5stelle vs Smoobu: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: 5stelle and Smoobu both target short-term rental operators. Pick **[5stelle](/5stelle-review/)** if: Italian accommodation operators — hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals — who need an all-in-one PMS with native integrations for Italian police registration, ISTAT reporting, and electronic invoicing. Pick **[Smoobu](/smoobu-review/)** if: European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift.
Category: Property Management Software · 5stelle · Smoobu
At a glance
| 5stelle | Smoobu | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Italian cloud PMS covering hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals | European-friendly PMS at transparent entry-level pricing |
| Founded | 2011 | 2017 |
| HQ | Italy | Berlin, Germany |
| Pricing | subscription | from $27/mo |
| Best for | Italian accommodation operators — hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals — who need an all-in-one PMS with native integrations for Italian police registration, ISTAT reporting, and electronic invoicing. | European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift. |
| Overall | 5.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | 5stelle | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI guest messaging | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | — |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | 5stelle | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 6/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Features depth | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| AI capability | 2/10 | 4/10 🏆 |
| Scalability | 6/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Learning curve | 5/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Pricing transparency | 4/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
Where 5stelle wins
- 5stelle does not clearly out-score Smoobu on any dimension in this directory.
Where Smoobu wins
- Ease of use — 8/10 vs 6/10
- Value for money — 9/10 vs 7/10
- AI capability — 4/10 vs 2/10
- Learning curve — 8/10 vs 5/10
- Pricing transparency — 9/10 vs 4/10
Which one should you pick?
Pick 5stelle if: Italian accommodation operators — hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals — who need an all-in-one PMS with native integrations for Italian police registration, ISTAT reporting, and electronic invoicing. Pick Smoobu if: European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 5.5). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (6.6 vs 5.6). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Tie | Both score within a rounding error on this profile — pick on pricing and gut. |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | 5stelle | Higher profile fit (5.7 vs 5.5). |
| Multi-market operator | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (5.6 vs 5.4). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (5.0 vs 4.3). |
| Budget-conscious | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (8.6 vs 5.9). |
5stelle in one paragraph
5stelle — Italian cloud PMS covering hotels, B&Bs, and short-term rentals. Strengths: Italian-market depth — Alloggiati Web, ISTAT, e-invoicing built in; Covers hotels, B&Bs, and STRs from one platform; Cloud-based with native mobile app. Weaknesses: Primarily IT-focused — less polish outside the Italian market; AI features are minimal versus global competitors. Full 5stelle review →
Smoobu in one paragraph
Smoobu — European-friendly PMS at transparent entry-level pricing. Strengths: Transparent, published pricing — rare in the PMS category; Clean European channel coverage including regional OTAs; Reasonable learning curve for non-technical hosts. Weaknesses: Feature depth lags category leaders on automation and AI; Mobile experience is functional but not polished. Full Smoobu review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs AirDNA
- AirDNA vs Smoobu
- 5stelle vs Amenitiz
- Amenitiz vs Smoobu
- 5stelle vs AvaiBook
- AvaiBook vs Smoobu
FAQ
Is 5stelle or Smoobu cheaper?
Smoobu publishes entry-level pricing; 5stelle requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does 5stelle have better AI than Smoobu?
Smoobu scores higher on ai capability — 4/10 vs 2/10.
Which is easier to use, 5stelle or Smoobu?
Smoobu scores higher on ease of use — 8/10 vs 6/10.
Can I switch from 5stelle to Smoobu?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both 5stelle and Smoobu export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.