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Guesty Lite vs Hostaway

Compare Guesty Lite vs Hostaway for daily rental work. Check bookings, guest messages and daily tasks. Choose a plan that covers the jobs you need.

Overview

Guesty Lite

Bring booking-site tools, guest messages, a shared calendar and tasks together.

Best for: Managing bookings, messages and assigned cleaning tasks in one place.

Hostaway

Manage booking calendars, guest messages, daily tasks, owner reports and direct bookings.

Best for: Manage messages, daily tasks and owner reports together.

Your properties

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Area Only differences & unknowns

Guesty Lite versus Hostaway: features, plans and limits.
What matters to you	Guesty Lite 4.6 / 5Out of 2,185 reviews Property management	Hostaway 4.8 / 5Out of 4,553 reviews Property management
Score	Score92 STRCompare scoring	Score96 STRCompare scoring
At a glance / Prices for your properties
Properties	Guesty lists 1–3 listings. Another page says 5 or fewer. Ask Guesty how many your account can use.	The sales form groups accounts into 2–14, 15–49 and 50+ listings. One listing leads to a waitlist. Ask about the actual limits in your contract.
Overview	Guesty Lite combines booking-site tools, messages, a shared calendar and tasks.	These tools manage booking site calendars, bookings and guest messages. They also handle tasks, owner reports and direct bookings. Ask for a plan quote for your full set of properties.
Plans and add-ons	Guesty Lite Guesty lists 1–3 listings. Another page says 5 or fewer. Ask Guesty how many your account can use. PriceOptimizer · add-on Paid add-on. Hardware, partner services and usage may cost extra. LocksManager · add-on Paid add-on. Hardware, partner services and usage may cost extra.	Custom plan Ask for a quote for your exact property count. Check included features, add-ons, the contract term and all charges. Booking Website Pro · add-on $49/month add-on is advertised; plan and applicable transaction charges remain separate. Resolve the published booking-fee conflict in your quote.
1-property price for your selection	Standard Lite from USD 29/listing/monthPublic prices are starting rates, not confirmed totals for this account size. The 1–3 listing audience is not a firm limit. Plan prices and conditions Standard Lite: Price not confirmed Starts at USD 29 per listing each month with monthly billing. This is a starting rate, not a confirmed account total. The advertised 1–3 listing range is not a firm limit. LiteOptimizer: Price not confirmed The advertised monthly rate starts at USD 9 per listing. It adds 1% per reservation. We could not confirm the exact yearly billing terms. These are starting rates. Your total is not confirmed. The marketed range of 1–3 listings is not a firm limit.	Request a complete quoteNo complete plan total is published. Confirm included modules, setup, transaction charges and taxes. The one-listing sales route currently leads to a waitlist. Eligibility needs checking.
Limits and requirements	Lite does not include the public developer API. Approved partner connections are separate. Cleaner permissions cannot be changed. The current role guide and overview disagree on whether multiple users require Pro.	The sales page is aimed at hosts with two or more listings. The one-listing link leads to a waitlist. This does not confirm a firm account minimum or maximum. Dynamic Pricing costs extra for each activated listing. Smart-lock fees depend on matched devices. Outside services may need their own accounts and fees. Cancel Booking.com and calendar-feed bookings on the booking site. The mobile app supports cancellations for fewer sites than the web dashboard. Owner access for a group of units does not keep each unit’s calendar and bookings separate.
Review sources	TrustpilotTrustScore 4.6 / 5 · 2,049 reviews G2Rating 4.6 / 5 · 136 reviews	CapterraRating 4.8 / 5 · 1,623 reviews TrustpilotTrustScore 4.8 / 5 · 2,490 reviews G2Rating 4.8 / 5 · 440 reviews GetAppRating 4.8 / 5 · 1,623 reviews Software AdviceRating 4.8 / 5 · 1,623 reviews
01 / Plans & requirements
Plan options Plans offered for this rental software. Optional modules are separate from plan levels.	Available Guesty Lite Plan: Lite	With conditions Ask for a custom quote. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Property-count groups on the website are not plan names. Check which tools and contract terms your quote includes.
Property limits Listing or property limits for each plan. A target customer range does not confirm a strict limit.	Guesty lists 1–3 listings. Another page says 5 or fewer. Ask Guesty how many your account can use. We could not confirm a firm property limit. Pricing targets 1–3 properties for Lite and 4–199 for Pro. The Lite overview says 5 or fewer, so check which range applies.	With conditions The sales form is for 2 or more listings. The sales form groups accounts into 2–14, 15–49 and 50+ listings. One listing leads to a waitlist. Ask about the actual limits in your contract. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. One listing leads to a waitlist. We could not confirm a maximum property count.
How you are charged How plan fees are worked out and billed. Check whether you pay per listing, per account or a share of booking income.	With conditions Pay per listing, monthly or yearly. Optimizer adds a booking fee. Plan: Lite Listed rates are starting prices. Ask for your account’s total.	With conditions Ask for a quote for your properties. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. We could not confirm a full monthly or yearly account price. Ask about add-on and transaction fees too.
Booking fees Fixed or percentage fees on bookings. Check which transactions they apply to.	With conditions Lite Optimizer adds 1% per booking. Plan: Lite This fee applies to Lite Optimizer. It is not confirmed for every Lite option.	With conditions US Stripe website fees need checking. Listed rate Help lists 1.8% of the base price and fees, excluding tax. The host or guest can pay it. Conflicting fees Help says this is not added to 0.5%, but the Pro page lists both fees. Ask which terms apply. Do not add the two rates together. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Paid add-ons Features or services that cost extra beyond your plan.	With conditions PriceOptimizer, LocksManager and Damage Protection add-ons Plan: Lite Ask about add-on prices and fees for each transaction.	With conditions Booking Website Pro, Dynamic Pricing and Smart Locks Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Pro website lists $49/month. Dynamic Pricing charges per activated listing. Smart Locks charges per matched device. Check the full quote.
Trial Trial length and rules. A demo is different from a free trial.	Available 14-day free trial; no credit card or commitment Plan: Lite	A demo is offered. We could not confirm a free trial, its length or who can get one.
Setup fees One-time setup fees. A missing price does not mean setup is free.	We could not confirm a setup fee for Lite or that setup is free. Ask for the total before buying.	Setup help is offered. Ask for setup and data-moving fees in your quote.
02 / Channels & sync
Airbnb connection How to connect Airbnb, and which accounts and listings qualify.	With conditions Connect to Airbnb. Plan: Lite	With conditions Connect to Airbnb. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Setup and the details you can share may differ by booking site. Check your custom plan terms.
Vrbo connection How to connect Vrbo, and which accounts and listings qualify.	With conditions Connect to Vrbo. Plan: Lite	With conditions Connect to Vrbo. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Setup and the details you can share may differ by booking site. Check your custom plan terms.
