Hostaway vs Smoobu: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and Smoobu 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 **[Smoobu](/smoobu-review/)** if: European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway review · Smoobu review
At a glance
| Hostaway | Smoobu | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | European-friendly PMS at transparent entry-level pricing |
| Founded | 2015 | 2017 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | Berlin, Germany |
| Pricing | quote-based | from $27/mo |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift. |
| Overall score | 6.2/10 | 7.0/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI guest messaging | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Pricing optimizer | 🔌 Via integration | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | — |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Ease Of Use | 7/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Features Depth | 8/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Value For Money | 7/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Ai Capability | 5/10 🏆 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Learning Curve | 6/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Pricing Transparency | 2/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Features depth — 8/10 vs 6/10
- Scalability — 8/10 vs 5/10
Where Smoobu wins
- Value for money — 9/10 vs 7/10
- Learning curve — 8/10 vs 6/10
- 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 Smoobu if: European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 6.2). |
| 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 6.0). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 5.5). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 5.6). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 5.0). |
| Budget-conscious | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (8.6 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 →
Smoobu in one paragraph
Smoobu — European-friendly PMS at transparent entry-level pricing. Strengths: Transparent, published pricing — rare in the PMS category; Clean European channel coverage including regional OTAs; Reasonable learning curve for non-technical hosts. Weaknesses: Feature depth lags category leaders on automation and AI; Mobile experience is functional but not polished. Full Smoobu review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- Avantio vs Hostaway
- Avantio vs Smoobu
- Beds24 vs Hostaway
- Beds24 vs Smoobu
- Guesty vs Hostaway
- Guesty vs Smoobu
FAQ
Is Hostaway or Smoobu cheaper?
Smoobu publishes entry-level pricing; Hostaway requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Hostaway have better AI than Smoobu?
Hostaway scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 4/10.
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or Smoobu?
Smoobu scores higher on ease of use — 8/10 vs 7/10.
Can I switch from Hostaway to Smoobu?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and Smoobu export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.