Hostaway vs Novasol: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and Novasol both target short-term rental operators. 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 **[Novasol](/novasol-review/)** if: European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway · Novasol
At a glance
| Hostaway | Novasol | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | Scandinavian-origin European vacation rental marketplace and owner platform, part of Awaze |
| Founded | 2015 | 1968 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | Virum, Denmark |
| Pricing | quote-based | commission |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio. |
| Overall | 6.2/10 | 5.1/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | Novasol |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ✅ Native | — |
| AI guest messaging | ⚠️ Partial | — |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | ⚠️ Partial |
| Open API | ✅ Native | — |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | Novasol |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Features depth | 8/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| AI capability | 5/10 🏆 | 2/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/10 | 3/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Features depth — 8/10 vs 5/10
- Value for money — 7/10 vs 5/10
- AI capability — 5/10 vs 2/10
- Scalability — 8/10 vs 5/10
- Task management — native in Hostaway, not in Novasol
- Open API — native in Hostaway, not in Novasol
Where Novasol wins
- Learning curve — 8/10 vs 6/10
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 Novasol if: European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (6.2 vs 5.6). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 4.8). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 5.0). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 4.7). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 4.8). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 4.0). |
| Budget-conscious | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (5.7 vs 4.9). |
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 →
Novasol in one paragraph
Novasol — Scandinavian-origin European vacation rental marketplace and owner platform, part of Awaze. Strengths: Decades-long European brand recognition, especially in Scandinavia, DE, FR, IT, ES; Full-service agency model — Novasol handles marketing, bookings, and guest service; Pan-European distribution across Awaze sister brands (Cofman, Dancenter, etc.). Weaknesses: Closed, proprietary platform — not a true PMS with open integrations; Owner economics are opaque; high commissions versus independent listing. Full Novasol review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- 5stelle vs Novasol
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs Novasol
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs Novasol
FAQ
Is Hostaway or Novasol cheaper?
Neither Hostaway nor Novasol publishes pricing openly — both require a sales conversation to quote.
Does Hostaway have better AI than Novasol?
Hostaway scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 2/10.
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or Novasol?
Hostaway and Novasol score equally on ease of use (7/10).
Can I switch from Hostaway to Novasol?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and Novasol export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.