Booking.com connection How to connect Booking.com and which accounts and listings qualify.	With conditions Connect to Booking.com. Plan: Lite	With conditions Connect to Booking.com. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Setup and the details you can share may differ by booking site. Check your custom plan terms.
iCal import Import calendars from other tools. Check which details arrive and how updates work.	With conditions Import outside calendars as date blocks. Check plan: Lite includes iCal; confirm this import tool. Up to 10 calendar feeds per listing. Imported blocks are left out of Advanced Analytics and do not start Smart Calendar Rules.	With conditions Import bookings from outside calendars. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Only future events are imported. Blocked dates may appear as bookings. Details depend on the outside calendar. Prices do not sync.
iCal export Export calendar feeds to other tools. A calendar feed is different from an export of full booking records.	With conditions Share current and future bookings and blocked dates. Check plan: Lite includes iCal; confirm calendar export.	With conditions Share a listing’s calendar link. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Shares future bookings. Money and contact details depend on the user’s permissions. A Hostaway feed cannot link two Hostaway listings.
Rate sync Send rates to linked booking sites. Check which sites are supported and any limits.	With conditions Share prices with linked sites. Plan: Lite Supports Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com.	With conditions Share prices with supported booking sites. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The booking site and your contract decide which prices and listing details sync. iCal does not sync prices.
Availability sync Send open and blocked dates to booking sites. Check how it works and any limits.	With conditions Share open and blocked dates with linked sites. Plan: Lite Supports Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com.	With conditions Share open and blocked dates in both directions. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Set up both directions. Update speed depends on whether the connection uses API, XML or iCal.
Reservation sync Import bookings and changes from booking sites, or keep them in sync. Check which sites are supported.	With conditions Sync bookings from linked sites. Plan: Lite Supports Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com.	With conditions Import bookings and update open dates. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Link each listing correctly and set up both directions. The details imported depend on the connection.
Channel message sync Send and receive guest messages through booking-site connections. Check which sites are supported.	With conditions Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com message threads Plan: Lite Email, text and WhatsApp may need extra accounts or fees. Check each service.	With conditions Sync guest messages from supported booking sites. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Supported messages depend on the site and connection contract.
Sync limitations Known delays, fields that do not sync and limits on connections. These details alone do not show how reliable the service is.	With conditions iCal updates usually arrive within one hour. Check plan: Lite includes iCal; confirm these limits. Use either iCal or a direct link for the same calendar. Using both can duplicate dates. Imported entries block dates. You cannot edit them as guest bookings.	With conditions Updates and supported details depend on the connection. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. iCal updates at intervals and only covers open dates. Built-in API links can do more. Sending listing content may need its own booking site contract.
03 / Reservations & calendars
Multi calendar A calendar view showing multiple listings and bookings together.	Available See your listings in one calendar. Plan: Lite	With conditions See bookings, prices and tasks in one calendar. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Filter properties and change bookings or date rules. Supported fields vary by booking site.
Manual bookings Enter bookings by hand as well as importing them from booking sites.	Available Add bookings yourself. Plan: Lite	With conditions Create bookings from the calendar. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Check how payments and booking-site updates work. Not all sites support the same actions.
Booking changes Edit booking fields and check whether changes reach linked booking sites.	With conditions Change stay times, booking status and guest counts. Plan: Lite Ask which date changes are allowed and which updates reach the booking site.	With conditions Change bookings in the calendar. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The booking site and booking status may limit changes. Check the saved booking and dates on linked sites.
Booking cancellation Cancel bookings, with each booking site’s rules and refund limits.	With conditions Cancel bookings through quick actions. Plan: Lite Check the booking site’s cancellation steps. We do not know if canceling also refunds the guest.	With conditions Cancel supported bookings in Hostaway. Website Cancel Direct, Booking Engine, Airbnb and Vrbo bookings. You need permission to cancel. Phone app Supports Direct, Booking Engine and Vrbo bookings. Other steps Cancel Booking.com and iCal bookings at the source. Older Vrbo bookings from before the connection may need to be canceled on Vrbo. Set a message rule to tell guests when you cancel. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Calendar blocking Block dates without making a paid guest booking.	With conditions Block dates for maintenance or preparation. Check plan: Lite includes Multi-Calendar; confirm date blocking.	With conditions Block or change many dates at once. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Rules for selected dates override defaults. Sharing changes with booking sites depends on the connection.
Booking import Move or import existing bookings. Check which sources and file formats are supported.	Lite imports listings and bookings from linked sites. We do not know if it can import booking files. Old Guesty-for-Hosts guides cover a retired product.	With conditions Import bookings from a CSV file. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Support must turn this on, and you need admin access. Import up to 500 bookings at a time. They become direct bookings. Duplicate booking-site records can cause double bookings. Other automatic tasks may still run.
Guest records Save and view guest or contact history. This does not confirm a full customer-management system.	Available Save guest contact details and preferences. Plan: Lite	With conditions Guest Book and online check-in guest data Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The main guest is recorded when the booking is made. Other adult guests appear after the form is sent in. Native ID collection does not prove documents are genuine.
Booking export Export booking records. Check which file formats are supported.	With conditions Get a booking report by email as a CSV file. Plan: Lite Exports bookings only, with limited filters. For a large export, you may need to narrow the results first.	With conditions Download bookings as a CSV file. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Choose visible or all reservation fields. Guest-data export relies on the Online Check-In Form being enabled. This is not a full-system backup.
04 / Rates & booking rules
