Hospitable (Smartbnb) vs Guesty for Hosts: Which Property Management Software is Right for You? [2023]

Among the leading contenders in the vacation rental market are Hospitable and Guesty for Hosts. If you’ve narrowed down your choice to these two platforms or simply seek a comprehensive comparison, you’ve landed in the right place.

We understand that selecting the ideal go-to channel manager hinges on factors such as your specific needs, budget, and the scope of your property portfolio. That’s why in this Hospitable (Smartbnb) vs Guesty for Hosts comparison we have evaluated their features, pricing, advantages, and customer support. To expand your range of options some more, we’ll introduce you to other viable alternatives.

Hospitable vs Guesty for Hosts: An Overview

Hospitable (formerly Smartbnb) is an intuitive software that used to serve as a messaging automation platform but has since transformed into an all-in-one solution for vacation rental management. Its powerful engagement and automation features are only part of its offerings, as Hospitable also supports direct bookings, unified inbox, channel manager, pricing synchronization, and reporting, and has one of the best customer services in the market. 

Guesty for Hosts evolved from its origins as Your Porter App when it was acquired in 2021 by Guesty, a well-known name in the vacation rental industry. This platform combines ease of use and affordability, and it was developed by industry experts for hosts who manage a couple of units. Guesty for Hosts delivers all the key features, including calendar synchronization, automated guest communication, and direct bookings. You can refer to our Guesty vs Guesty for Hosts comparison to find out in what aspects these two platforms differ. 

Pricing

Winner: Tie

Hospitable and Guesty for Hosts have very similar pricing structures with transparent pricing plans and all-inclusive packages. They also both allow you to try their platform for free for 14 days. So, let’s take a closer look at what each platform has to offer in terms of affordability and value.

Hospitable’s price is tailored to the size of your property portfolio, and it delivers all the features regardless of the number of properties you manage. The cost begins at $40/month for up to 2 properties. As your business scales, Hospitable provides volume discounts and only charges you for properties with check-ins. 

Guesty for Hosts also gives you access to all features, and its pricing depends on the number of properties and whether you opt for monthly or annual billing (which comes with a 30% discount). For managing one listing, the fee is $34/month with a yearly subscription, while for two properties, you’ll pay $51/month, and managing three listings costs $69/month.  

You can customize your Guesty for Hosts package with add-ons that come at an additional cost:

• Custom Domain Name – $100/domain  
• Smart Lock Automation – $0.75/code
• Chargeback Protection – 2%/transaction

Features

Winner: Hospitable

Guesty for Hosts is the less robust platform of the two, lacking Owner Portal and open API, but it does deliver all the key features for managing a couple of properties. A unique feature of Guesty for Hosts is its damage protection plans which will cover the costs of damages and eliminate the need of taking large security deposits from guests.

While Guesty for Hosts also allows you to set auto-replies triggered by various scenarios, Hospitable comes with an AI system that detects questions from its library covering over 20 topics and generates personalized and humanized responses. 

Customer Support

Winner: Hospitable

Hospitable’s support team is known to go above and beyond to support you every step of the way. Their customer service rating is among the best in the industry and their reviews on Capterra show it. Guesty for Hosts also does an excellent job of providing its users with prompt and instructive support; however, its rating is somewhat lower compared to Hospitable.

Conclusion – Hospitable vs Guesty for Hosts?

Once you take everything in, the choice between Hospitable and Guesty seems pretty straightforward, and your choice will depend on the size of your business and your goals.

Guesty for Hosts is for small short-term rental owners. Its ease of use combined with just the right amount of features that won’t overwhelm you make it ideal for beginners. 

If you manage more than 3 properties, Hospitable is a go-to choice. Conversely, you might want to consider Guesty for a larger portfolio if you like the intuitiveness of Guesty for Hosts.

Hospitable can be the perfect pick for hosts who strive toward growth or manage a larger number of properties, especially since it comes with a volume discount. Its strengths are certainly the powerful communication feature which will help keep your guests satisfied even when you need to juggle a lot of units. 

Alternatives to Hospitable and Guesty for Hosts

To ensure that you have a diverse array of options, we’ll present you with additional suitable alternatives, starting with Uplisting, our top choice for vacation rental management needs.

Uplisting is a feature-rich platform, but besides its comprehensive functionalities, it also delivers exceptional customer support. 

Compare vacation rental software options with our spreadsheet.

View spreadsheet

We also suggest referring to our list of the best vacation rental management software where we delve deeper into well-regarded platforms such as Lodgify, Smoobu, OwnerRez, HostHub, and Hostfully. Finally, check out our Hospitable alternatives post to find out how Hospitable compares to popular platforms.

Written by The Floorspace Team

This article was written as a collaborative effort by multiple members of the Floorspace team. We're a group of internet marketers and designers, with a wide range of experience marketing and managing short-term rentals.