6 Best Airbnb Automation Software Tools (2024 Guide)

Real Estate Bees’ editorial team asked a number of industry-leading real estate investors to share their expertise on the best Airbnb automation software tools to help our readers make a more educated purchase decision when researching available solutions.

With the help of the experts, we identified the best automation software apps for Airbnb hosts and evaluated their features, pricing information, pros and cons, and integrations. Visiting retailers of the listed products by clicking links within our content may earn us commissions from your purchases, but we never receive any compensation for the inclusion of products and/or services in our consumer guides. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about our review and rating process.

— Kimberly Anderson, Senior Creative Editor at Real Estate Bees

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Lodgify is an all-in-one vacation rental software solution designed to streamline and simplify vacation rental management.

One of its standout features is its custom mobile-friendly website creation tool, which allows you to set up your website from an array of beautifully designed templates.

One feature that distinguishes Lodgify as one of the best Airbnb automation software apps is its comprehensive support for direct bookings. This eliminates the overhead costs often imposed by third-party platforms.

Lodgify also connects to major vacation rental reservation software platforms and offers automated task management, and a unified inbox for centralized guest communications.

 

Features

Website Builder

Lodgify allows you to create a direct booking website without requiring any real estate website design or coding skills.

The platform comes with optimized templates for various types of vacation rental businesses and offers over 30 language options.

The interface is user-friendly, making website creation intuitive.

 

Booking System

With Lodgify’s vacation rental booking engine, you can maximize your profits by accepting direct bookings and saving money on third-party commissions and fees.

The booking system offers a centralized dashboard for you to manage all your bookings. It also connects to external channels via the channel manager, helping you avoid double bookings.

 

Guest Management

Lodgify streamlines your communication process with your guests by offering a central dashboard from where you can manage all guest interactions from the point of booking to the point of review.

This feature includes the use of platforms like WhatsApp and SMS for direct communication.

Lodgify also offers automated emails, which can be set according to your communication calendar, from pre-arrival to post-departure.

There is also a booking agenda widget that keeps booking data visible at all times to support daily operations and improve customer experience.

 

Automated Online Payment Processing

Lodgify’s finance module allows you to easily manage booking payments by using secure credit card transactions, eliminating the need for third-party merchant accounts.

It includes features to schedule payments, automatically charge according to the policy defined by you, manage cancellations, automate refunds, and send reminders for overdue payments.

 

Plans and Pricing

Lodgify offers three pricing plans based on the number of features you want. Pricing scales up with each additional rental. The plans are:

• Starter: This plan starts at $17 per month or $156 per year for one property, with an additional 1.9% booking fee. Features include a bookable website, property management system, channel manager, reservation and payment system, guest messaging, email support, and free onboarding sessions.

• Professional: Starting at $48 per month or $456 per year for one rental, the Professional plan includes all the features of the Starter plan without the booking fee. Additional features on this tier include manual payments, damage protection pre-authorization, advanced guest messaging, Google Vacation Rentals integration, and phone support.

• Ultimate: Starting at $73 per month or $708 per year for one rental property, the Ultimate plan includes all the features of the Professional plan. It adds expanded dashboard functionality, cleaning and task management, Turno for free, landlord accounting software, property management tools, a guest app, and priority customer support across all channels.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy onboarding and customization. Reviews from existing users indicate that implementing and customizing Lodgify to meet their needs is straightforward. The onboarding team also offers valuable support, making setup easier.

• Mobile listings management. Lodgify allows hosts to manage listings and bookings on the go with the handy mobile app, staying connected even when away from their desks.

• Direct booking website. Lodgify allows users to create their own customizable, mobile-friendly booking website. This is a significant advantage for hosts who want to establish a strong brand presence and attract direct bookings.

 

Cons

• High priced. Lodgify’s pricing structure is tiered based on listings and features. However, some users find the price gap between tiers quite significant, potentially limiting access to desired functionalities. Users on Lodgify’s Starter plan also have to pay a booking fee of 1.9%.

