Hospitable (Smartbnb) vs Hostfully: Choosing the Right Vacation Rental Platform [2023]

It’s not easy to navigate through the vast landscape of vacation rental software and select the ideal solution for your specific needs. That’s why, in this article, we’ll embark on a detailed comparison between two sought-after solutions, Hospitable (formerly known as Smartbnb) and Hostfully. 

By closely examining key factors such as features, pricing, and customer support, you can gain valuable insights to confidently make a decision that’s aligned with your rental business. Join us in this ultimate Hospitable (Smartbnb) vs Hostfully showdown and unravel the distinctions that will reveal the right tool for you.

Hospitable vs Hostfully: An Overview

Hospitable (formerly Smartbnb) has evolved from a platform for guest messaging automation to an end-to-end solution for short-term rental management. Besides advanced automation and communication features, Hospitable will also equip you with a channel manager, a website builder for direct bookings, reporting features, task management, review management, and pricing sync. 

Hostfully is a vacation rental software that was crafted specifically to aid vacation rental businesses automate and streamline their day-to-day operations. Its robust feature set includes a unified inbox, channel manager, automation features, payment processing, reporting, and more.  

Pricing

Winner: Hospitable

The cost of using Hospitable starts at $40/month for up to 2 properties. This platform doesn’t have tiered pricing, but it adjusts the costs according to your property portfolio. The pricing is transparent, and you’ll have access to all features regardless of how many units you manage. As your business scales, you’ll only be charged for properties with check-ins. 

Hostfully has a three-tiered pricing structure, and with each tier, you unlock more advanced features. The base cost is $109/month for up to 4 listings. Choosing an annual subscription grants a 10% discount, and there’s a one-time implementation fee of $600, which can be reduced to $300 with a yearly payment. To enjoy a $100 discount, just use the code EGNTNJ494.

Hospitable is the more budget-friendly choice, with a cost of $56/month for managing 4 listings, whereas Hostfully charges $109/month for the same number of properties and comes with a setup fee. Hostfully also restricts access to certain features like digital signatures and customer success manager until your portfolio grows and you reach higher tiers.

Features

Winner: Tie

Each platform has its advantages, so rather than favoring a single platform, let’s highlight their unique strengths.

Hospitable has the advantage when it comes to communication capabilities. Its AI system has the ability to detect questions on more than 20 common topics and it instantly generates a personalized response. On top of that, Hospitable surpasses Hostfully with its double-booking protection and smart lock integration.

Hostfully packs certain features that Hospitable lacks, such as e-signing contracts and accounting tools. Hostfully also stands out with its advanced reporting and booking pipeline, which enables you to track leads, deposits, and payments from a unified dashboard.

Customer Support

Winner: Hospitable

Hospitable is outshining its competitors with the gold standard in customer support ratings. Its reviews are glowing, with users sharing positive impressions of agents’ responsiveness and helpfulness. Hostfully also enjoys a fair share of positive reviews, but its overall rating takes a slight hit due to a handful of negative experiences reported by some users.

Conclusion – Hospitable or Hostfully?

How to choose between Hospitable and Hostfully? Your decision will ultimately be shaped by your specific needs and preferences. So, you should take a moment to reflect on what truly matters to you.

If affordability and seamless guest communication are at the top of your priority list, Hospitable is the perfect fit. With its reasonable pricing and AI-powered technology, you can automate guest responses effortlessly without putting a dent in your budget.

However, if you’re a rental manager or owner looking to streamline administrative burdens, Hostfully is the ideal solution. Its advanced reporting and integrated accounting tools will alleviate the burden of financial tasks, allowing you to focus on optimizing your rental management operations.

Alternatives to Hospitable and Hostfully

A thorough exploration of available vacation rental management software will give you the confidence and reassurance that you have considered and evaluated all the available choices.

We would highly recommend checking out our top selection for short-term rental management needs, the comprehensive Uplisting. 

Compare vacation rental software options with our spreadsheet.

View spreadsheet

In addition to this robust platform praised for its exceptional customer service, you can also look into other popular choices such as iGMS, Lodgify, Guesty, OwnerRez, and Smoobu. Save yourself the hassle of comparing these platforms with Hostfully and Hospitable on your own, as we’ve got you covered with our informative posts on Hospitable and Hostfully alternatives.

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.