Hostaway vs PriceLabs: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and PriceLabs 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 **[PriceLabs](/pricelabs-review/)** if: Operators at any scale who want full control over pricing strategy — from solo hosts learning the ropes to professional revenue managers tuning hundreds of listings.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway · PriceLabs
At a glance
| Hostaway | PriceLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | Dynamic pricing and revenue management platform for vacation rentals |
| Founded | 2015 | 2014 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | Mumbai, India / New York, USA |
| Pricing | quote-based | from $20/mo |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | Operators at any scale who want full control over pricing strategy — from solo hosts learning the ropes to professional revenue managers tuning hundreds of listings. |
| Overall | 6.2/10 | 7.5/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | PriceLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | — |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | — |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | — |
| Task management | ✅ Native | — |
| AI guest messaging | ⚠️ Partial | — |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | ✅ Native |
| Open API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | — |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | — |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | PriceLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Features depth | 8/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
| Value for money | 7/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Support | 7/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| AI capability | 5/10 | 6/10 🏆 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Channel manager — native in Hostaway, not in PriceLabs
- Unified inbox — native in Hostaway, not in PriceLabs
- Direct booking site — native in Hostaway, not in PriceLabs
- Task management — native in Hostaway, not in PriceLabs
- Multi-calendar — native in Hostaway, not in PriceLabs
Where PriceLabs wins
- Pricing transparency — 9/10 vs 2/10
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 PriceLabs if: Operators at any scale who want full control over pricing strategy — from solo hosts learning the ropes to professional revenue managers tuning hundreds of listings.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | PriceLabs | Higher profile fit (6.8 vs 6.2). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | PriceLabs | Higher profile fit (7.3 vs 7.0). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Tie | Both score within a rounding error on this profile — pick on pricing and gut. |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Tie | Both score within a rounding error on this profile — pick on pricing and gut. |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.2). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 6.5). |
| Budget-conscious | PriceLabs | Higher profile fit (7.9 vs 5.7). |
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 →
PriceLabs in one paragraph
PriceLabs — Dynamic pricing and revenue management platform for vacation rentals. Strengths: Deepest customization of any dynamic pricing tool — dozens of levers for orphan gaps, min-stay, last-minute discounts; Market Dashboards give comp-set insight at listing and neighborhood level; Integrates with virtually every major PMS in the STR category. Weaknesses: Steep learning curve — the power comes from knowing which levers to pull; Defaults are conservative; operators who never customize leave money on the table. Full PriceLabs review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- 5stelle vs PriceLabs
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs PriceLabs
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs PriceLabs
FAQ
Is Hostaway or PriceLabs cheaper?
PriceLabs publishes entry-level pricing; Hostaway requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Hostaway have better AI than PriceLabs?
PriceLabs scores higher on ai capability — 6/10 vs 5/10.
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or PriceLabs?
Hostaway scores higher on ease of use — 7/10 vs 6/10.
Can I switch from Hostaway to PriceLabs?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and PriceLabs export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.