Chekin vs Hostfully: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Chekin and Hostfully both target short-term rental operators. Pick **[Chekin](/chekin-review/)** if: Operators in Spain (Registro de Viajeros / Parte de Viajeros), Italy (Alloggiati Web), Portugal (SEF/SEF.HOS), and France (taxe de séjour) who need automated police registration and tourist-tax reporting that would otherwise be manual, error-prone, and legally risky. Pick **[Hostfully](/hostfully-review/)** if: US-based managers who want a capable PMS plus a best-in-class digital guest guidebook.
Category: Property Management Software · Chekin · Hostfully
At a glance
| Chekin | Hostfully | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Guest registration and automated tax reporting for STRs in regulated European markets | PMS with digital guidebook heritage and solid US mid-market traction |
| Founded | 2017 | 2016 |
| HQ | Valencia, Spain | San Francisco, California |
| Pricing | from $4/mo | tiered subscription |
| Best for | Operators in Spain (Registro de Viajeros / Parte de Viajeros), Italy (Alloggiati Web), Portugal (SEF/SEF.HOS), and France (taxe de séjour) who need automated police registration and tourist-tax reporting that would otherwise be manual, error-prone, and legally risky. | US-based managers who want a capable PMS plus a best-in-class digital guest guidebook. |
| Overall | 6.8/10 | 5.9/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Chekin | Hostfully |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | — | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | — | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Task management | — | ✅ Native |
| AI guest messaging | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | ⚠️ Partial | — |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Pricing optimizer | — | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | — | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | — | — |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Chekin | Hostfully |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Features depth | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| AI capability | 5/10 🏆 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing transparency | 7/10 🏆 | 3/10 |
Where Chekin wins
- Value for money — 8/10 vs 6/10
- Pricing transparency — 7/10 vs 3/10
Where Hostfully wins
- Channel manager — native in Hostfully, not in Chekin
- Unified inbox — native in Hostfully, not in Chekin
- Task management — native in Hostfully, not in Chekin
- Multi-calendar — native in Hostfully, not in Chekin
Which one should you pick?
Pick Chekin if: Operators in Spain (Registro de Viajeros / Parte de Viajeros), Italy (Alloggiati Web), Portugal (SEF/SEF.HOS), and France (taxe de séjour) who need automated police registration and tourist-tax reporting that would otherwise be manual, error-prone, and legally risky. Pick Hostfully if: US-based managers who want a capable PMS plus a best-in-class digital guest guidebook.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Chekin | Higher profile fit (6.8 vs 5.9). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 6.5). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.3 vs 7.0). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 7.0). |
| Multi-market operator | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 7.0). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 6.5). |
| Budget-conscious | Chekin | Higher profile fit (7.4 vs 5.4). |
Chekin in one paragraph
Chekin — Guest registration and automated tax reporting for STRs in regulated European markets. Strengths: Only guest-experience tool with deep, country-specific legal-registration coverage across Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, and more — a genuine regulatory moat; Automated filing to government portals (Registro de Viajeros, Alloggiati Web, SEF) replaces daily manual paperwork; Automated tourist-tax calculation, collection, and remittance by jurisdiction. Weaknesses: Narrow geographic sweet spot — value collapses outside regulated EU markets; Guest-experience layer (messaging, upsells) is thinner than Duve or Enso Connect — most operators pair Chekin with one of those. Full Chekin review →
Hostfully in one paragraph
Hostfully — PMS with digital guidebook heritage and solid US mid-market traction. Strengths: Best-in-class digital guest guidebook — brandable, shareable, trackable; Solid US mid-market PMS capabilities; Good automation builder with workflow templates. Weaknesses: Channel depth outside the US is thinner than Hostaway or Guesty; Mobile app is less polished than competitors. Full Hostfully review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Chekin
- 5stelle vs Hostfully
- AirDNA vs Chekin
- AirDNA vs Hostfully
- Amenitiz vs Chekin
- Amenitiz vs Hostfully
FAQ
Is Chekin or Hostfully cheaper?
Chekin publishes entry-level pricing; Hostfully requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Chekin have better AI than Hostfully?
Chekin scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 4/10.
Which is easier to use, Chekin or Hostfully?
Chekin and Hostfully score equally on ease of use (7/10).
Can I switch from Chekin to Hostfully?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Chekin and Hostfully export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.