Hostaway vs RoomRaccoon: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and RoomRaccoon 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 **[RoomRaccoon](/roomraccoon-review/)** if: Small independent hotels and B&Bs in Europe or South Africa wanting PMS + channel manager + booking engine + payment processing in one subscription.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway · RoomRaccoon
At a glance
| Hostaway | RoomRaccoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | All-in-one hotel management system for small independent hotels and B&Bs |
| Founded | 2015 | 2017 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | Breda, Netherlands |
| Pricing | quote-based | from $188/mo |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | Small independent hotels and B&Bs in Europe or South Africa wanting PMS + channel manager + booking engine + payment processing in one subscription. |
| Overall | 6.2/10 | 6.2/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | RoomRaccoon |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI guest messaging | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | ⚠️ Partial |
| Open API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | RoomRaccoon |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Features depth | 8/10 🏆 | 7/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| AI capability | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 | 7/10 🏆 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/10 | 7/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Support — 7/10 vs 5/10
- Scalability — 8/10 vs 6/10
Where RoomRaccoon wins
- Pricing transparency — 7/10 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 RoomRaccoon if: Small independent hotels and B&Bs in Europe or South Africa wanting PMS + channel manager + booking engine + payment processing in one subscription.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Tie | Both score within a rounding error on this profile — pick on pricing and gut. |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 6.6). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 6.6). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 6.5). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 6.7). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 6.8). |
| Budget-conscious | RoomRaccoon | Higher profile fit (6.6 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 →
RoomRaccoon in one paragraph
RoomRaccoon — All-in-one hotel management system for small independent hotels and B&Bs. Strengths: All-in-one bundle is legitimately unified — PMS, channel manager, booking engine, payments; Strong presence in European independent-hotel and B&B segment; Called ‘the Rolls Royce of PMS systems’ by multiple positive reviews. Weaknesses: Users cite “a lot of flaws they are still working on” — product maturity gaps persist; Frequent system bugs and slow customer support cited consistently. Full RoomRaccoon review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- 5stelle vs RoomRaccoon
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs RoomRaccoon
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs RoomRaccoon
FAQ
Is Hostaway or RoomRaccoon cheaper?
RoomRaccoon publishes entry-level pricing; Hostaway requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Hostaway have better AI than RoomRaccoon?
Hostaway and RoomRaccoon score equally on ai capability (5/10).
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or RoomRaccoon?
Hostaway and RoomRaccoon score equally on ease of use (7/10).
Can I switch from Hostaway to RoomRaccoon?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and RoomRaccoon export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.