Seasonal rates Set prices for dates or seasons in your rental software.	With conditions Use PriceOptimizer for seasonal and holiday prices. Details: Lite + PriceOptimizer PriceOptimizer costs extra. Overlapping seasonal rules can combine and change the final price.	With conditions Change prices for a range of dates. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Only open dates change. Booked dates are skipped.
Minimum stays Set minimum stays. Check limits for each date and booking site.	With conditions Set default minimum stays for linked sites. Check plan: Lite includes Multi-Calendar; confirm minimum-stay controls. Calendar changes and pricing tools can override defaults. For Expedia, change minimum stays in the calendar, not the property defaults.	With conditions Set minimum and maximum stays by date. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Default listing settings apply to future dates as they open. For dates already open to bookings, update the calendar. Rules for specific dates take priority.
Gap night rules Adjust rules for unbooked nights between stays.	With conditions Use PriceOptimizer to allow shorter stays in booking gaps. Details: Lite + PriceOptimizer PriceOptimizer costs extra. Turn it on for the listing and apply its advice. Gap advice looks at the next 90 days.	With conditions Allow shorter stays to fill gaps between bookings. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Set the smallest gap and how far ahead to look. Manual changes turn the rule off for those dates. A multi-unit group needs a gap in every unit.
Length of stay discounts Give discounts based on how long guests stay.	With conditions Offer weekly and monthly discounts on Airbnb, direct and manual bookings. Plan: Lite Discounts do not sync to Booking.com or Vrbo. Airbnb promotions take priority and do not combine with these discounts. The monthly percentage must be at least the weekly percentage. Direct and manual monthly discounts start at 28 nights.	With conditions Weekly and monthly discounts Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Support differs by booking site. Custom day counts for monthly discounts apply to Hostaway direct, website and Google Vacation Rentals bookings.
Last minute discounts Give discounts based on how soon guests arrive.	With conditions Use PriceOptimizer to discount stays closer to arrival. Details: Lite + PriceOptimizer PriceOptimizer costs extra. The discount is applied after the base price and other price changes.	With conditions Add a last-minute discount by hand after booking. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You add the listed custom discounts by hand after booking. Use them for Hostaway direct and website bookings. They do not apply on their own before booking on every travel site.
Dynamic pricing Built-in tools that set prices and connections to outside pricing tools are separate features.	With conditions Use Guesty PriceOptimizer to adjust nightly prices. Details: Lite + PriceOptimizer add-on PriceOptimizer costs extra. Fees depend on your package.	With conditions Built-in tools adjust nightly prices each day. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Pay for each listing you turn on. Manual calendar prices stay in place. Limited market data can produce the same price across dates. Higher rental income is not independently confirmed.
Pricing connections Connections to nightly-pricing tools and what they require.	With conditions Connect PriceLabs to change prices and stay rules. Details: Lite / partner PriceLabs You need a PriceLabs account and connection token. PriceLabs cannot send weekly or monthly discounts or extra guest fees to Lite.	With conditions PriceLabs rate connection Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Use a separate PriceLabs account. Connect it with the access details from Hostaway’s marketplace. Prices are sent every 24 hours. PriceLabs does not open or block dates. Check its plan and fees.
05 / Guest messaging & AI
Unified inbox See guest message threads from supported booking sites in one view.	Available Read guest messages in one inbox. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read booking-site, email, text and WhatsApp messages together. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Setup and tools vary by channel. Ask which messages your account supports and what they cost.
Scheduled messages Schedule messages before or after booking dates and times.	With conditions Schedule messages around booking, arrival or departure. Plan: Lite Send through booking sites, email or text. For email or text, you need the guest’s correct contact details. The inbox does not show cleaner messages or replies from people who are not guests. For existing bookings, a new message rule runs only for events that have not happened yet.	With conditions Schedule messages around booking events. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Timing can be offset by up to 60 days. Booking.com messages stop seven days after check-out or cancellation. Booking-site email aliases may expire.
Event triggers Send messages when listed booking events happen.	With conditions Send messages when bookings are confirmed or guests arrive or leave. Plan: Lite Send through booking sites, email or text. For email or text, you need the guest’s correct contact details. The inbox does not show cleaner messages or replies from people who are not guests. For existing bookings, a new message rule runs only for events that have not happened yet.	With conditions Send messages for booking, stay, payment or door-code events. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Payment Success works for charges managed through Hostaway. For payments taken by booking sites, use payment-status rules.
Conditional messages Rules that send or skip messages based on booking details.	With conditions Choose when to send messages using booking and message rules. Plan: Lite Send through booking sites, email or text. For email or text, you need the guest’s correct contact details. The inbox does not show cleaner messages or replies from people who are not guests. For existing bookings, a new message rule runs only for events that have not happened yet.	With conditions Use booking details, open dates or payment rules to choose messages. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Rules usually must match when an event starts a task. Reservation and Always settings can check again. Extra rules cannot be changed once created.
Message templates Reuse message templates and fill them with supported guest or booking details.	Available Saved replies Plan: Lite	With conditions Reuse messages with guest and stay details. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Write your saved messages and set their format for each channel.
AI suggested replies AI writes a draft. A person checks or sends it.	With conditions ReplyAI writes drafts you can edit and send. Plan: Lite Turn on ReplyAI before use. Ask Guesty about AI fees and message limits.	With conditions AI drafts replies using property and booking details. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Turn on AI Replies and add the facts it should use. Missing facts may stop it from writing a draft. Ask what it costs for your account.
AI automatic replies AI sends guest replies without a person approving each one. Check the limits.	With conditions AutoReply can send replies for you. Plan: Lite Turn on the agent and choose which types of messages it can answer. The AI gives each answer a score. You set the score needed to send a reply. You review replies below that score. Ask Guesty about AI fees and message limits.	With conditions AI can send replies that match your rules. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Choose Auto-reply for each rule you want. It sends without waiting for approval. Set up and test the saved knowledge first.
