Connect or compare

Hostella + Hostaway

New: Hostella now connects on top of Hostaway. So this isn't purely “vs” anymore — for most operators the answer is to run them together. If you're still deciding between platforms, the honest side-by-side is right below.

Hostaway connector · live

You don't have to choose — run them together.

Keep your PMS. Add the AI front desk. Connect Hostaway and Hostella syncs your reservations, calendar and guest messages into one unified inbox, then the AI works on top — drafting a reply on every thread, including OTA. Hostaway stays your system of record; nothing migrates.

Live now: connect Hostaway → sync reservations, calendar & guest messages into one inbox
The AI drafts a reply on every thread, including your OTA guests
Send drafts back through the PMS is rolling out (beta) — auto-send is live today on WhatsApp, Telegram & the guest portal
No migration: Hostaway keeps being your system of record

Connect Hostaway →Guesty & Lodgify next

Still deciding? Here's the honest read

Hostaway is the heavyweight PMS for property managers running 25+ properties — an enterprise feature set we haven't tried to replicate. If you're picking one platform rather than layering them, here's where each fits.

Where Hostella wins

Runs on top of Hostaway — connect it and the AI becomes your front desk without leaving your PMS
AI is genuinely good — drafts a reply on every thread (incl. OTA), risk-gated approval queue, BYO API key, multi-language
Self-serve onboarding — no sales call, no 2-8 hour guided session; 14-day trial vs Hostaway's enterprise sales motion
Trust Center actually published (Hostaway has good security, less publicly transparent)
Per-villa pricing is honest — Hostaway custom quotes vary wildly

Where Hostaway wins

~200 OTA + tool integrations vs our focused 5+ (we'd lose any 'how many integrations?' bake-off)
Native channel-manager APIs (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo) — Hostella reaches them by connecting to Hostaway, not on its own
Sending AI replies straight back to OTA guests through the PMS is live for them; on our side it's still in beta
Multi-tenant for property management agencies — they have it, we don't
Mature CRM module + 10+ years of feature accretion vs. our months

Pricing & onboarding

Feature
Hostella
Hostaway

Free trial

Hostaway is sales-led — demo only

14 days—

Free tier

——

Starting price

14-day trial · €29/mo Solo · portfolio tiers €25–30/villa + baseCustom pricing

Setup fee

Group tier only (€999)$500 guided onboarding

Time to first reservation in system

Minutes2-8 hours guided session

Annual commitment required

—Typically yes

AI & messaging

Feature
Hostella
Hostaway

AI front desk on your PMS threads

On OTA/PMS threads the AI drafts a reply on every message; sending it back through the PMS is rolling out (beta). Hostaway has templates + automation, no full AI agent.

yes (drafts)◐ Partial

Live two-way AI replies

Auto-send is live on direct channels; OTA send-back is in beta

yes — WhatsApp / Telegram / guest portal—

Multilingual replies

✓ Yes—

Risk-gated approval queue

✓ Yes—

BYO Anthropic API key (zero AI cost)

✓ Yes—

AI analytics insights (Copilot-style)

yes (Gemini)—

Per-property AI customization

✓ Yes—

Operations & integrations

Feature
Hostella
Hostaway

Runs on top of your PMS (Hostaway connector)

Connect Hostaway → Hostella syncs reservations, calendar & guest messages into one inbox. Hostaway is the PMS, not a layer on top of one.

✓ Yes—

Connect Hostaway & keep it as system of record

Run Hostella alongside Hostaway without migrating — your PMS stays the source of truth

✓ Yesn/a

Channel manager

Direct Airbnb/Booking/Vrbo certification is still on Hostaway's side; via the connector Hostella reads from it

Hostaway connector (live) + iCal universal fallbackNative API (mature)

OTA integration count

Hostaway broader; with the connector Hostella inherits whatever Hostaway is connected to

Hostaway connector + 5 OTAs + iCal universal~200 partners

Dynamic pricing

PriceLabs integratedPriceLabs + Beyond + Wheelhouse (paid add-on)

Worker / cleaner mobile portal

Hostaway has a tasks module but no token-scoped staff app

✓ Yes◐ Partial

Smart lock integration

IglooHomeMultiple via marketplace

Owner statements + commission

✓ Yesyes (CRM module)

Direct booking site

yes (scaffold)yes (Lodgify-style builder)

Multi-tenant for agencies

Hostaway's strongest enterprise feature

no (planned)✓ Yes

Trust, security & compliance

Feature
Hostella
Hostaway

SOC 2 Type II

In progress✓ Yes

GDPR-compliant DPA

✓ Yes✓ Yes

EU data residency option

Both have it; Hostella defaults EU, Hostaway requires request

yes (Frankfurt)✓ Yes

Sub-processor transparency

yes (published)◐ Partial

Encryption at rest

AES-256-GCM✓ Yes

Public status page

Coming✓ Yes

Who should pick which?

Pick Hostella if…

You already run Hostaway and just want the AI front desk on top — connect it, keep your PMS
You want AI that drafts a reply on every thread, not template automation
You'd rather try-before-buy than sit through a sales demo
You're in the EU or APAC and value data residency

Pick Hostaway if…

You manage 50+ properties and need certified Airbnb/Booking APIs today
You're a property management agency with sub-tenants
You need a CRM for guest leads + upsells
You prefer enterprise SaaS sales relationships

See Hostella's pricing →