Novasol vs Smoobu: Head-to-Head Comparison
TL;DR: Novasol and Smoobu both target short-term rental operators. Pick **[Novasol](/novasol-review/)** if: European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio. 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 · Novasol · Smoobu
At a glance
| Novasol | Smoobu | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Scandinavian-origin European vacation rental marketplace and owner platform, part of Awaze | European-friendly PMS at transparent entry-level pricing |
| Founded | 1968 | 2017 |
| HQ | Virum, Denmark | Berlin, Germany |
| Pricing | commission | from $27/mo |
| Best for | European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio. | European operators and solo hosts who want transparent entry-level pricing and competent channel sync without an enterprise lift. |
| Overall | 5.1/10 | 7.0/10 |
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Novasol | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Channel manager | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Unified inbox | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Direct booking site | ✅ Native | ✅ Native |
| Task management | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI guest messaging | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI that takes actions | — | — |
| Automation rules | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Pricing optimizer | ⚠️ Partial | 🔌 Via integration |
| Open API | — | ⚠️ Partial |
| Mobile app | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Multi-calendar | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Native |
| Accounting / reporting | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
| Revenue management | ⚠️ Partial | — |
Scores by dimension
| Dimension | Novasol | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 7/10 | 8/10 🏆 |
| Features depth | 5/10 | 6/10 🏆 |
| Value for money | 5/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 🏆 |
| AI capability | 2/10 | 4/10 🏆 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Learning curve | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing transparency | 3/10 | 9/10 🏆 |
Where Novasol wins
- Novasol does not clearly out-score Smoobu on any dimension in this directory.
Where Smoobu wins
- Value for money — 9/10 vs 5/10
- AI capability — 4/10 vs 2/10
- Pricing transparency — 9/10 vs 3/10
Which one should you pick?
Pick Novasol if: European leisure-home owners who want Novasol to handle listing distribution, guest service, and pricing across a pan-European rural rental portfolio. 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 5.6). |
| Boutique operator (6-20 units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (6.6 vs 4.8). |
| Professional PM (20+ units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (6.0 vs 5.0). |
| Enterprise (100+ units) | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (5.5 vs 4.7). |
| Multi-market operator | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (5.6 vs 4.8). |
| Tech-forward, AI-first | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (5.0 vs 4.0). |
| Budget-conscious | Smoobu | Higher profile fit (8.6 vs 4.9). |
Novasol in one paragraph
Novasol — Scandinavian-origin European vacation rental marketplace and owner platform, part of Awaze. Strengths: Decades-long European brand recognition, especially in Scandinavia, DE, FR, IT, ES; Full-service agency model — Novasol handles marketing, bookings, and guest service; Pan-European distribution across Awaze sister brands (Cofman, Dancenter, etc.). Weaknesses: Closed, proprietary platform — not a true PMS with open integrations; Owner economics are opaque; high commissions versus independent listing. Full Novasol 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
- 5stelle vs Novasol
- 5stelle vs Smoobu
- AirDNA vs Novasol
- AirDNA vs Smoobu
- Amenitiz vs Novasol
- Amenitiz vs Smoobu
FAQ
Is Novasol or Smoobu cheaper?
Smoobu publishes entry-level pricing; Novasol requires a sales call, so the answer depends on the quote you get.
Does Novasol have better AI than Smoobu?
Smoobu scores higher on ai capability — 4/10 vs 2/10.
Which is easier to use, Novasol or Smoobu?
Smoobu scores higher on ease of use — 8/10 vs 7/10.
Can I switch from Novasol to Smoobu?
Yes, but plan for migration cost: channel reconnections, template rebuilds, automation recreation, and team retraining. Both Novasol and Smoobu export reservation history; neither exports their automation rules cleanly. Run both in parallel for at least two weeks before cutting over.