Approval before AI sends Controls for a person to check an AI reply before it is sent.	With conditions You review the ReplyAI draft, then click Send. Plan: Lite AutoReply is a separate way to send replies for you.	With conditions Review drafts or let AI send replies. Draft replies Review, edit or replace the draft before sending. Automatic replies Auto-reply sends without waiting for your approval. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Translations Check automatic message translation. Templates written in several languages are a different feature.	With conditions Translate the latest guest message into your display language. Check plan: Lite includes ReplyAI; confirm translation. Works on current and future guest messages. Very short messages or messages you have answered may not translate.	With conditions Translate incoming messages with one click. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Hostaway lists inbox translation across channels. We could not confirm all supported languages or usage limits.
SMS messages Text guests by SMS. Check supported countries, phone numbers and fees.	With conditions Send and receive guest texts in the inbox. Details: Check which plan includes this. Save a valid guest phone number. Guests in the US and Canada see a US sender number. The limit is 306 GSM-7 characters or 134 Unicode characters. Longer messages are cut off. Message logs last 14 days. Ask about text-message fees and which plan includes them.	With conditions Send and receive texts in the inbox. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Ask about activation, supported countries and message fees.
Email messages Email guests. Check sender and booking-site limits.	With conditions Email the guest’s main personal or booking-site address. Check plan: Lite includes the inbox; confirm email sending. A booking-site address sends through that site. A personal address sends to the guest’s email.	With conditions Email in the inbox and automations Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Booking-site email aliases may stop working after a set time. This can limit later contact with guests.
06 / Direct bookings & payments
Website builder Vendor-provided tools to create and host a direct-booking website.	With conditions Build a website for booking requests or instant bookings. Plan: Lite You need a paid Lite plan and payment details. The website is locked during the trial. Connect Airbnb and import listings before setup To accept instant bookings, connect a payment service and collect payment. You must approve booking requests yourself.	With conditions Build a booking website. Pro is an extra option. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The basic website is included. Pro lists $49 per month. Direct-booking fee descriptions conflict, so ask which fees apply.
Booking widget Add a booking engine to a website hosted elsewhere.	With conditions Show the booking website inside your own website. Plan: Lite You need a paid Lite plan and payment details. The website is locked during the trial. Connect Airbnb and import listings before setup To accept instant bookings, connect a payment service and collect payment. You must approve booking requests yourself. External site must support embedding	With conditions Add a booking calendar to your website. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need a published Hostaway booking website. Each page allows one calendar widget. You cannot embed the booking website itself in an iframe.
Custom domain Use your own domain for the provider’s direct-booking website.	With conditions Use your own web address for the booking website. Plan: Lite You need a paid Lite plan and payment details. The website is locked during the trial. Connect Airbnb and import listings before setup To accept instant bookings, connect a payment service and collect payment. You must approve booking requests yourself.	With conditions Use your own web address. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Change DNS records with your web-address provider. The address costs extra. Setup for the standard website can take up to 48 hours.
Payment processors Payment services, with country and plan requirements.	Available Stripe Plan: Lite	With conditions Connect Stripe, Braintree or Authorize.net. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Each service needs its own account and charges fees. Deposit holds and renewal options differ.
Payment schedules Schedule booking payments or installments. Check which booking types are supported.	With conditions Collect 100% of payment when a booking is confirmed. Plan: Lite You cannot turn this off or change the schedule. Needs supported Stripe card payments. Excludes Airbnb, Payments by Booking.com and virtual cards.	With conditions Split payments into stages and charge the balance later. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Exclude sites that collect the guest’s payment themselves. The balance adjusts after price changes or charges you make by hand.
Security deposits Collect or hold refundable deposits. Damage insurance and protection are separate features.	With conditions Add, charge or release a card deposit hold by hand. Plan: Lite You need a valid guest card. Ask for card details separately if the booking site collects payment. Holds last 7 days, or 5 days for Visa.	With conditions Set up card deposit holds automatically or by hand. Payment services Stripe holds last 7 days; Authorize.net holds last 30 days. Braintree is not supported. Renewals Only Stripe renews holds automatically. This is off for stays of 7 days or less. Renewal can happen no later than 2 days after check-out. Reports The listed money reports and guest receipts leave out holds that were charged. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Refunds Issue refunds through supported payment steps. Check whether fees are refunded too.	With conditions Refund guests from the booking payment screen. Plan: Lite Ask which payment services and booking sites support refunds.	With conditions Partial or full Stripe refunds per charge Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. This applies when you manage payment, not when Airbnb collects it. You cannot make Braintree/Authorize.net refunds in this dashboard. Refunds do not update Total Paid.
Rental agreements Create, send or sign guest agreements. Check whether electronic signatures are supported.	With conditions Let guests sign agreements online. Plan: Lite Set up the Guest App first.	With conditions Let guests sign rental agreements online. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Set up the agreement and guest steps. Whether it is legally binding is not confirmed.
Guest verification Checks of guest identity or bookings. These do not guarantee you meet legal rules.	Lite’s Guest App collects ID documents. We do not know if it checks them. GuestVerify is not included on Lite.	With conditions Connect Autohost to screen guests and check IDs. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need a separate Autohost account, API link and message rules. A manager must review flagged cases. ID on a check-in form does not prove the ID is real.
Direct booking fees Fees for direct bookings. Check payment-processing fees and paid protection too.	With conditions Guesty gateway fees are extra to payment-service fees. Plan: Lite Ask for the fee amount. Stripe collects the Guesty fee for each transaction and the first failed attempt. Lite Optimizer’s percentage fee is separate.	With conditions US Stripe website fees need checking. Listed rate Help lists 1.8% of the base price and fees, excluding tax. The host or guest can pay it. Conflicting fees Help says this is not added to 0.5%, but the Pro page lists both fees. Ask which terms apply. Do not add the two rates together. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
07 / Cleaning & operations
