Lesson · 2 min
Best PMS for Short-Term Rentals
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Best PMS for short term rentals: 10 property management systems A to Z, what each is known for, and a link to every one.
Your property management system (PMS) keeps your calendar, channels, guest messages and payments in one place, so the one you pick shapes how your rental business runs. Hal Whitlock goes through ten systems, A to Z, using what each says about itself on its own website. Not a ranking, and no prices. The link to each system is below, with the second of the video where it appears.
In this video
Chapters
- 0:00Why your PMS matters: ten systems, A to Z
- 0:13Guesty and Hospitable: growth and guest messaging
- 0:29Hostaway and Hostfully: channels, AI co-host, guidebooks
- 0:44iGMS and Lodgify: independent hosts, direct booking sites
- 0:59OwnerRez and Smoobu: accounting, all in one
- 1:15Uplisting and Zeevou: human support, a free plan
- 1:30All ten at a glance
Press a chapter to play the video from that point.
The Ten Systems, A to Z
Guesty (0:14): built for growth, from one listing to hundreds, with AI tools across the platform. Plans by size: 1 to 3 listings, 4 to 199, 200 or more. guesty.com
Hospitable (0:22): AI auto reply for guest messages, and direct bookings with $5 million in damage coverage. Says it is trusted by 25,000+ hosts; 14-day free trial. hospitable.com
Hostaway (0:29): "the industry's most reliable channel manager" in its own words, an AI co-host called AI CoHost, and 24/7 local support. hostaway.com
Hostfully (0:37): digital guidebooks for guests, 60+ channels, a built-in direct booking site and 150+ integrations. hostfully.com
iGMS (0:44): built for independent hosts, with Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com messages in one inbox, AI-suggested replies and a 14-day free trial. igms.com
Lodgify (0:52): a website builder for your own direct booking site, plus a channel manager that syncs Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. lodgify.com
OwnerRez (0:59): accounting and reporting, direct partnerships with the major channels, unlimited bookings and a 14-day free trial. ownerrez.com
Smoobu (1:07): channel manager, website builder, guest guide and booking engine in one, with free onboarding, 40+ integrations and a 14-day free trial. smoobu.com/en
Uplisting (1:15): human support, guest identity verification and eSign rental agreements for operators who are scaling; customers in 94 countries. uplisting.io
Zeevou (1:23): a commission-free booking engine, a free plan ("The First Free PMS" on its site) and ZeeLink, a host-to-host booking network. zeevou.com
How to Choose
Short-list two and try both. Ask: Which sites do you sell on, and does it connect to each? How many listings now, and in a year? Do you want a booking website built in? Who else needs a login, owners or cleaners? Is there a trial or demo, and can you reach a person? Can you export your data if you leave?
Cavmir's PMS guide, with a shortlist by portfolio size: cavmir.com/resources/pms-platforms/
Word for word
Transcript
From the English captions on YouTube.
0:00 Why your PMS matters: ten systems, A to Z
Your property management system runs your whole rental business. Here are ten good ones, and what each does best. Calendar, channels, messages, payments: it all lives in one place. So pick the one that fits you.
0:13 Guesty and Hospitable: growth and guest messaging
Built for growth, from a single listing to hundreds, with AI tools across the whole platform. Guest messaging on autopilot, and direct bookings with $5 million in damage coverage.
0:29 Hostaway and Hostfully: channels, AI co-host, guidebooks
Hostaway brings reliable channel management, an AI co-host, and round-the-clock local support. Hostfully offers beautiful digital guidebooks, over 60 channels, and a direct booking site.
0:44 iGMS and Lodgify: independent hosts, direct booking sites
iGMS is built for independent hosts: one inbox, with AI-suggested replies. Lodgify gives you a website builder for your own direct booking site, where guests book directly.
0:59 OwnerRez and Smoobu: accounting, all in one
OwnerRez has deep accounting and reporting, direct channel partnerships, and unlimited bookings. Smoobu is all in one: channel manager, website builder and guest guide, with free onboarding.
1:15 Uplisting and Zeevou: human support, a free plan
Uplisting helps you scale, with real human support, guest identity checks, and signed rental agreements. Zeevou gives you a commission-free booking engine, a free plan, and a host-to-host booking network.
Questions
Questions Owners Ask
What is a PMS?
The software underneath a rental business: calendars sync across the booking sites, guest messages go out, payments reconcile and owners get their statements.
Do I still need my own website?
Several of these systems include a website or booking engine, and a site of your own is where guests can book without a booking-site fee. Cavmir builds that site on top of your PMS.
CavmirTV
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