Hostaway vs Rentals United (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hostaway grades higher than Rentals United: 2.0 against 1.6 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 value for money and features. They get the same grade on 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.
Rentals United
Channel manager that connects your own PMS to 90+ booking sites
From $330/mo
Which one is for you
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
Pick Rentals United if
- Fits if you manage 10 or more listings and need one place that feeds every booking site
- Works for companies that already have a property system and just need it connected to more channels
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have one or two homes, because $330 a month is built for 10 to 50 listings
- Not for you if you want a booking system too, as it expects you to bring your own
- Watch out: Scale and Enterprise are quote-only and the add-ons carry no published price
- Tight if you want to try before paying, since no trial is listed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAHostawayFair | 1.6GPARentals UnitedWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | DPro starts at $330 a month, which is more than six times the $51 where the category's dearest tenth begins, and it is built for 10 to 50 listings. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record. Sign-up goes through a demo or quote request, and the site shows no free plan and no trial. | FNo free plan and no trial are on record. |
| Features | 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. | CSyncs rates, calendars and inventory to 90+ channels, with a shared inbox and reports. But it's a distribution layer, not a full booking system, and the direct-booking site and screening are paid add-ons. |
| Ease of use | CHostaway rates 4.3 on the US App Store from 447 ratings, which puts it at C on our ease ladder. | CNo store rating on record. You connect your property system or build against its API before anything flows, and the vendor wants you to keep that system. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, an open API and 300+ marketplace integrations, QuickBooks among them. There's no desktop app. | BWeb only, with 60+ system partners, an API and links to Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Google. |
| Best for | property managers answering guests on many channels | connecting a property system to 90+ booking sites |
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: Hostaway and Rentals United. How we grade
Where they differ
- Hostaway also covers shared inbox and whatsApp messaging.
In commonWebPublic APIAI featuresReportsChannel manager
At a glance
| Hostaway | Rentals United | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $330 per month and up (Pro, 10-50 listings) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Hostaway | Rentals United |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | rentalsunited.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Rentals United
- Pro starts at $330 a month and is aimed at 10-50 listings, so it is a poor fit for a single property.
- Scale and Enterprise have no published price; both are quoted by the sales team.
- It is a distribution layer, not a full PMS; the vendor expects you to keep your own PMS.
- Screen & Protect, the Website Builder, Elevate and Google Redirects are add-ons whose prices are not shown on the pricing page.
Key features
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.
Rentals United
- Channel distribution
- Keeps rates, availability and inventory in sync with more than 90 channels, including OTAs, metasearch engines and wholesalers.
- Three ways to connect
- Connect through one of 60+ PMS partners, build on a REST and XML API, or resell it under your own brand as a white-label channel manager.
- Multi-calendar and unified inbox
- One calendar for properties and bookings across channels, and one inbox with automated message templates.
- Analytics
- Property reports and market comparisons, plus AI-generated optimization reports for a portfolio.
- Add-ons
- Screen & Protect, a Website Builder for direct bookings, Elevate for data insights and Google Redirects are listed as extras beyond the channel manager.
Plans
Hostaway
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hostaway.com.
Rentals United
Pro$330
per month and up, for 10-50 listings
Syncs with Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Travel and 90+ channels, with guest communication, multi-calendar, unified inbox and analytics. Free onboarding is a limited offer.
ScaleCustom
For 50-200 listings. Priced by quote, with a commission or a fixed fee available. Adds dedicated support, a dedicated onboarder and a key account manager.
EnterpriseCustom
For 200+ listings. Priced by quote. Adds a direct API connection to Rentals United, technical support and a strategic account manager.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hostaway or Rentals United?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hostaway has no price we could confirm, and Rentals United starts at $330 per month and up (Pro, 10-50 listings).
Which has a free plan, Hostaway or Rentals United?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Hostaway nor Rentals United has a free plan.
Which platforms do Hostaway and Rentals United 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.