Automatic tasks Creates tasks automatically from bookings or events linked to a booking.	With conditions Create repeat tasks for check-in, check-out or new bookings. Check plan: Lite includes Task Management; confirm this task.	With conditions Create tasks yourself or from booking events. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Apply an auto-task to one channel or all channels. Use Create tasks to apply it to existing bookings. Changing task times by hand stops later booking-time updates.
Cleaner access Give cleaners access to tasks or calendars without extra management tools they do not need.	With conditions Cleaners see assigned tasks and related booking and property details. Plan: Lite Cleaners cannot see billing or settings. Their permissions cannot be changed. Guesty’s guides disagree on extra users for Lite. Check before choosing this plan.	With conditions Choose what cleaners can see. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Set their listing and tool permissions. Admins can see all listings and tools.
Task checklists Reuse task lists and mark jobs done.	With conditions Use task checklists and see when they were completed. Check plan: Lite includes Task Management; confirm this tool.	With conditions Save and reuse task checklists. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Check off each item. You cannot change the order while making the list or after saving it.
Photo requirements Ask for or require photos of finished work.	With conditions Ask for before-and-after photos in task comments. Check plan: Lite includes Tasks and the app; confirm photo requests. We do not know if photo uploads can be required. Only users with the right role can create tasks.	Tasks can include images. We do not know if photos can be requested or required before a task is marked done.
Task notifications Send notices when tasks are assigned, changed or completed.	With conditions Send alerts for tasks you create and assign. Check plan: Lite includes Task Management; confirm task alerts. Ask how alerts are delivered.	With conditions Task reminders, assignee updates and late-task alerts Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Reminders run at 8 am on the task day, in the listing’s time zone. Same-day bookings have a separate rule. Chosen supervisors get alerts when tasks start or end more than 30 minutes late.
Maintenance tasks Record maintenance jobs or assign them to someone. General reminders are a separate feature.	With conditions Set repeat maintenance and inspection tasks. Check plan: Lite includes Task Management; confirm this task.	With conditions Recurring maintenance tasks Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Contact support to activate recurring tasks. Tasks are created up to one month ahead. Tasks edited by hand may stop receiving later changes.
Cleaning connections Connections to outside cleaning services, with their setup requirements.	With conditions Send bookings to Turno to schedule cleaners. Details: Lite + Turno You need a Turno account and token. Link each property. Turno fees may apply.	With conditions Connect Turno to schedule cleaners. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need a separate Turno account and must link properties. Its fees and terms apply. Cleaning jobs appear in Turno, not Hostaway.
08 / Check-in & smart access
Checkin instructions Send check-in details to guests at supported stages of a booking.	Available Show arrival details in the web guest app. Plan: Lite	With conditions Show arrival details after guests meet your conditions. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Showing the door code, Wi-Fi details or address can depend on conditions. These can include payment, an agreement, preauthorization, a completed form or time. If no conditions are set, the details stay visible.
Guest portal A booking page or portal for guests. Check what guests can do there.	With conditions Give guests a web app with booking details and pre-arrival forms. Plan: Lite Set up up to 50 Guest Apps. Payment information, additional information and guidebooks are Pro-only. Forms collect details. ID checks and payment processing are separate.	With conditions Reservation portal with stay details and payments Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. It can show instructions, balances, extras and receipts. After checkout, you cannot add or update a card. Payment links are a separate option.
Lock connections Supported smart-lock platforms connect directly or through another service.	With conditions LocksManager supports brands including Schlage, Nuki and TTLock. Details: Lite + LocksManager LocksManager costs extra. You need compatible locks and a working connection.	With conditions Connect supported smart locks Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need compatible devices, the provider’s permission and accepted payment terms. Do not use Smart Locks and RemoteLock for the same lock at the same time.
Automatic lock codes Creates lock codes automatically for each booking. Check the required hardware and services.	With conditions Create a different door code for each booking. Details: Lite + LocksManager add-on LocksManager costs extra. You need compatible locks and a working connection.	With conditions Create door codes for bookings automatically. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Device limits apply. A booking with several units needs codes added by hand. Save and sync does not create deleted booking codes again on its own.
Code scheduling Set codes to work only during the stated check-in and checkout times.	With conditions Turn off door codes at the guest’s check-out time. Details: Lite + LocksManager add-on LocksManager costs extra. You need compatible locks and a working connection.	With conditions Make door codes work around check-in and check-out. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Early setup and activation depend on the lock. Booking changes update access times. Canceling a booking ends access.
Code delivery Send booking access codes to guests through supported channels.	With conditions Send LocksManager door codes in automatic messages. Check plan: Lite + LocksManager; confirm automatic code messages. LocksManager costs extra. The code must exist before the message is sent. Allow enough time after booking for the code to be created.	With conditions Add door codes to automatic guest messages. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. A default listing code is used only when a reservation has no door code. Lock-side edits do not sync back to Hostaway.
Access extra costs Smart-access software or connections may cost extra. Hardware is a separate cost.	With conditions LocksManager costs extra. Ask for its price. Details: Lite + LocksManager Buy the lock hardware separately.	With conditions Pay for each linked smart device. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Monthly prices depend on the number of devices. We could not confirm the currency, so ask for a quote. Nuki also needs a device plan and keypad.
09 / Reports & accounting
Booking reports Reports about bookings. Check which measures they include.	With conditions Filter confirmed bookings by date and listing. Plan: Lite	With conditions Filter booking reports and download CSV files. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Choose visible or all reservation fields. Guest-data export relies on the Online Check-In Form being enabled. This is not a full-system backup.
Occupancy reports See how often your rentals are booked. Filter by date or property.	With conditions See how often properties are booked, by date or property. Plan: Lite Use the desktop dashboard. This is not in the Lite phone app.	With conditions See booked nights, check-ins and how often properties are booked. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Reports by date can include blocked dates. Multi-unit bookings count dates for each booking, not dates multiplied by the number of units.
