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Alternatives · Vacation Rentals

Host Tools alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Host Tools alternative for most people is Hospitable (2.6 GPA), first in our ranking of vacation rental tools. It's also the best free one.

Host Tools compared with 6 alternatives: Hospitable, Hostex, Smoobu, Hosthub, Hostaway and 1 more.

Host Tools is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $28 per month for 1 listing, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly). 1 of the 6 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 4 more offer a free trial.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

Black Friday: is there a Host Tools sale?

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Host ToolsThis toolFree trial · from $28/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
HospitableFree plan · from $25.52/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
HostexFree trial · from $4.9/moTrial onlyWeb
SmoobuFree trial · from €29/moTrial onlyWeb, iOS, Android
HosthubFree trial · from $21.6/moTrial onlyWeb
HostawayPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android
HostbuddyFree trial · from $7/moTrial onlyWeb

Price against what you get

Host Tools starts at $28 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Hospitable and Hosthub.

Hostex and Hostbuddy start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessHost ToolsHospitableHostexSmoobuHosthubHostbuddy

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of vacation rental tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from Host Tools

  1. Hospitable

    Guest messaging, channel sync and operations for short-term rentals

    • Hospitable starts at $25.52 per month for 1 property, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
    • Hospitable has a free plan, which Host Tools lacks.
    • Hospitable also covers tasks.
    • Hospitable does not cover workflow automation, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Hosts who want a free plan that covers unlimited properties

    Hospitable vs Host ToolsHospitable pricing and details

  2. Hostex

    Low-cost channel manager and PMS for short-term rentals

    • Hostex starts at $4.9 per property / month, shown on the yearly view.
    • Hostex lists no iOS and Android apps, which Host Tools has.
    • Hostex also covers tasks.
    • Hostex does not cover workflow automation, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Individual hosts with one or two listings who want a low per-property price

    Hostex vs Host ToolsHostex pricing and details

  3. Smoobu

    Vacation rental channel manager and booking system, priced by unit

    • Smoobu starts at €29 per month for 1 unit, plus 0.9% per booking (Professional Flex).
    • Smoobu also covers invoicing and reports.
    • Smoobu does not cover shared inbox and workflow automation, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Hosts in Europe with a few apartments, guest houses or B&Bs

    Smoobu vs Host ToolsSmoobu pricing and details

  4. Hosthub

    Channel manager and PMS for vacation rentals, priced per rental

    • Hosthub starts at $21.6 per rental / month for 1 rental, billed yearly ($27 billed monthly).
    • Hosthub lists no iOS and Android apps, which Host Tools has.
    • Hosthub does not cover workflow automation, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Owners with one to a few rentals who mainly need reliable calendar sync

    Hosthub vs Host ToolsHosthub pricing and details

  5. Hostaway

    Vacation rental PMS and channel manager for property managers

    • Hostaway also covers reports and whatsApp messaging.
    • Hostaway does not cover workflow automation, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Property managers running a few to a few hundred short-term rental listings

    Hostaway vs Host ToolsHostaway pricing and details

  6. Hostbuddy

    AI guest messaging for vacation rental hosts, connected to your PMS

    • Hostbuddy starts at $7 per property / month, billed monthly.
    • Hostbuddy lists no iOS and Android apps, which Host Tools has.
    • Hostbuddy also covers chat assistant and chatbots.
    • Hostbuddy does not cover workflow automation and channel manager, which Host Tools does.

    Suits: Hosts who want guest questions answered around the clock

    Hostbuddy vs Host ToolsHostbuddy pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Host Tools

  • Price depends on the listing count: 10 listings on Pro billed monthly costs $106 a month, according to the pricing page.
  • Calendar sync, pricing rules, smart locks, multi-user access and the booking site are Pro features; Messaging does not include them.
  • Smart locks cost an extra $3 a month per lock on top of the plan.
  • Accounts above 134 listings are quoted individually.
Host Tools pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Host Tools?

The alternatives to Host Tools in this directory are Hospitable, Hostex, Smoobu, Hosthub, Hostaway and Hostbuddy. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Host Tools.

Is there a free alternative to Host Tools?

Yes. Hospitable has a free plan alongside paid ones.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 24, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.