BookingPal vs Smoobu (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Smoobu grades higher than BookingPal: 2.2 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
Smoobu grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, 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
Smoobu
Vacation rental channel manager and booking system, priced by unit
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 Smoobu if
- Fits if you rent a few apartments or a B&B in Europe and pay in euros
- Works for hosts who list on Booking.com and Expedia as well as Airbnb
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: subscriptions are billed in euros, and the dollar and pound prices on the page are only estimates
- Pricey if you add units or people: each extra unit is €12 a month before discounts, and write-access accounts start at €12
- Not for you if you want dynamic pricing built in, as it's a separate product, with two months free on Pro+
- Tight if you manage for owners, since no owner statements or cleaning tasks are on record
- Watch out: cancelling takes 30 days' notice and only ends the plan at the next renewal
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABookingPalWeak | 2.2GPASmoobuFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C€29 a month for one unit plus 0.9% of each booking, or €31.50 a month billed yearly with no booking fee. In dollars that sits between this category's middle ($25.52) and its dearer quarter ($40). Extra units start at €9.60 each. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. A 30-day money-back guarantee is not a trial. | CA 14-day trial of Smoobu Professional with no card needed and nothing held back. There's no free plan. |
| Features | C26 channels and a guest inbox, and RevPAL+ adds reservations, rates and reviews. Pricing guidance and review tools are RevPAL+ only. | CChannel sync with 100+ portals, a booking engine and website, scheduled guest messages, online check-in, invoicing, team accounts and an API. The gaps: dynamic pricing is a separate product, and no owner statements or cleaning tasks are on record. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You connect channels and sometimes a separate PMS. | CNo app-store rating on record. You connect your portals and build the booking website yourself, so there's setup to do. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia among 26 channels. No mobile app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, full API access and connections to 40+ other apps, plus Stripe and PayPal. There's no desktop app. |
| Best for | channel distribution for rentals, with or without a PMS | European hosts with a few apartments |
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 Smoobu. How we grade
Price against what you get
BookingPal starts at $3 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Smoobu starts at about $32.40 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and BookingPal starts $29.40 a month lower. Of the other vacation rental tools on the chart, none scores higher than BookingPal for less, and 8 score higher than Smoobu for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
- BookingPal also covers calendar, shared inbox and review collection.
- Smoobu also covers invoicing and reports.
At a glance
| BookingPal | Smoobu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $3 per unit / month, plus 1.5% on delivered bookings | €29 per month for 1 unit, plus 0.9% per booking (Professional Flex) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of Smoobu Professional, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BookingPal | Smoobu GmbH |
| Price read from | bookingpal.com | smoobu.com |
| 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.
Smoobu
- Subscriptions are billed in euros; the dollar and pound prices on the page are estimates at the exchange rate.
- Each extra unit adds €12 a month before discounts, and extra write-access accounts start at €12 a month.
- Plans can be cancelled with 30 days' notice, and cancellation takes effect at the next renewal.
- Smoobu Dynamic Pricing is a separate product; Pro+ includes two months of it free.
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.
Smoobu
- Channel manager
- Connects Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia by API and syncs availability with over 100 booking portals, with price sync on every plan.
- Booking engine and website builder
- Take direct bookings with Stripe or PayPal through a booking system and a website you build in Smoobu, on your own domain on every plan.
- Guest communication
- Personalized message templates sent on a schedule, online check-in, a digital guest guide and guest records (CRM).
- Invoicing
- A newer invoicing system is included, and Pro+ adds e-invoicing; both depend on market availability.
- Team accounts and statistics
- Add team members with their own access, and track performance with built-in statistics.
- Apps and API
- iOS and Android apps for bookings on the go, full API access, and connections to more than 40 other apps.
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.
Smoobu
Professional Flex€29
per month for 1 unit, plus 0.9% per booking
Everything in Professional Prepaid, but with a 0.9% fee on each booking instead of a higher subscription. Each extra unit adds to the monthly price.
Professional Prepaid€31.50
per month for 1 unit, billed yearly (€35 billed monthly)
No booking fee. Channel manager, booking website, invoicing, apps and API. Extra units from €9.60 each; €128.70 a month at 10 units, billed yearly.
Pro+€49.50
per month for 1 unit, billed yearly (€55 billed monthly)
Adds e-invoicing, two months of Smoobu Dynamic Pricing free, prioritized support and two write-access accounts, where available in your market.
Ways to pay less
BookingPal
No public discounts listed.
Smoobu
- Annual discount
Save 10% yearly or 20% on a two-year plan
Smoobu's pricing page gives 10% off annual plans and 20% off two-year plans, which brings Professional Prepaid to €28 a month for one unit.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BookingPal or Smoobu?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BookingPal is cheaper to start with: $3 a month, against about $32.40 a month for Smoobu. BookingPal starts at $3 per unit / month, plus 1.5% on delivered bookings, and Smoobu starts at €29 per month for 1 unit, plus 0.9% per booking (Professional Flex).
Which has a free plan, BookingPal or Smoobu?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither BookingPal nor Smoobu has a free plan. Smoobu has a free trial.
Which platforms do BookingPal and Smoobu run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Smoobu 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.