BookingPal vs Hostaway (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hostaway grades higher than BookingPal: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hostaway grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BookingPal
Channel distribution for vacation rentals, with or without a PMS
From $3/mo
Which one is for you
Pick BookingPal if
- Fits if you keep your PMS and only want wider distribution
- Works for owners with one or a few units who want published per-unit prices
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a flat fee, as both plans add 1% or 1.5% of bookings
- Watch out: RevPAL works only with a PMS that integrates with BookingPal
- Tight if you want rates, reviews or guest tools, as those are RevPAL+ only
- Watch out: RevPAL+ has a setup fee, waived with an Airbnb connection, and the amount isn't stated
Pick Hostaway if
- Fits if you manage several listings and answer guests over SMS and WhatsApp as well as Airbnb
- Works for managers who send owners a statement every month
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price first, as every price is a quote based on your listing count
- Not for you if you'd rather try it alone, since sign-up goes through a demo and no free trial is on record
- Watch out: the quote form is built for 2 or more listings and sends single-listing hosts to a separate page
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABookingPalWeak | 2.0GPAHostawayFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CRevPAL is $3 a unit a month and RevPAL+ from $19, falling to $8 above 50 units, plus 1.5% or 1% of bookings. A single unit at $19 lands in the middle of the category. | CNo price is published. The pricing page asks how many listings you have and returns a quote, so the price only comes from Hostaway's sales team, and we can't set it against this category's $25.52 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. A 30-day money-back guarantee is not a trial. | FNothing free on record. Sign-up goes through a demo or quote request, and the site shows no free plan and no trial. |
| Features | C26 channels and a guest inbox, and RevPAL+ adds reservations, rates and reviews. Pricing guidance and review tools are RevPAL+ only. | BChannel sync over direct connections, one inbox for channel, email, SMS and WhatsApp messages, AI replies, dynamic pricing, owner statements and an owner portal, a booking site and an open API. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You connect channels and sometimes a separate PMS. | CHostaway rates 4.3 on the US App Store from 447 ratings, which puts it at C on our ease ladder. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia among 26 channels. No mobile app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, an open API and 300+ marketplace integrations, QuickBooks among them. There's no desktop app. |
| Best for | channel distribution for rentals, with or without a PMS | property managers answering guests on many channels |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BookingPal and Hostaway. How we grade
Where they differ
- BookingPal also covers calendar and review collection.
- Hostaway also covers reports and whatsApp messaging.
In commonWebShared inboxChannel manager
At a glance
| BookingPal | Hostaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $3 per unit / month, plus 1.5% on delivered bookings | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BookingPal | Hostaway |
| Price read from | bookingpal.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BookingPal
- Both plans add a share of bookings on top of the per-unit fee: 1.5% of delivered bookings on RevPAL, 1% of all bookings on RevPAL+.
- RevPAL only works with a PMS that integrates with BookingPal.
- Recommended rates, reservations and guest management, and review tools are RevPAL+ only.
- The pricing section mentions a setup fee for RevPAL+ that is waived with an Airbnb connection, but does not state the amount.
Hostaway
- Hostaway publishes no prices: the pricing page asks for your listing count and returns a quote.
- Sign-up goes through a demo or quote request; the site shows no self-serve plan or free trial.
- The quote form is built around managers with 2 or more listings and sends single-listing hosts to a separate page.
Key features
BookingPal
- 26-channel distribution
- Connects to 26 booking channels and syncs rates and availability to reduce the risk of double bookings. The vendor notes that some premium channels need partner approval.
- Works alongside your PMS
- RevPAL sits on top of a PMS that integrates with BookingPal, so the back-office setup stays as it is.
- Guest message inbox
- Brings guest messages from different channels into one inbox.
- Reservations and guests in RevPAL+
- RevPAL+ keeps reservations, calendars, guest details and rates together, so no separate PMS is needed.
- Recommended rates
- RevPAL+ includes pricing guidance to support rate decisions across a portfolio.
- Review management
- RevPAL+ gathers reviews in one place so a host can follow guest sentiment and reply from the platform.
Hostaway
- Channel manager and multi-calendar
- Syncs listings, rates and availability with Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google and Expedia over direct API connections, with regional channels through the marketplace.
- Unified inbox
- Messages from Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com sit in one inbox with email, SMS and WhatsApp, alongside templates and automated messages.
- AI Replies and AI CoHost
- AI Replies drafts answers to common guest questions and can send them automatically. AI CoHost, new, reads live account data and suggests next steps.
- Dynamic pricing
- Adjusts nightly rates for season and events across channels, alongside coupons, promotions and upsells.
- Owner statements and reporting
- Financial and occupancy reports, owner statement templates with automated delivery, an owner portal and a QuickBooks connection.
- Direct booking site and open API
- A website builder with a booking engine and widgets for existing sites, an open API, and 300+ marketplace integrations.
Plans
BookingPal
RevPAL$3
per unit / month, plus 1.5% on delivered bookings
Distribution to 26 channels for properties that keep their existing PMS. No setup fee.
RevPAL+ (1 unit)$19
per unit / month, plus 1% on all bookings
Replaces the PMS: reservations, guests, rates, distribution, guest inbox and reviews. Per-unit price falls with volume.
RevPAL+ (11-25 units)$11
per unit / month, plus 1% on all bookings
Volume tiers: $17 for 2-5 units, $14 for 6-10, $9 for 26-50, from $8 above 50. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hostaway
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hostaway.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BookingPal or Hostaway?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BookingPal starts at $3 per unit / month, plus 1.5% on delivered bookings, and Hostaway has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, BookingPal or Hostaway?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BookingPal nor Hostaway has a free plan.
Which platforms do BookingPal and Hostaway run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hostaway lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.