• Steep learning curve. Lodgify’s interface can feel less intuitive compared to some competitors, potentially requiring more time and effort to get comfortable with all its features.

• Issues with the booking engine. Some users have reported issues with the booking engine, specifically that guests could not complete a reservation on their website. In a few cases, users have not been able to reply to a booking request or extract contact info, signaling that the backend of the system might occasionally have some problems.

 

Integrations

• Google Analytics
• Beyond
• Mailchimp
• Revyoos
• Zapier
• Google Vacation Rentals
• Checkin
• StayFi
• ChargeAutomation
• Folio
• TIDY for Rentals
• Airbnb
• Vrbo

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iGMS is a comprehensive vacation rental software uniquely designed to automate up to 90% of daily hosting tasks.

The software enables users to operate all Airbnb, Booking.com, HomeAway, and Vrbo accounts via a single interface.

The platform also streamlines guest communication and facilitates easy payment processing. One unique feature of iGMS is its ability to track guest communication productivity.

This helps in pointing out areas that need improvement in your business communications, fostering growth and overall productivity when you manage rental property remotely.

 

Features

PROtrack

iGMS helps in advancing guest communication by providing a unique productivity tracking feature. The tool assesses your team’s performance and productivity by monitoring each activity.

It delivers comprehensive reports on guest communication, making it easy to identify areas for improvement.

For example, on receiving a new booking request, the platform automatically keeps track of the response time.

This ensures fast and efficient communication to improve guest satisfaction and booking conversions.

 

Direct Booking Management Toolkit

The iGMS direct booking management toolkit simplifies guest management, online payment processing, and invoice management.

This helps you manage and organize bookings coming directly from your website or other sources.

The module automatically generates invoices based on reservations and processes payments through secure transaction methods.

 

Reviews Automation

With iGMS, you can automate your Airbnb guest review process. This feature is designed to save you time and help you garner more positive reviews from your guests.

To automate your review process, go to the review section and create at least three 4-star plus review templates.

After creating these templates, you can activate the auto-review feature in the profile section.

You also have the ability to decide the delay time for sending out the review and even specify the number of hours/days to wait before sending the review.

 

Cleaning and Team Management

iGMS’ cleaning and team management feature allows you to efficiently coordinate cleaning tasks.

It allows you to assign roles, schedule cleanings, and automatically assign cleaners to properties.

For example, once a guest checks out, the software automatically assigns cleaning tasks to the team.

It can also notify team members and keep track of completed tasks, ensuring that the property is ready for the next guest.

 

Plans and Pricing

iGMS offers 4 pricing plans. They include:

• LITE plan: Costs $14 per property per month, billed yearly, for up to 4 properties. This plan provides an array of features such as channel management, cleaning and task management, in-app messages, key exchange management, a multi-calendar for tracking all your booking activities, and a unified inbox with ready-to-use message templates.

• FLEX plan: Charged at $1 per booked night, with a minimum charge of $20 per property per month. This plan supports an unlimited number of properties. It offers access to all LITE plan features, along with additional offerings such as automated review posting, direct booking management features, smooth payment processing, and a specialized owner’s access portal.

• PRO plan: Costs $18 per property per month, billed yearly. The PRO plan takes the FLEX plan features up a notch by offering faster email and live chat support to resolve inquiries or issues.

• ENTERPRISE plan: Customized plan for companies with over 30 properties. This plan is tailored to organizations that require more comprehensive features and services. In addition to the PRO plan offerings, it includes access to PROtrack for optimizing guest communication productivity, phone support, and access to a dedicated customer success manager.

PROtrack and branded property owner portals are available as add-ons on the lower plans. Setup costs $400. But it is offered for free on the FLEX, PRO, and ENTERPRISE plans.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Versatility and customizability. iGMS software offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to adjust its features according to your property management needs.

• Affordability. iGMS is cheaper than most other Airbnb automation software tools, offering small-scale hosts convenient pricing options.

• Automated messaging. iGMS saves hosts up to 70% of time on communication by automating guest messaging.

