Guesty Alternatives: There's a Better PMS For You

No matter where you are in your search for the right short-term property management system (PMS), you've probably crossed virtual paths with Guesty. That company has been around for a long time and offers some valuable features for short-term rental property managers. Sooner or later though, you'll find yourself searching for a Guesty alternative.

That's where Hostaway comes in. Thanks to simple pricing, superior customer support and the horsepower to drive real, measurable business growth for users, Hostaway is the number one property management system for short-term rentals.

In this article we'll compare how Hostaway and Guesty match up and look at which one is the better choice for your business.

Why look for a Guesty alternative?

If you look at Guesty reviews, you'll get to meet a bunch of unhappy vacation rental managers voicing the same frustrations over and over again. Here's a list of their greatest hits:

Complicated pricing

• Guesty's pricing model is a complicated hybrid of commission and fixed pricing, making costs unpredictable. Their onboarding process also comes with a hefty $1,500 price tag, whereas Hostaway’s onboarding costs only $500.

Customer support

• Hostaway offers 24/7 phone support for all customers and has a satisfaction score (CSAT) of 97%. While Guesty too offers support, users often report slow response times and limited hands-on assistance.

Clunky technology

• Complexity – While Hostaway has built their entire platform in-house thanks to a team of world-class developers, Guesty has built their platform piecemeal, choosing to acquire other technology instead of building on their own. This makes their patchwork platform cumbersome for many users.

Hostaway vs. Guesty: key differences

1. Hostaway users grow their listings and drive more revenue faster

Users looking for a Guesty alternative find quick success with Hostaway. Recent data from Hostaway shows that users who switched from Guesty to Hostaway boosted their occupancy rates by 12.4% on average. The data also revealed a very healthy 6.1% increase in ADR.

The secret sauce is Hostaway users having the power to efficiently manage multiple bookings across multiple active listings all in one easy-to-use platform. Easy-to-set up direct booking websites, seamless channel management and automated messaging are all part of the winning recipe as well.

The good news doesn't stop there though. Former Guesty users who switched to Hostaway can also expect growth in their overall listings as well. On average, Hostaway users saw their vacation rental listings grow by 25.2%. That's because key features like automated task management, guest communication through a unified inbox, and a best-in-class channel manager open up possibilities for scale and growth.

2. Market-leading support is part and parcel at Hostaway

Customer service is tough, no matter how you slice it. Some vacation rental software companies clearly do a better job than others, though. Hosts who use Hostaway's platform to manage their properties can rest easy, knowing they have access to the help they need when they need it.

The proof is in the data. From 2023 to 2024, Hostaway's success score (CSAT) increased from an already sky-high 97.7% to 98%. And the Hostaway team did it all while reducing the average response time by more than a third (35%). Hosts from all over the world can now expect a response within 5.1 hours on average, compared to 7.8 hours in 2023.

Short-term rental property managers know that guest experience is paramount to success. Hostaway knows it too. And that's why it leads the market with innovation in and resources devoted to our clients' success. Read the reviews yourself and you can see that this commitment to success is not shared across vacation rental software world.

3. Hostaway has the most and highest customer reviews

Review websites are where you can find some of the best information to help you in your research. One of the biggest, Capterra, recently named Hostaway the Most Popular and Highest Rated vacation rental software on their 2025 shortlist. And if you look closely, you'll see that its not even close, other Guesty alternatives like Lodgify, and Hostfully barely leave their mark on the shortlist.

Overall, Hostaway has 1,300 reviews on Capterra, holding a 4.8 star rating on average for the past three years among any property management system for STR businesses. The comparison with Guesty is stark in this regard. Not only do they have significantly fewer online reviews overall, their average review rating has been trending downwards for three years now.

Sure, Guesty may have some of the important key features. But when push comes to shove, Hostaway is the platform short-term rental hosts can count on to grow their business and eliminate mistakes like double bookings.

Hostaway is the way forward

Beyond exceptional service, simple pricing and a more resilient platform, Hostaway has all of the features and benefits hosts need to grow their business. Whether it's operations, payment processing, smart locks or dynamic pricing, Hostaway has it all.

Longtime favorites like the unified inbox and newly added features like QuickBooks integration are a testament to the company's commitment to product development and excellence. And as VP of Product Maria Lopez hinted in the 2025 Road Map Sneak Peek, trust accounting and other exciting features (think AI automation) are coming down the pike.

So while no one could blame you for considering Guesty in your search, remember: there's a better PMS for you. And that PMS is Hostaway.

FAQ:

Why should I consider a Guesty alternative?

Guesty has been around for a while, but many users find its pricing model complex, customer support lacking and platform fragmented due to multiple acquisitions. Hostaway offers a simpler pricing structure, superior customer service and an all-in-one solution that drives measurable business growth.

How does Hostaway compare to Guesty in terms of pricing and service?

Guesty's pricing model is a mix of commission-based and fixed pricing, making costs unpredictable, while Hostaway offers transparent pricing. Additionally, Hostaway provides 24/7 customer support with a 98% satisfaction score, whereas Guesty users often report slow response times and limited support.

What kind of growth can I expect by switching from Guesty to Hostaway?

Hostaway users who previously used Guesty have reported a 12.4% increase in OR, a 6.1% rise in ADR, and a 25.2% growth in listings. With powerful automation, seamless channel management, and best-in-class support, Hostaway helps short-term rental managers scale efficiently. More direct bookings and no more double bookings.

What are some of Hostaway's most popular features?

Hostaway dynamic pricing, released in 2024, a Quickbooks integration, released in 2025, are two of the most popular features in recent memory, in addition to the longtime favorite direct booking website builder and best-in-class channel manager. Hostaway is set to launch a trust accounting feature this year, which is yet another example of Hostaway building features that matter to vacation rental owners and property managers.

Why is Hostaway highly rated?

Hostaway's premiere partner status with Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com turns costly double bookings into a thing of the past. Users also love its website templates, guest messaging templates, AI automation and more. In short, Hostaway users love the ability they have to manage bookings across different channels in different markets from anywhere. But what they love most is experiencing more bookings, more direct bookings and easier property management in one easy-to-use software.