu's and Lodgify's operations automation compare?
Operations automation (cleaning, maintenance, and smart home) is where these platforms differ most:
Lodgify offers a basic task management system and relies on third-party integrations for smart locks. Most advanced operational features are paid add-ons.
Smoobu known for a very clean, simple interface for coordinating with cleaners via a shared link, but it lacks deep native integrations for smart home hardware.
Hospitable leads in operations because it includes smart lock and thermostat management natively on its Professional plan. It also features a Marketplace for finding cleaners and uses a "frictionless" task system where cleaners get notified via SMS/Email without needing to download a separate app.