Travel · head to head
Hostaway vs Stayntouch
Hostaway
Travel
Vacation rental management platform for professional operators
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Stayntouch
Travel
Cloud property management system for independent hotels
- 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; Stayntouch quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
- They diverge on capability: Hostaway covers Multi-channel distribution, Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hostaway and Stayntouch actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hostaway | Stayntouch |
|---|
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android, Cloud), 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 Stayntouch
- Mobile check-in
- Guest self-service
- Cloud PMS
- Open API
- Housekeeping
- Payments
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hostaway
- Managers running portfolios across several booking channelsnot Stayntouch
- Operators whose margin goes to manual guest messaging and turnover coordinationnot Stayntouch
- Companies producing owner statements for managed propertiesnot Stayntouch
Stayntouch
- Hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desknot Hostaway
- Properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrivalnot Hostaway
- Independents replacing an on-premise PMS with cloudnot 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
Stayntouch
- Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
- Mobile-first depends on property-wide wireless coverage that many older hotels do not have
- A smaller vendor than the major PMS providers, with a narrower integration ecosystem
- Strongest in North America, with less coverage elsewhere
Pricing, plan by plan
Hostaway
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Hostaway review.
Stayntouch
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Stayntouch 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.
Choose Stayntouch if
- You need mobile check-in.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want guest self-service.
Questions people ask
- Is Hostaway or Stayntouch better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hostaway starts at On request and Stayntouch at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hostaway or Stayntouch?
- Hostaway starts at On request and Stayntouch at On request.
- Does Hostaway or Stayntouch run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Stayntouch is typically brought in for.
- What can Hostaway do that Stayntouch cannot?
- Hostaway covers Multi-channel distribution, Unified inbox, Automation, Owner statements. Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in, Guest self-service, Cloud PMS, Open API.
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.
Stayntouch: What does Stayntouch cost?
Quoted per property by room count; not published.
Hostaway: 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.
Stayntouch: What does mobile-first actually change?
Check-in happens on a tablet anywhere in the property or on the guest's own phone, rather than at a fixed counter, which changes both queuing and front-desk staffing.
Hostaway: 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.
Stayntouch: What does it need to work well?
Reliable property-wide wireless. A mobile-first PMS is only as good as the network it runs on.