Enso Connect vs Hostaway (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hostaway grades higher than Enso Connect: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 13, 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.
Enso Connect
AI guest messaging, check-in and upsells for rentals and hotels
Which one is for you
Pick Enso Connect if
- Fits if you already run a property system and want AI guest replies on top
- Works for managers who sell upsells at check-in
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have fewer than 5 units, as the page sets a 5-unit minimum
- Watch out: the page says exact pricing depends on portfolio size, your PMS and AI usage
- Watch out: Pro and Max are shown for yearly billing only
- Skip it if you want one product, as it needs a property system underneath and caps connected systems
- Watch out: smart locks, thermostats and local authority reporting are add-ons on Core
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
| 1.8GPAEnso ConnectWeak | 2.0GPAHostawayFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$16 a unit a month billed yearly, but the 5-unit minimum makes the floor $80, inside the category's dearer end but under its $330 dearest-tenth line. Pro is $24 and Max $28. | 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 on record, so every use is paid from day one. | FNothing free on record. Sign-up goes through a demo or quote request, and the site shows no free plan and no trial. |
| Features | CAI agent, boarding pass, upsells, inbox, CRM and tasks. It layers over a property system rather than replacing one, and smart locks and local reporting are Core add-ons. | 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 store rating on record, and it must connect to your property system first. | 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, Avantio, Autohost, August and Akiles. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, an open API and 300+ marketplace integrations, QuickBooks among them. There's no desktop app. |
| Best for | AI guest messaging over your 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: Enso Connect and Hostaway. How we grade
Where they differ
- Enso Connect also covers AI support agent and chatbots.
- Hostaway also covers reports and channel manager.
At a glance
| Enso Connect | Hostaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $16 per unit / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly), 5 unit minimum | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Enso Connect | Hostaway |
| Price read from | ensoconnect.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 24, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Enso Connect
- There is a 5 unit minimum, and the page says exact pricing depends on portfolio size, PMS and AI usage.
- Pro and Max prices are shown for yearly billing only; no monthly figure is displayed for them.
- Smart locks and thermostats are an add-on on Core, and local authority reporting is an add-on there too.
- It layers over a property management system rather than replacing one; plans cap the number of connected PMS systems.
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
Enso Connect
- EnsoAI agent
- Answers guest messages on every channel on all plans, with a knowledge base, messaging style, policies and escalations.
- Boarding Pass
- A guest portal for contactless check-in and check-out, guest verification and digital guidebooks.
- Upsells and protection
- Automated upsells, fees and damage waivers, plus HOA compliance and property protection tools listed in the plan comparison.
- Unified inbox
- One inbox for guest messages with sentiment detection, WhatsApp, a website chat widget, email and SMS lines.
- Hospitality CRM and dashboard
- Guest profiles and export on every plan, with campaigns listed only on higher tiers.
- Tasks and operations
- A task list and board and AI-generated tasks, available on the Max tier, with smart lock and thermostat integrations.
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
Enso Connect
Core$16
per unit / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
1 brand and 1 PMS. EnsoAI answers guest messages; includes unified inbox, Boarding Pass, upsells, CRM and dashboard. Quarterly billing is $18.
Pro$24
per unit / month, billed yearly
Everything in Core for up to 5 brands and 10 PMS connections, plus custom AI workflows, 2 smart devices per unit and local authority reporting.
Max$28
per unit / month, billed yearly
Unlimited brands and PMS connections, 3 devices per unit, AI-generated and orchestrated tasks, and dedicated AI training sessions.
Custom QuoteCustom
Volume pricing starting at 10 units, with multi-brand setup and a dedicated onboarding team.
Hostaway
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hostaway.com.
Ways to pay less
Enso Connect
- Annual discount
20% off yearly billing, 10% off quarterly
The pricing page says quarterly billing saves 10% and yearly billing saves 20%.
Hostaway
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Enso Connect or Hostaway?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Enso Connect starts at $16 per unit / month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly), 5 unit minimum, and Hostaway has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Enso Connect or Hostaway?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Enso Connect nor Hostaway has a free plan.
Which platforms do Enso Connect and Hostaway run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.