 

Cons

• Slow messaging performance. Some users have reported that iGMS’ messaging system can sometimes be slow, leading to communication delays.

• Integration challenges. While offering numerous integrations, some users report occasional syncing issues between iGMS and other platforms, potentially leading to double bookings or data discrepancies.

 

Integrations

• Stripe
• Keycafe
• Vrbo
• Wheelhouse
• Operto Teams
• Beyond
• DPGO
• InsuraGuest
• Airbnb
• Turno
• ResortCleaning
• Boostly

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Hostaway is one of the best Airbnb automation software tools built specifically for property managers handling multiple listings.

It provides a wide range of features from automation and invoicing to bookings management, along with a dedicated channel manager that can grow with your business.

It also supports integrations with over 100 real estate investor software solutions and vacation rental by owner websites, including major booking platforms, like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals, and more.

 

Features

Channel Manager

Hostaway allows you to import your existing Airbnb and Vrbo listings into the system. It automatically generates a multi-calendar, providing a complete overview of your properties.

This feature greatly simplifies managing multiple properties by presenting visualized availability, location, and types of properties.

With the added convenience of bulk updates, your property data stays in sync, making Hostaway one of the best automation tools for vacation rentals.

 

Automated Task Management

Hostaway simplifies maintenance and cleaning management through task automation. For each reservation, the system automatically creates relevant tasks.

If a reservation changes, for example, if a guest requests a late checkout, the software automatically adjusts the cleaning schedule and notifies the cleaner.

Tasks can also be delegated on a first-come, first-served basis or via a manager.

 

Automated Messages

Hostaway optimizes guest communication with automatic messaging.

On the occurrence of certain triggers or events, corresponding messages are sent, helping to convert prospects into customers and earning you stellar reviews.

These automated messages can be sent through email, text, or WhatsApp and tailored to specific property features, locations, or amenities.

 

Owner and Guest Portal

Hostaway’s dual portal system, unmatched among Airbnb automation apps, allows for seamless communication between property owners or managers and guests.

Through the owner portal, you can access curated information about your listings and send out owner statements or reports.

The guest portal, on the other hand, provides an intuitive space for guests to check in, update contact details, purchase additional services, and access important reservation details like door codes.

 

Plans and Pricing

While Hostaway does not disclose specific pricing details on its website, various sources suggest that its plans start at around $50 per property per month.

The cost varies depending on the level of custom solutions required and the number of properties managed.

For detailed pricing information, it is best to contact them directly for a quote.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• User-friendly interface. As one of the best Airbnb automation software solutions, Hostaway takes pride in its intuitive design and straightforward navigation scheme. This makes it a breeze to use, whether you’re a tech-savvy veteran or new to property management.

• Integrations with popular platforms. Hostaway seamlessly integrates with several platforms commonly used by hosts, encompassing rental listing syndication sites, rent collection software, and social media platforms. This integration greatly simplifies various property management tasks, from marketing initiatives to processing financial transactions.

• Comprehensive reporting. Hostaway provides vacation rental data analysis and Airbnb data analysis tools to help users understand their business performance. These reports facilitate data-driven decision making, optimizing business operations.

 

Cons

• Integration challenges. While Hostaway boasts integrations with multiple platforms, some users report occasional connectivity issues or limitations with specific channels.

• Higher pricing. Compared to many other property management software for landlords on the market, Hostaway is more expensive.

• Accounting features are limited and difficult to customize. Despite being a leading player among Airbnb automation tools, Hostaway’s vacation rental accounting software functionalities could use some improvement. They can be complex to use and might be tricky for beginners to grasp quickly. Also, the software does not support trust accounting.

 

Integrations

• Authorize.net
• Braintree
• Orana Stay
• Hostkit
• HostAI
• Tourmie
• Operto Teams
• Turnify
• Stripe
• Zapier
• RemoteLock

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Hostfully is a robust Airbnb management software tool designed to automate key tasks, streamline operations, and optimize property management.

