Rentals United vs Smily (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Smily grades higher than Rentals United: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Smily 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 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
Pick Smily if
- Fits if you manage rentals in Europe and want a property system with payments
- Works for managers who want an owners portal and direct booking site
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price, as none is published
- Watch out: Smily Pay, damage protection and cancellation protection show no price
- Watch out: the site markets a mobile app but does not say which platforms it runs on
- Watch out: help and developer pages sit on the BookingSync domain
- Not for you if you want a free start, as the site directs visitors to a demo
How we grade them
| 1.6GPARentals UnitedWeak | 2.0GPASmilyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price is published, so there is nothing to place against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial are on record. | FNo free plan or trial on record, only a request for a demo. |
| Features | 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. | BProperty system, channel manager, payments, AI tools, inbox, direct booking site, owners portal and tasks. Nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record, and a demo and setup come before use. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with 60+ system partners, an API and links to Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo and Google. | BWeb only on record, with Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and Vrbo and an app center. |
| Best for | connecting a property system to 90+ booking sites | European vacation rental managers |
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: Rentals United and Smily. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rentals United also covers reports.
- Smily also covers tasks, shared inbox and email campaigns.
In commonWebPublic APIAI featuresChannel manager
At a glance
| Rentals United | Smily | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $330 per month and up (Pro, 10-50 listings) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Rentals United | Smily |
| Price read from | rentalsunited.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Smily
- No prices are published; the site directs visitors to schedule a demo.
- The site markets a mobile app but its feature page does not say which platforms it runs on.
- The company calls itself a European vacation rental software, and its help and developer pages sit on the BookingSync domain.
- Smily Pay, damage protection and cancellation protection are listed under its fintech features, with no pricing shown.
Key features
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.
Smily
- PMS and channel manager
- A property management system and a channel manager for Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Vrbo and more, which the site says Smily is a preferred partner of.
- Payments and fintech
- SmilyPay, credit card acceptance, payments reconciliation, split payments and revenue distribution, with optional cancellation and damage protection.
- AI tools
- Smart replies in several languages, urgent inquiry detection, AI-written review replies and listing audits, with GDPR-compliant data handling stated.
- Unified inbox and email marketing
- Guest messages from all channels in one inbox, plus automated and personalized email campaigns, remarketing and a CRM.
- Direct booking website
- A customizable booking website, with a performance dashboard, revenue management and dynamic pricing listed alongside it.
- Owners portal, tasks and app center
- An owners portal, task management for teams, and an app center of third-party integrations for cleaning, pricing and guest communication.
Plans
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.
Smily
Pricing could not be confirmed. See smily.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Rentals United or Smily?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Rentals United starts at $330 per month and up (Pro, 10-50 listings), and Smily has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Rentals United or Smily?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Rentals United nor Smily has a free plan.
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.