Hostaway vs Stays.net: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and Stays.net 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 **[Stays.net](/stays-review/)** if: Brazilian and Latin American property managers who want a mature multi-channel PMS with native PT-BR support, local tax handling, and regional OTA integrations.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway · Stays.net
At a glance
| Hostaway | Stays.net | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | Brazilian-origin vacation rental PMS serving Latin American and European STR operators |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Pricing | quote-based | subscription |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | Brazilian and Latin American property managers who want a mature multi-channel PMS with native PT-BR support, local tax handling, and regional OTA integrations. |
| Overall | 6.2/10 | 5.8/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | Stays.net |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✅ Native |
| Mobile app | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Partial |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | Stays.net |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Features depth | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| AI capability | 5/10 🏆 | 3/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 🏆 | 5/10 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/10 | 3/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- AI capability — 5/10 vs 3/10
Where Stays.net wins
- Stays.net 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 Stays.net if: Brazilian and Latin American property managers who want a mature multi-channel PMS with native PT-BR support, local tax handling, and regional OTA integrations.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (6.2 vs 5.4). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.0 vs 6.4). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.2). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 7.3). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.1). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 6.3). |
| Budget-conscious | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (5.7 vs 5.3). |
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 →
Stays.net in one paragraph
Stays.net — Brazilian-origin vacation rental PMS serving Latin American and European STR operators. Strengths: Market leader in Brazil with strong PT-BR product and support; Deep channel management and unified inbox; Open API enables custom integrations. Weaknesses: Quote-based pricing — no public tiers; English-language presence and support less mature than PT/ES. Full Stays.net review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- 5stelle vs Stays.net
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs Stays.net
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs Stays.net
FAQ
Is Hostaway or Stays.net cheaper?
Neither Hostaway nor Stays.net publishes pricing openly — both require a sales conversation to quote.
Does Hostaway have better AI than Stays.net?
Hostaway scores higher on ai capability — 5/10 vs 3/10.
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or Stays.net?
Hostaway scores higher on ease of use — 7/10 vs 6/10.
Can I switch from Hostaway to Stays.net?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and Stays.net export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.