Its standout feature is a digital guidebook that provides comprehensive property information to tenants and guests even before their arrival.

Hostfully also emphasizes automation and efficiency in property management. Its centralized calendar feature simplifies booking, and the owner management module helps manage revenue shares and expenses.

These features allow you to focus on growing your business while reducing manual workload.

 

Features

Digital Guidebook

This is an innovative tool that replaces traditional welcome books. Hostfully allows you to create a digital guidebook that includes all necessary information about your property in one location.

This includes images, maps, and essential details personalized with your brand logo. The guidebook helps guests understand what makes your listing unique and offers information on local transportation.

You can use it to share check-out instructions and even upsell additional services.

 

Central Calendar

The central calendar provides a comprehensive view of all your listings, keeping them synchronized.

With this feature, you can check availability and hold dates, see which booking platforms are leading to bookings, and create team tasks.

The centralized system enhances efficiency, prevents double bookings, and improves the overall experience for you and your guests.

 

Enhanced Reporting

This vacation rental management software also features accounting software for property managers and bookkeeping tools for landlords.

They allow you to create custom reporting templates for various financial aspects of your business, including booking revenue, fees, taxes, transactions, and logistics.

With smart conditional formulas for each revenue source, you can fine-tune any standard default report to fit your desired calculations.

Through the Hostfully Airbnb accounting software, reports can be shared with business partners and managers in HTML, PDF, or CSV formats.

 

Booking Pipeline

This is your universal dashboard for booking management. This tool allows you to monitor past, current, and upcoming reservations.

You can initiate interactions with potential customers, adjust quotes, or add services. The pipeline also tracks where leads are coming from and when your next check-ins are.

This feature, unique to Hostfully, offers insights into your operational status from a simple and user-friendly screen.

Apart from that, Hostfully has other features that are explained in more detail in our Hostfully review.

 

Plans and Pricing

Hostfully offers three pricing plans:

• Starter: Priced at $109 per month for up to 4 listings and includes a full-scale property management software solution, complete API synchronization with all channels, access to the Hostfully mobile app, and two dedicated calls with onboarding to kickstart the process.

• Pro and Pro Plus: The Pro plan costs $199 per month and caters to hosts managing up to 11 listings. The Pro Plus plan costs $249 per month for up to 19 listings. The two plans include all the features available in the Starter plan, plus additional features such as team roles, private labeling, SMS messaging, and digital signatures.

• Premium: This is for large-scale operations dealing with 20 or more listings. Hostfully offers the Premium plan for $260 per month. In addition to all the benefits offered in the Pro Plus plan, the Premium Plan provides API access, custom engineering (the terms of which are negotiable), and a dedicated customer success manager for personalized service.

As for the guidebooks, Hostfully offers the first guidebook for free upon subscribing to any of their plans.

Additional guidebooks are priced at $9.99 per month each. As such, the price increases depending on the number of guidebooks you require.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Guidebooks. Hostfully’s standout feature is its custom-branded digital guidebook, providing guests with relevant information about the property and local insights, contributing to an improved guest experience.

• Intuitive interface. Hostfully is fairly easy to use and navigate, which makes it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.

• Comprehensive channel management. Hostfully helps you manage listings across 20+ booking platforms, including Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com simultaneously. Hosts avoid double bookings and maximize exposure.

 

Cons

• Slow performance. Some users have reported that the platform can be slow, taking 10-20 seconds to load the pipeline.

• No phone support. Hostfully only provides support through email or chat. The absence of phone support might be an issue if you prefer direct communication or have urgent issues that require immediate resolution.

• Calendar syncing issues. Some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the calendar experience. There are occasional syncing issues when using the calendar.

 

Integrations

• Booking.com
• HostAI
• QuickBooks Online
• Zapier
• Enso Connect
• Tripadvisor
• Vrbo
• HomeToGo
• Airbnb
• PriceLabs
• Wheelhouse
• Stripe
• Rentals United

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Guesty is a comprehensive Airbnb property management platform that offers short-term rental hosts a suite of easy-to-use Airbnb automation tools to simplify their daily operations.

