Travel · head to head
Hostaway vs Cloudbeds
Hostaway
Travel
Vacation rental management platform for professional operators
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Cloudbeds
Travel
Cloud-based hospitality management platform unifying PMS, channel management, and booking engine
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hostaway quote-only pricing scaled by listing count, with an onboarding fee commonly reported, so entry cost is real; Cloudbeds pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hostaway and Cloudbeds actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Hostaway
- Multi-channel distribution
- Unified inbox
- Automation
- Owner statements
Only in Cloudbeds
Nothing recorded that Hostaway does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hostaway
- Managers running portfolios across several booking channelsnot Cloudbeds
- Operators whose margin goes to manual guest messaging and turnover coordinationnot Cloudbeds
- Companies producing owner statements for managed propertiesnot Cloudbeds
Cloudbeds
- Independent hotels and boutique hospitality businesses automating PMS and distributionnot Hostaway
- Vacation rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO) consolidating multi-channel bookings and messagingnot Hostaway
- Hostels and backpacker accommodations using commission-free booking engine to reduce dependency on OTAsnot Hostaway
- Small-chain hospitality operators managing multiple properties from one interfacenot Hostaway
- Properties seeking revenue management and dynamic pricing without enterprise-level PMS costsnot Hostaway
- Hospitality businesses using AI-driven guest messaging and support automationnot Hostaway
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hostaway
- Quote-only pricing scaled by listing count, with an onboarding fee commonly reported, so entry cost is real
- Built for professional operators; single-property hosts find the cost per unit hard to justify
- Channel sync inherits the reliability of the booking platforms it connects to
- Depth in individual modules is shallower than dedicated point tools
Cloudbeds
- Pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult
- Per-property pricing model means costs scale rapidly for multi-property management; portfolio growth increases operational expenses
- Revenue Intelligence (AI pricing) locked behind premium tier; base offering lacks dynamic pricing automation
- Limited offline functionality; properties with poor connectivity face operational challenges
- Chatbot and messaging automation require configuration; setup complexity increases for non-technical operators
Pricing, plan by plan
Hostaway
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Hostaway review.
Cloudbeds
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Cloudbeds review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Hostaway if
- You need multi-channel distribution.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want unified inbox.
Questions people ask
- Is Hostaway or Cloudbeds better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hostaway starts at On request and Cloudbeds at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hostaway or Cloudbeds?
- Hostaway starts at On request and Cloudbeds at On request.
- Does Hostaway or Cloudbeds run on more platforms?
- Hostaway runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud. Cloudbeds runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- What is Hostaway best used for?
- Hostaway is most often used for managers running portfolios across several booking channels, operators whose margin goes to manual guest messaging and turnover coordination, companies producing owner statements for managed properties. Of those, managers running portfolios across several booking channels and operators whose margin goes to manual guest messaging and turnover coordination are not what Cloudbeds is typically brought in for.
- What can Hostaway do that Cloudbeds cannot?
- Hostaway covers Multi-channel distribution, Unified inbox, Automation, Owner statements.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Hostaway: What does Hostaway cost?
It quotes by listing count and modules and does not publish rates. An onboarding fee is commonly part of the arrangement.
Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds have a commission-free booking engine?
Yes. Cloudbeds provides a commission-free booking engine allowing guests to reserve directly on the property website without OTA transaction fees. This reduces distribution costs compared to Booking.com and Airbnb.
SourceHostaway: Hostaway or Guesty?
They compete for the same professional operator market with broadly similar feature sets. Differences usually come down to quoted price, onboarding and specific channel or PMS integrations.
Cloudbeds: What channels does Cloudbeds distribute to?
Cloudbeds distributes to 450+ booking channels including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, and regional OTAs, all managed from one interface.
SourceHostaway: Is it worth it for one or two listings?
Generally not. It is built for portfolios, and the per-unit cost is hard to justify below a handful of properties.
Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds provide revenue management?
Yes. Revenue Intelligence uses AI-powered demand forecasting (95% accuracy) to recommend dynamic pricing, maximising revenue per available room (RevPAR).
Source