Revenue reports Revenue reports and the measures they include. These are separate from financial accounting.	With conditions See payouts, commission and income per available listing. Plan: Lite Includes canceled bookings. Use the desktop dashboard. Its currency comes from the Airbnb account.	With conditions See income figures in occupancy reports. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The figures depend on your chosen formula. They are not always net profit.
Owner statements Statements for property owners. Check which income and expenses they include.	Not supported Not included on Lite Plan: Lite	With conditions Create owner statements with income, costs and payouts. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Totals depend on your formulas. Statements do not replace accounting invoices.
Expense tracking Record property or booking expenses in the software.	We do not know if Lite tasks let you enter costs. General Guesty task pages mention this, but the Lite guide does not confirm it.	With conditions Expenses, extras and recurring entries Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Enter costs as negative amounts and extras as positive amounts. Refresh owner statements after changes. Changing a finished task does not change its saved cost.
Accounting connections Which accounting tools connect and what they can share.	We could not confirm a Lite connection to accounting software. Pro’s paid Trust Accounting tool is not included on Lite.	With conditions Connect QuickBooks Online. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need a separate QuickBooks plan. Ask about connection fees and which accounting tasks are supported.
Report exports Download reports in the listed file types.	With conditions Get a booking report by email as a CSV file. Plan: Lite Exports bookings only, with limited filters. For a large export, you may need to narrow the results first.	With conditions Download occupancy and cost reports as CSV files. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. We do not know if every report can be saved as a PDF.
10 / Team & owner access
Team users Extra staff accounts, with any user or plan limits.	With conditions Invite Admin and Cleaner users. Plan: Lite Guesty’s guides disagree on extra users for Lite. Check before choosing this plan. Ask for the user limit.	With conditions Add users and user groups. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The main account owner controls account-wide alert settings. Admins can manage their own alerts.
User permissions Choose what each person can see and do.	With conditions Choose Admin or Cleaner. The roles have fixed access. Plan: Lite Admins have full access. Cleaner permissions cannot be changed. Guesty’s guides disagree on extra users for Lite. Check before choosing this plan.	With conditions Choose which tools, contacts and money details each user can see. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Admins can see all listings. Anyone who can view the inbox can also send messages. Remove inbox access to stop sending.
Choose which properties each person can access Choose which properties a person can access.	We do not know if you can choose which properties a Lite user sees. Cleaner access alone does not confirm this. Guesty’s guides disagree on whether Lite allows extra users.	With conditions Choose which listings each user can see. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Admins can see all listings. Owners of one unit in a multi-unit group can see the group’s calendars and bookings.
Owner portal Let owners view property, booking or financial details.	Not supported Not included on Lite Plan: Lite	With conditions Owner access to selected property information Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. An owner assigned to a child unit can see the whole multi-unit group. Use standalone or cross-linked listings if you need separate access.
Mobile app A mobile app. A website that fits a phone screen does not confirm an app.	Available Use the phone app for bookings, messages and tasks. Plan: Lite	With conditions See tasks and update their status on your phone. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. We do not know if all desktop tools work in the app.
11 / Integrations & data access
Public API An API for outside developers. API connections to booking sites alone do not confirm developer access.	Not supported Not included on Lite Plan: Lite	With conditions Turn on API access in the dashboard. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need an account ID/API key and a partner choice. The generic Hostaway Public API choice supports tools outside the marketplace. At least one listing is required.
API access conditions Who can use the developer API, including required plans, approval and access limits.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite Partner connections use separate tokens. They do not provide public developer access.	With conditions Account credentials and at least one listing Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You must choose a partner. A generic public API option is available. Access tokens last at most 24 months. Renewal every 12 months is recommended. Fees and plan qualification need checking.
Webhooks Sends notices about events to linked systems.	We could not confirm outgoing event alerts on Lite. Its partner connections do not confirm this, and Open API is not included.	With conditions Selected reservation, inbound-message and task events Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. The admin sets up at least one event. They can also filter by listing or channel. Owner-stay updates have limits. Fields that arrive later may need to be fetched through the API.
Zapier A Zapier connection with stated events, actions or plan requirements.	Guesty has Zapier beta guides, but we do not know if Lite can use this connection.	With conditions Start Zapier tasks from bookings, add notes or search. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need a paid Hostaway plan, main-owner access, API details and a Zapier account. Zapier fees may apply.
Data export Check which data you can take with you, beyond calendar feeds. Ask which file types you can download.	With conditions Get a booking report by email as a CSV file. Plan: Lite Exports bookings only, with limited filters. For a large export, you may need to narrow the results first.	With conditions Download bookings and guest data. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Choose visible or all reservation fields. Guest-data export relies on the Online Check-In Form being enabled. This is not a full-system backup.
12 / Setup & support
Onboarding Setup help, including whether it is optional or costs extra.	Available One-to-one guided setup Plan: Lite	With conditions Guided setup with specialists Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Agree on setup work, data moving, fees and timing in your quote.
Moving your data Help or tools to import records from another system.	We could not confirm current help moving data to Lite. Pro import guides and old Guesty-for-Hosts guides do not confirm Lite support.	With conditions CSV import for external bookings Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Use the template and fill in its required fields. One error stops the whole batch. Imported dates block availability. Check automation and payment settings before moving data.
Help center Public guides and help pages. These alone do not show the quality of support.	Available Public help center Plan: Lite	Available Search public help guides. Details: All visitors Guides cover setup and daily tasks. Check each guide’s date and account requirements.
