Hostaway vs Uplisting: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Hostaway and Uplisting 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 **[Uplisting](/uplisting-review/)** if: UK/EU operators in the 5-50 property band who want tight Airbnb/Booking.com/Vrbo syncing plus a direct-booking engine with security deposits and guest verification.
Category: Property Management Software · Hostaway · Uplisting
At a glance
| Hostaway | Uplisting | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mid-market PMS with the highest-status OTA connections and unified inbox | All-in-one channel manager + direct-booking engine for small-to-mid STR operators |
| Founded | 2015 | 2018 |
| HQ | Toronto, Canada | London, United Kingdom |
| Pricing | quote-based | from $100/mo |
| Best for | Operators who want a proven mid-market PMS with broad channel integrations, owner portals, and automation out of the box. | UK/EU operators in the 5-50 property band who want tight Airbnb/Booking.com/Vrbo syncing plus a direct-booking engine with security deposits and guest verification. |
| Overall | 6.2/10 | 7.1/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Hostaway | Uplisting |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✅ Native |
| Multi-calendar | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Hostaway | Uplisting |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Features depth | 8/10 🏆 | 7/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 7/10 🏆 | 6/10 |
| AI capability | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 🏆 | 7/10 |
| Learning curve | 6/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Pricing transparency | 2/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
Where Hostaway wins
- Hostaway does not clearly out-score Uplisting on any dimension in this directory.
Where Uplisting wins
- 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 Uplisting if: UK/EU operators in the 5-50 property band who want tight Airbnb/Booking.com/Vrbo syncing plus a direct-booking engine with security deposits and guest verification.
Pick by operator profile
| Profile | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo host (1-5 units) | Uplisting | Higher profile fit (7.3 vs 6.2). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Uplisting | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 7.0). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.1). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.7 vs 7.0). |
| Multi-market operator | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.6 vs 7.1). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Hostaway | Higher profile fit (7.2 vs 7.0). |
| Budget-conscious | Uplisting | Higher profile fit (7.8 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 →
Uplisting in one paragraph
Uplisting — All-in-one channel manager + direct-booking engine for small-to-mid STR operators. Strengths: Airbnb Preferred Plus partner status; Direct-booking engine with security-deposit collection and guest identity verification built in; eSign rental agreements native to the platform. Weaknesses: Entry price ($100/mo for up to 5 properties) is expensive for 1-2 property hosts; Email/chat support only — no phone; chat bot widely disliked. Full Uplisting review →
See also
- All Property Management Software comparisons
- 5stelle vs Hostaway
- 5stelle vs Uplisting
- AirDNA vs Hostaway
- AirDNA vs Uplisting
- Amenitiz vs Hostaway
- Amenitiz vs Uplisting
FAQ
Is Hostaway or Uplisting cheaper?
Uplisting publishes entry-level pricing; Hostaway requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Hostaway have better AI than Uplisting?
Hostaway and Uplisting score equally on ai capability (5/10).
Which is easier to use, Hostaway or Uplisting?
Uplisting scores higher on ease of use — 8/10 vs 7/10.
Can I switch from Hostaway to Uplisting?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Hostaway and Uplisting export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.