You're weighing Smoobu, or you're already paying for it and your renewal is coming up. Either way, the question is the same: does what Smoobu includes match how you run your rentals, and does the bill still make sense at the number of units you'll have next year?
Start with one action before reading further: write down how many units you run today, how many you expect in 12 months, and which channels you actually list on. Every judgment below depends on those three numbers.
What does Smoobu actually include in 2026?
Smoobu is a Berlin-based property management system and channel manager that bundles calendar sync, a booking engine, a website builder, guest messaging and invoicing into its plans, and sells them per unit with a 14-day free trial.
The company says on its about page that it began in 2014, earned API integrations with Booking.com in 2018 and Airbnb in 2019, and joined HomeToGo in 2021. Its imprint lists Smoobu GmbH in Berlin.
According to Smoobu's pricing page, the core plan (Professional) lists these inclusions:
- Channel manager and price sync, with Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and "over 100 booking portals" available on all plans
- Reservation system, guest management (CRM), templated communications and online check-in
- Booking system with Stripe and PayPal, plus a booking website builder that can use your own domain on every plan
- Guest guide, statistics, teams, full API access, and iOS and Android apps
A higher tier, Pro+, adds e-invoicing and dynamic pricing trials "subject to market availability," prioritized support and a second write-access account. There's no free tier on the current pricing page; the entry point is the 14-day trial with no card required.
Two changes matter if you read an older review. First, Smoobu isn't an iCal-only tool for the big two channels: it describes itself as an Airbnb Preferred Partner and a Booking.com Premier Connectivity Partner using API connections (more on that below). Second, cancellation needs 30 days' notice and takes effect at the next renewal, per the same pricing page FAQ. Check your renewal date before you decide anything.
How much does Smoobu cost as you add units?
Smoobu's price rises with every unit: its pricing FAQ says a single unit starts "as low as €28 per month" and each additional unit costs "from €9.60 per month," with custom quotes above 20 properties.
The same page lists three plans:
- Professional Flex from €29/month plus a 0.9% booking fee per booking
- Professional Prepaid from €35/month, or €31.50/month billed yearly, with no booking fee
- Pro+ from €55/month, or €49.50/month billed yearly, with no booking fee
Those headline prices are for one unit. Annual billing saves 10% and two-year billing 20%. Smoobu doesn't say which plan or term its "€28" and "€9.60" floor figures use, so treat them as a lower bound, not a quote.
Here's a worked floor estimate using only Smoobu's published starting figures:
Estimated monthly floor = €28 + €9.60 × (units − 1)
| Units | Smoobu floor estimate | BookBed plan that fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | €28.00 | Starter, €9/mo annual (€12 monthly) |
| 3 | €47.20 | Starter, €9/mo annual (€12 monthly) |
| 8 | €95.20 | Pro, €29/mo annual (€39 monthly) |
| 20 | €210.40 | Pro, €29/mo annual (€39 monthly) |
| Over 20 | Custom quote | Pro up to 25, then Agency (custom) |
Read this table carefully. The two products don't include the same things, so this isn't a like-for-like price comparison. It shows the shape of each pricing model: Smoobu's cost climbs with each unit, while BookBed's plans are flat tiers by unit count. Your real Smoobu figure will likely be higher than the floor, so run its unit calculator with your exact count and billing term.
If you're looking at Professional Flex, add the booking fee to the math: 0.9% × your monthly booking value. On a hypothetical €4,000 month, that's €36 on top of the subscription. At that volume, Prepaid is the cheaper Smoobu option.
How does Smoobu keep Airbnb and Booking.com in sync?
Smoobu says it connects to Airbnb and Booking.com through API connections rather than iCal, which it describes as real-time updates, while iCal connections "update on a cycle."
On its Airbnb channel manager page, Smoobu calls itself an Airbnb Preferred Partner that "benefits from an API connection." On its Booking.com page, it describes itself as a Premier Connectivity Partner using an API connection, and says it can sync prices and minimum nights with one rate plan on Booking.com. Note the scope: that's one rate plan. If you run several Booking.com rate plans, ask Smoobu how they're handled before you connect.