Email support Email support, with any plan limits. Response time is unconfirmed.	With conditions Get email support 24/7 through the dashboard, app or form. Check plan: Confirm email support on Lite.	With conditions Email support for device setup help. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. We could not confirm a general email response time.
Chat support Live or in-app support chat. Check whether help comes from a person, an AI bot or self-service pages.	Available 24/7 live chat Plan: Lite	We could not confirm live chat with a person. Support lists phone, a contact form and an AI agent.
Phone support Phone support, with any plan or country limits.	Not supported Not included on Lite Plan: Lite	With conditions 24/7 phone support advertised Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
13 / API features
API features are listed below. Each row shows its access rules. Live operation is not confirmed.
Documented API versions Versions listed in the public API guides. This does not guarantee they work with your setup.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions REST API v1 Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote.
API authentication Security methods listed in the API guide. Approval to use the API and the right plan are separate requirements.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions OAuth 2.0 client credentials with bearer token Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You need the account ID and secret key. Tokens expire no later than 24 months after creation.
Read property records Read property records through the API.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read listings Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote.
Read reservation records An API tool reads booking records.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read bookings Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote. Use includeResources=1 to include customFieldValues, reservationFees, reservationUnit and hostProxyEmail.
Create bookings An API tool creates bookings. This does not confirm the same steps are available in the interface.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Create bookings for supported channels. Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote. Only channelId 2000, 2002 or 2020 is accepted. We do not know if the same actions are available in the app.
Update bookings An API tool changes booking fields. Check which fields and booking sites it supports.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Change booking fields or cancel bookings. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. You cannot change listingMapId. Cancellation uses a separate API action. We do not know if it can issue refunds.
Read guest data Read guest records through a separate API tool or as part of a booking response. Check which option is supported.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read guest contact details from bookings. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Guest details are part of booking records. We could not confirm a separate guest directory.
Update guest records Updates guest records, not just contact fields on a booking.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	We do not know if the API can update a guest record on its own. It can change contact fields on a booking.
Read guest messages An API tool reads guest messages or conversation details.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read conversations and messages Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Results normally include sent messages. Use includeScheduledMessages for other statuses. Use limit and offset to move through result pages.
Send guest messages An API tool adds or sends guest messages. Check access requirements separately.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Send messages within an existing conversation Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Each account can make 30 requests per minute. Supported booking-site messages and email depend on the conversation.
Read nightly rates Read rates through an API tool or nightly-price fields in a calendar response.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read price and stay limits from calendar days Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Calendar records include price, minimumStay and maximumStay. You need account access and must choose the property and dates.
Update nightly rates Send nightly prices through the API. This is separate from working out which price to use.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Change calendar prices and stay rules. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Send date ranges or a batch of up to 200 date intervals.
Read availability calendar Read open dates or calendar nights through the API.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read listing calendars Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote. Use includeResources=1 to include bookings. Otherwise the bookings list is empty.
Read payment records Reads actual payment records. Changing payment settings or making payment links is a separate feature.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read guest charges and payment records. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. Filter paymentProvider by Stripe, Braintree, Authorize.net or offline. We do not know if the API can create online charges.
Read refund records An API tool reads refund records. This does not confirm that it can issue refunds.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	We could not confirm a separate API action for reading refunds. Refund amounts in a cancellation policy do not prove money was returned.
Read owner records Read property-owner records through the API.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	We do not know if the API can read separate owner records. It can read owner statements.
Custom data fields API tools for custom fields or extra booking details. Check which types of data each tool supports.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Read custom fields and their values on bookings. Details: You need an account with API access. Ask for a quote. Use includeResources=1 to include customFieldValues. We do not know if the app offers the same tools.
Manage webhook plans API tools to list, create or remove webhook plans. A guide to receiving webhook updates alone does not confirm these controls.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Add, read, change or remove event alerts. Filters New help says you can choose events; an older guide says you cannot. Check current filters. Delivery Reply within 20 seconds. Network errors, 5xx and 429 get up to three retries over about one hour. Other 4xx errors are final failures. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Documented throttling response The API lists error 429 for too many requests or another stated request limit. Exact numeric limits need separate confirmation.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Request limits vary by API tool. General limits 200 requests per 10 seconds, counted by account and IP. Messages allow 30 requests per minute per account. Other limits Price calculations allow 400 requests per 10 seconds per account. Creating bookings allows 200 per 10 seconds per account. Higher Enterprise limits need approval. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included.
Reservation pagination Read booking records a page at a time. Check the default page size and any maximum.	Not supported Open API is not included on Lite. Plan: Lite	With conditions Use afterId to read more booking results. Details: Ask for a quote and check what is included. A booking page has a default limit of 100 records. For bookings, offset is deprecated. Other list guides still show it. Do not assume every list uses the same way to get the next page.

