Hostaway vs Hostfully: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and Hostfully both target professional property managers. 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. 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 · Hostaway review · Hostfully review
At a glance
| Hostaway | Hostfully | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | PMS with digital guidebook heritage and solid US mid-market traction |
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | San Francisco, California |
| Pricing | quote-based | tiered subscription |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | US-based managers who want a capable PMS plus a best-in-class digital guest guidebook. |
| Overall score | 6.2/10 | 5.9/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | Hostfully |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| AI guest messaging | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | — |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | Hostfully |
|---|---|---|
| Ease Of Use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Features Depth | 8/10 🏆 | 7/10 |
| Value For Money | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Ai Capability | 5/10 🏆 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 🏆 | 7/10 |
| Learning Curve | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing Transparency | 2/10 | 3/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Hostaway does not clearly out-score Hostfully on any dimension in this directory.
Where Hostfully wins
- Hostfully does not clearly out-score Hostaway on any dimension in this directory.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Hostaway if: Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. 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) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (6.2 vs 5.9). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 6.5). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.0). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 7.0). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.0). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 6.5). |
| Budget-conscious | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (5.7 vs 5.4). |
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 →
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
- Avantio vs Hostaway
- Avantio vs Hostfully
- Beds24 vs Hostaway
- Beds24 vs Hostfully
- Guesty vs Hostaway
- Guesty vs Hostfully
FAQ
Is Hostaway or Hostfully cheaper?
Neither Hostaway nor Hostfully publishes pricing openly — both require a sales conversation to quote.
Does Hostaway have better AI than Hostfully?
Hostaway scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 4/10.
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or Hostfully?
Hostaway and Hostfully score equally on ease of use (7/10).
Can I switch from Hostaway to Hostfully?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and Hostfully export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.