These include a channel manager that syncs with third-party services (OTAs), payment automation, task automation, and guest message automation.

Its robust features include multi-calendar property management, a centralized dashboard, a unified inbox, a user-friendly mobile application, and 24/7 guest communication services.

Accessible on both desktop and mobile, Guesty streamlines daily tasks, ensuring an enjoyable guest experience and seamless property management.

 

Features

Unified Inbox

Guesty’s unified inbox consolidates all guest communication within a single user-friendly interface.

This standout feature among Airbnb automation apps allows you to send and receive messages via email, SMS, or linked booking channels in a single thread.

Additionally, the inbox displays pertinent reservation information, ensuring that all necessary details are accessible during each interaction.

 

Multi-Calendar

The multi-calendar feature allows you to manage multiple reservations, adjust pricing, block dates, and more without viewing individual listings.

Within the multi-calendar, you can check availability, manually create reservations, or adjust existing ones.

These actions are automatically synced across all your connected bookings, saving you from double-booking errors.

 

Smart Pricing and Payment Collection Rules

On Guesty, users can create rules to optimize pricing and simplify payment collection. For example, you can set rules to automatically lower prices for upcoming vacancies.

You can offer discounts for booking gaps, or increase pricing during holidays.

You can also set rules to automate payment collection, adjusting the number of payments to be received in a week, card use, and payment collection dates.

 

Automated Guest Messages

Guesty streamlines communication by automating frequently sent messages, such as confirmation emails and check-in instructions.

Trigger-based automated messaging ensures guests receive vital information through their preferred platform, be it SMS, email, or the booking platform.

This automation reduces manual tasks for managers while providing guests with essential details.

 

Plans and Pricing

Guesty offers three pricing plans based on the number of listings a user manages, with a 14-day free trial available. Here’s how it works:

• Guesty for Hosts: Perfect for hosts with 1-3 listings and involves DIY setup. This plan includes features such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo integrations, a centralized calendar, direct booking capabilities, automated messaging, task management, a website builder for real estate investors or landlords, a mobile app, access to extensive resources, and an expert knowledge center. The plan is subdivided into three tiers:

– For one listing, the cost is $34 per month.
– For two listings, the pricing is $51 per month.
– For three listings, the cost is $69 per month.

• Guesty for Pros: Caters to hosts with 4-199 listings, providing the same features as the Hosts plan, plus a unified inbox, multi-calendar, owner portal, robust real estate accounting software functionalities, enhanced reporting and analytics, extensive marketplace integrations, guided onboarding, 24/7 email support, and expert account management. This plan uses custom pricing and users have to request a quote.

• Guesty for Enterprise: Designed for extensive operations with 200+ listings. This plan offers a customized, scalable solution with powerful features, designed to cater to large-scale property management needs. Pricing is custom-based, incorporating the user’s specific requirements.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Multiple integrations. This Airbnb management software is one of the top automation tools for vacation rentals and stands out due to its extensive connectivity with numerous third-party applications. These integrations include pricing tools and payment processors, all designed to enhance operations and ensure increased convenience.

• 24/7 guest communication services. Apart from automated messages, Guesty provides round-the-clock manual communication services to interact with guests, ensuring all their questions and concerns are attended to promptly — a service not provided by all platforms.

• Unified inbox. Guesty’s unified inbox allows users to manage communications from multiple booking platforms in one place.

 

Cons

• Poor customer support. Guesty’s customer support has slow response times and is only accessible via email.

• Pricing is not very transparent. Guesty’s pricing isn’t the most transparent or budget-friendly, with tiered plans based on the number of listings and features (some essential features require higher tiers).

• Integration hiccups. While Guesty boasts numerous integrations, some real estate investors and landlords report occasional syncing issues or limitations with specific third-party tools.

 

Integrations

• Airbnb
• Booking.com
• Vrbo
• Expedia
• Agoda
• Rentals United
• Stripe
• PriceLabs
• Wheelhouse
• Beyond
• Turno

OwnerRez is a vacation rental management platform specifically designed to provide property owners with efficient tools for managing bookings, communication, and property listings at an affordable price.