Compare property management software for daily work — Guesty Lite vs Hostaway

List the jobs you want to handle in one place. Check booking sites, guest messages, payments and staff access first. Then compare the plan and extras needed for those jobs. A long feature list will not show whether your booking sites and work rules are covered.

Guesty Lite: what to consider

Check the tools in your billing choice and any paid extras. Cleaner access has fixed permissions. A partner link does not give you access to the public API for custom software links. Read the Guesty Lite profile for its plans and requirements.

Hostaway: what to consider

Ask for a quote with the modules and links you need. Check direct-booking fees; the published details conflict. To cancel a Booking.com or calendar-link booking, start on the original booking site. Read the Hostaway profile for its plans and requirements.

Explore all property management options, how to choose property management software, how to plan a software switch to continue your shortlist.

Common questions

What should I test before switching to one of these tools?

Check future bookings, blocked dates and rate plans before the new system takes control. Then look at rates and fees on each booking site. A link marked connected does not prove that every booking or price rule moved across.

How should I compare the full setup for Guesty Lite and Hostaway?

List the main software and any extras on their own. Extras can include lock tools, guidebooks, paid modules and a team to answer guests. Ask which tasks your quote covers. Name the person who will do the work that remains. An inbox or task list does not do it all for you.

Does Guesty Lite’s ReplyAI send its suggested reply for me?

The ReplyAI draft workflow asks you to review the reply and send it. Check the details and change the text first if needed. This describes ReplyAI drafts; it does not mean every Guesty AI tool needs a manual send.

Will a Hostaway custom iCal link update my nightly rates?

No. That calendar link syncs open and blocked dates. It does not send rate changes, listing text or amenities. The booking details it brings in depend on the source. These limits are for custom iCal links. Hostaway’s direct software links to booking sites work differently.

Guesty Lite vs Hostaway

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Guesty Lite

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Compare property management software for daily work — Guesty Lite vs Hostaway

Guesty Lite: what to consider

Hostaway: what to consider

Common questions

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