Why this matters: with iCal alone, you depend on each platform's own fetch schedule. Airbnb's calendar sync help article says its calendar "automatically updates every 3 hours" from connected calendars. An API connection doesn't wait for that cycle, which is the main technical reason to pay for a tool that has one. For the full trade-off, read iCal vs API sync.
This suggests Smoobu's sync is a strength, not the weakness older reviews described. What you can't verify from marketing pages is how it behaves on your account, so test it during the trial.
Who should pick Smoobu, and who should look elsewhere?
Smoobu fits hosts who want API connections to Airbnb and Booking.com, a built-in website and invoicing in one tool, and can absorb a bill that grows per unit. It fits less well when budget is tight at three or more units.
Use this checklist against your own situation:
| If this describes you | What it points to |
|---|---|
| You list on Expedia or many smaller portals as well as Airbnb and Booking.com | Smoobu's channel breadth is worth testing |
| You need price and minimum-stay updates pushed to Booking.com, not just availability | An API-connected tool like Smoobu; iCal only carries availability |
| You want a booking website, invoicing and guest CRM in one place | Smoobu bundles these on every plan |
| You run 1–3 units and mainly need calendars to stop clashing | A cheaper flat-tier tool may cover it |
| You're growing past 5 units on a fixed budget | Model the per-unit cost first; it compounds |
| You run over 20 units | You'll need a Smoobu quote; compare against other quoted PMS options |
Our recommendation: if two or more rows in the top half match you, run the Smoobu trial with your real listings. If you're mostly in the bottom half, compare alternatives before you commit. The BookBed vs Smoobu comparison and Smoobu vs Lodgify cover two common directions.
When this advice does not apply
The cost math here uses Smoobu's published "from" figures on 2026-09-30. Prices shown in USD and GBP are estimates, since Smoobu bills in EUR, and VAT is added at checkout. Some Pro+ features depend on your market. If you manage over 20 properties, your price is a custom quote and the formula above won't hold. And if you rely on a specific integration, such as a local accounting tool or smart lock, confirm it on Smoobu's integrations list rather than trusting any review, including this one.
What to do next
- Write down your unit count now and in 12 months, then run Smoobu's pricing calculator at both numbers and both billing terms.
- Start the 14-day trial and connect one real Airbnb and one real Booking.com listing. Make a test block on each side and note how quickly it appears on the other.
- If you use more than one Booking.com rate plan, ask Smoobu support how its one-rate-plan sync handles the others.
- If you're already a customer, find your renewal date and count back 30 days. That's your real decision deadline.
- Before switching away from any tool, export your future reservations and check them with the iCal checker.
FAQ
Does Smoobu have a free plan?
Not on its current pricing page. Smoobu offers a 14-day free trial of Professional with no credit card and no obligation, then paid plans from Professional Flex upward.
Does Smoobu charge a commission on bookings?
Only on Professional Flex, which adds a 0.9% booking fee per booking. Smoobu says its other plans are commission-free and that there are no setup or onboarding fees.
Can I remove Smoobu branding from my booking website?
Smoobu's website builder page lists custom branding and says you can connect your own domain on all plans. It doesn't spell out whether any Smoobu credit appears on the site, so check a published trial site before you commit.
Is Smoobu good for large portfolios?
It supports teams and multiple write-access accounts, but above 20 properties pricing moves to a custom quote. At that size, compare it against other quoted PMS options on total cost, not the entry price.
About BookBed: If your main goal after leaving a per-unit tool is taking bookings on your own site, BookBed's embeddable direct booking widget takes payment through Stripe checkout straight into your own Stripe account, with 0% commission from BookBed (you pay only Stripe's processing). It doesn't bring traffic on its own; you still need to send guests to your site. See how BookBed compares as a Smoobu alternative.
Sources
- Smoobu, "Smoobu vacation rental software pricing plans" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Smoobu, "About us - Find out about Smoobu's story and mission" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Smoobu, "Top-Rated Airbnb Channel Manager for Vacation Rentals" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Smoobu, "Booking.com Channel Manager for Vacation Rentals" — Verified 2026-09-30
- Airbnb, "Sync your home host calendar to other websites" — Verified 2026-09-30