If you're weighing Hostaway vs Guesty, you've probably outgrown a spreadsheet and a couple of OTA calendars, and you want one system before the next season. Your first action: write down your listing count today, the count you expect in 12 months, and the three jobs you do every week that hurt most. Both vendors price by listing count, so those numbers decide more than any feature list.
This guide compares what each vendor publishes on its own pages, shows how to estimate the bill yourself, and ends with a checklist for picking one, or neither yet.
What's the real difference between Hostaway and Guesty?
Both are full property management systems that price by listing count; the practical difference is how they package depth. Guesty sells tiered packages plus paid add-ons, while Hostaway emphasizes its partner integration marketplace.
On its pricing page, Guesty lists three packages: Lite for 1–3 listings, Pro for 4–199, and Enterprise for 200 or more. Lite covers sync with Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo, a multi-calendar and a unified inbox. Pro adds sync with "60+ listing channels," an owners portal and revenue management. Enterprise adds tailored onboarding, advanced reporting and enterprise-grade security. Trust accounting and customizable owner statements are listed as add-ons for Pro and Enterprise, alongside pricing, damage protection, payments and lock tools.
Hostaway's marketplace page describes "200+ partner-built integrations" and says partners build them using the Hostaway API. Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo appear in that marketplace, as do revenue tools such as PriceLabs and Beyond.
This suggests a simple framing. If most of what you need is owner reporting and accounting inside one vendor, Guesty's add-on menu is where to look first. If you already use specific cleaning, pricing or lock tools and want the PMS to connect to them, check Hostaway's marketplace for each one by name.
What does Hostaway vs Guesty pricing look like?
Neither vendor publishes a full price list; Guesty states packages start from $9 per listing per month, and Hostaway's pricing page asks for your listing count before showing a quote.
Guesty's page says pricing depends on listings and add-ons, with "packages that start from $9/month per listing," monthly or annual billing, and a 14-day free trial of Lite. It also says you can upgrade anytime, but downgrades wait until the end of your contract. That floor is Lite's starting point, not a Pro or Enterprise price.
Hostaway's pricing page starts with a configurator that sorts you into 2–14, 15–49 or 50+ listings, with a separate note for single-listing hosts. So "how much does Hostaway cost" has no public answer; you'll need a quote. Any per-listing figure you see quoted on review sites isn't something we could confirm from Hostaway's own pages, so we've left it out.
Estimate the bill before the demo
Use this formula with the quotes you receive:
Monthly cost = (per-listing rate × listings) + add-ons + (one-time fees ÷ months you expect to stay)
Consider a hypothetical host with 12 listings today and 20 planned. Ask each vendor for four numbers: the per-listing rate at 12, the rate at 20, the monthly cost of every add-on you'd actually use, and any onboarding or setup fee. Then run the formula at both listing counts. The per-listing model means your bill rises each time you add a unit, so the 20-listing figure is the one to budget for. For a broader look at how these models compare, read our guide to vacation rental PMS pricing models.
Guesty vs Hostaway: which fits your portfolio?
The better fit depends on your portfolio's shape: who owns the units, which tools you already pay for, and how many channels you list on, more than on either brand.
Work through this table. Our recommendation: shortlist whichever column collects more of your answers, then test it on your real listings during a trial or demo.
| Your situation | Points toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You pay out several property owners monthly | Guesty | Trust accounting and owner statements are listed add-ons |
| You rely on specific cleaning, pricing or lock apps | Hostaway | Check each app in its partner marketplace |
| You list on many niche channels | Guesty Pro | The Pro package lists 60+ channels |
| You have 1–3 listings | Guesty Lite or a lighter tool | Lite is capped at 3 listings |
| You expect to shrink next year | Either, with care | Guesty downgrades wait for contract end; ask Hostaway about terms |
| You mainly need Airbnb and Booking.com calendars aligned | Possibly neither | A lighter calendar tool may cover it |
If you're under about 10 units and don't report to other owners, be honest about your weekly work: aligning calendars, taking payments, messaging guests. Those jobs don't require trust accounting or dozens of channel connections. Buying ahead of your needs means paying per listing for modules you may not open.
Should you trial Guesty Lite before committing?
A Guesty Lite trial is useful if you have 1–3 listings, because it's the package Guesty offers a 14-day free trial for; it won't show you Pro-only features like owner portals.
Searches for "Guesty Lite vs Guesty for Hosts" suggest the product names confuse people. Check the current package naming on Guesty's own page before you sign up, and confirm which package your trial account is actually on.
During any trial, test the jobs from your list: connect one real listing, send one guest message, and check that a booking on one channel blocks the dates on the other. If you're switching from another tool, our guide to switching PMS covers the order to move calendars in so you don't open a double-booking gap.
When this advice does not apply
- Enterprise portfolios: at 200+ listings, Guesty routes you to Enterprise, and both vendors will quote custom terms. Negotiate from your own requirements, not public floors.
- Negotiated contracts: if you already have a quote, its terms override anything general here.
- Changing pages: both vendors update pricing pages often. Recheck them on the day you sign.
What to do next
- Write down your listing count now and in 12 months, plus your three most painful weekly jobs.
- Ask both vendors for the per-listing rate at both counts, add-on prices and one-time fees, in writing.
- Run the cost formula above at your 12-month listing count.
- Score yourself against the fit table and trial the winner on real listings.
- Before signing annually, compare lighter options on our BookBed vs Hostaway page and the Guesty alternatives list.
FAQ
Is Guesty cheaper than Hostaway?
There's no public way to say. Guesty publishes only a "from $9/month per listing" starting point, and Hostaway quotes by listing count, so compare the written quotes you receive at the same listing count.
How much does Hostaway cost per month?
Hostaway doesn't list prices publicly. Its pricing page groups you by listing count (2–14, 15–49, 50+) and then quotes, so your monthly cost depends on your portfolio size and terms.
Can I move from one to the other later?
Yes, but check your contract end date first. Guesty says downgrades wait until contract end, so plan a migration around renewal to avoid paying for two systems at once.
About BookBed: If your main job is keeping Airbnb and Booking.com calendars aligned for a smaller portfolio, BookBed gives each unit one calendar with two-way iCal sync for both platforms. It uses iCal, not direct APIs, and each OTA still fetches on its own schedule. Compare BookBed against the alternatives
Sources
- Guesty, "Pricing" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Hostaway, "Pricing" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Hostaway, "Marketplace" — Verified 2026-09-30
- BookBed, "Pricing" (public/pricing.md) — Verified 2026-09-30