Bookiply vs Hostaway: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Bookiply and Hostaway both target short-term rental operators. Pick **[Bookiply](/bookiply-review/)** if: European private owners who want a single partner to handle photography, multilingual listings, channel distribution, and guest comms — with physical offices in destination markets. Pick **[Hostaway](/hostaway-review/)** if: Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box.
Category: Property Management Software · Bookiply · Hostaway
At a glance
| Bookiply | Hostaway | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Holidu-owned hybrid PMS + marketplace for European vacation rental owners, with a European ground-team model | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox |
| Founded | 2016 | 2015 |
| HQ | Munich, Germany | Toronto, Canada |
| Pricing | commission | quote-based |
| Best for | European private owners who want a single partner to handle photography, multilingual listings, channel distribution, and guest comms — with physical offices in destination markets. | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. |
| Overall | 5.4/10 | 6.2/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Bookiply | Hostaway |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| AI guest messaging | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Pricing optimizer | ⚠️ Partial | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | — | ✅ Native |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Bookiply | Hostaway |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Features depth | 6/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Value for money | 6/10 | 7/10 🏆 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 🏆 |
| AI capability | 2/10 | 5/10 🏆 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Learning curve | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Pricing transparency | 4/10 🏆 | 2/10 |
Where Bookiply wins
- Pricing transparency — 4/10 vs 2/10
Where Hostaway wins
- Features depth — 8/10 vs 6/10
- AI capability — 5/10 vs 2/10
- Scalability — 8/10 vs 5/10
- Open API — native in Hostaway, not in Bookiply
Which one should you pick?
Pick Bookiply if: European private owners who want a single partner to handle photography, multilingual listings, channel distribution, and guest comms — with physical offices in destination markets. Pick Hostaway if: Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (6.2 vs 5.8). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 5.2). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 5.3). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 5.0). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 5.0). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 4.2). |
| Budget-conscious | Tie | Both score within a rounding error on this profile — pick on pricing and gut. |
Bookiply in one paragraph
Bookiply — Holidu-owned hybrid PMS + marketplace for European vacation rental owners, with a European ground-team model. Strengths: One-click distribution to major OTAs including Holidu, Airbnb, and Booking.com; Free professional photography service for listed properties; Multilingual property descriptions written by Bookiply staff. Weaknesses: Commission model means no cap — high-ARR listings pay a lot; Less control for owners who want to run their own direct-booking channel. Full Bookiply review →
Hostaway in one paragraph
Hostaway — Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox. Strengths: Highest-status OTA connectivity (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google); Unified inbox with SLA tracking, templates, team assignments, AI replies; Solid direct-booking website builder with conversion widgets. Weaknesses: Pricing is not public; AI scope beyond messaging is lightly documented. Full Hostaway review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Bookiply
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs Bookiply
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs Bookiply
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
FAQ
Is Bookiply or Hostaway cheaper?
Neither Bookiply nor Hostaway publishes pricing openly — both require a sales conversation to quote.
Does Bookiply have better AI than Hostaway?
Hostaway scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 2/10.
Which is easier to use, Bookiply or Hostaway?
Bookiply and Hostaway score equally on ease of use (7/10).
Can I switch from Bookiply to Hostaway?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Bookiply and Hostaway export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.