Its features include automated messaging, dynamic pricing, seamless channel integration, customizable rental agreements, and modern website creation.

These capabilities streamline various aspects of vacation rental management, enabling you to optimize your business without the need for additional staff members.

 

Features

User Portal

OwnerRez includes a comprehensive and accessible user portal in its property management module.

This portal allows for separate account creation for owners, cleaners, and maintenance staff, allowing each to access specific functionalities tailored to their responsibilities.

These may include viewing availability calendars, blocking off time, or viewing owner statements.

 

Electronic Renter Agreements

With OwnerRez, a basic rental agreement is already included in your account, and you can create as many custom agreements as you need.

You’re free to use the default agreement with a few word changes, or even upload an agreement you’ve already set up in MS Word.

Guests will automatically receive these agreements during the booking process and sign off on them right there. You can also send a signing link separately later on.

 

Airbnb and Vrbo Messaging

OwnerRez takes guest communication to the next level by integrating with Airbnb and Vrbo’s messaging platforms.

For example, when connected to Airbnb via API, you can send and receive messages through the Airbnb Messaging Center directly on OwnerRez.

You can also trigger automated SMS and email messages through OwnerRez. This feature enables you to interact with guests conveniently without switching platforms.

 

Advanced Payment Processing

You can integrate a variety of payment methods offering unlimited options for your guests. However, the limitation is that each property has to be linked to only one credit card payment method.

If you have multiple properties, you can assign a different credit payment method to each.

Beyond credit card processing, other options such as check or Venmo are also available to guests. This ensures payments are convenient and straightforward for all your guests.

 

Plans and Pricing

OwnerRez provides a 14-day free trial. As for the base cost of using OwnerRez, this varies according to the number of properties you have.

It starts at $40 per month for a single property up to $1,472 per month for 500 properties. This price includes features like channel management and digital signatures that are pivotal in managing your properties.

Add-ons for owners include:

• Premium Features: In addition to its base services, OwnerRez provides a range of premium features that are charged separately. These include property management, QuickBooks Online integration, hosted sites, integrated sites and WordPress plugins, and SMS messaging. For instance, if you decide to use their QuickBooks Online integration, it would cost an extra $10 per month on top of the base price.

• ProConnect Service: This premium service offers setup assistance for your OwnerRez account, customizing features and settings based on your needs. The pricing for ProConnect varies based on the number of properties you have.

– Up to two properties: $500
– Three to nine properties: $150 each
– 10 or more properties: $100 each

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Top-notch customer support. Users praise OwnerRez for its exceptional customer service, with fast and thorough responses to inquiries.

• Flexibility. Unlike many platforms, OwnerRez allows hosts to tweak and customize most aspects of the software to fit their unique needs.

• Relational database. OwnerRez has a fully relational database, allowing users to easily access relevant data and communications for each guest and booking.

 

Cons

• Outdated user interface. While OwnerRez is highly functional, its interface might not be as appealing as other contemporary solutions.

• Fees for implementation support. Another downside is the additional cost of implementation support. OwnerRez charges for its ProConnect service, which aids in setting up the account and tailoring the features according to your needs.

• Limitations on payment methods. While the platform supports multiple payment options, including PayPal, Stripe and ACH, users can only add one card payment option per property or listing to receive payments.

 

Integrations

• PayPal
• Stripe
• QuickBooks Online
• Zapier
• BeHome247
• PriceLabs
• Key Data
• DPGO
• Beyond
• Lynx
• Airbnb
• Vrbo
• Turno
• StayFi

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About the Author:

With over 20+ years of experience in real estate investment and renovation, Brian Robbins brings extensive knowledge and innovative solutions to the HouseCashin team. Over the years Brian has been involved in over 300 transactions of income producing properties across the US. Along with his passion for real estate, Brian brings with him a deep understanding of real estate risks and financing.