Lodgify vs Hostfully:
Which Is Best for Holiday Property Managers?
Choosing a property management system shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. As your portfolio grows, the differences between platforms quickly become clear – gaps in automation, restricted reporting, more manual work, and rising costs from tools that don’t scale with you.
Hostfully and Lodgify are well-known property management systems — but their core audiences and feature priorities differ.
This guide breaks down how each platform performs in everyday operations, highlighting their strengths, their limitations, and which one provides the most reliable foundation for long-term efficiency and control.
What Is Holiday Rental Management Software?
Holiday rental management software centralises the core functions of running short-term rentals and property management businesses: bookings, guest communication, payments, channel distribution, operations, and reporting.
The best platforms do more than store reservations. They automate workflows end-to-end, maintain accurate syncing, remove repetitive tasks, and provide a reliable infrastructure to support growth without expanding your workload.
How to Choose Vacation Rental Software for Your Business?
Automation vs Website Focus
The first distinction to make is whether a platform is designed primarily as a website builder or as an operational engine. Some systems focus on website creation with only light PMS functionality added on, while others are built around automation and workflow reliability. Many property managers prefer platforms that offer both robust website capabilities and strong operational automation so they do not have to manage two separate systems.
Pricing Model and Real Cost of Scale
Pricing should be considered beyond just the monthly subscription. Booking fees, add-on bundles, and enterprise-style charges can accumulate quickly if the platform doesn’t sufficiently reduce manual work. The real question is whether the system genuinely saves you time or quietly creates new tasks.
Feature Depth and Operational Capability
As your portfolio grows, you need technology that can keep up. A robust platform offers reliable OTA synchronization, automated payments, structured housekeeping workflows, accurate reporting, owner transparency, and rate automation that adjusts to demand without constant oversight. Without these elements, operational stability can quickly become fragile.
Long-Term Growth and Scalability
Your software should continue to perform effectively as your inventory grows or as you manage multiple locations. The right system supports this expansion without requiring a complete overhaul of your tools or processes.
Lodgify vs Hostfully: Head-to-Head Comparison
Choose Hostfully if:
You want a medium-sizez, growth-friendly PMS that balances automation, flexibility, and ease of use. The Starter plan is suitable for hosts managing 1-4 listings who want essential tools like messaging automation and direct-booking support, while the Pro and Enterprise plans are designed for growing property managers seeking centralised calendars and streamlined workflows without the complexity of enterprise-level platforms.
Choose Lodgify if:
You want a brandable direct-booking site out of the box and a classic all-in-one stack (website + channel manager + PMS) with modern add-ons like Smart Locks. It’s a great choice for hosts focused mainly on Airbnb, though its limited integration with other channels may reduce your overall visibility and reach.
Lodgify positions itself as a versatile solution for “any vacation rental business, from a single property to a portfolio of 30+”. It offers multiple interface languages and a built-in website builder, making it especially appealing for hosts seeking strong direct-booking capabilities.
Hostfully provides small- to mid-sized property managers with the automation, direct-booking tools, and channel management they need – delivering essential functionality without the complexity of enterprise-level systems.
Features
Free plan
All-in-one platform
Direct booking website
Automation & reliability
OTA integrations (Airbnb etc.)
Scalability
Reporting
See Why Smart Property Managers Choose Zeevou Over Lodgify and Hostfully
Lodgify: Website-First Property Management Platform
Lodgify is designed to support independent hosts and property managers by enabling direct bookings and multi-channel management. But they’re not for everyone – they focus on website building and direct booking optimisation and comprehensive channel management across major OTAs and there are some concerns with subscription cancellation difficulties and inconsistent customer service responsiveness.
Their main features are:
- Direct-booking website builder with ready-made templates, an integrated booking engine, and support for custom domains.
- Channel manager that synchronizes calendars, rates, and reservations across major OTAs.
- PMS tools such as a unified inbox, multi-calendar, payment processing, and a mobile app for on-the-go management.
- Automation and AI, including saved replies, AI-driven guest messaging, task and cleaning workflows, and reporting tools.
- Smart Locks add-on, offering automated code generation and a centralized dashboard for managing all locks.
Pros:
- Easy website creation.
- Responsive onboarding team
- Solid calendar synchronisation to avoid double bookings.
Cons:
- Occasional critiques around template/website flexibility or learning curve.
- Scattered complaints about onboarding depth.
- Slow in resolving complex technical issues.
Lodgify Setup
Lodgify provides a 7-day free trial with no credit card needed.
New users are offered a personalised onboarding session that guides them through listing imports, calendar synchronisation, and setting up a direct booking website.
Onboarding is optional and accessible in several languages.
Lodgify Pricing Tiers
Lodgify offers three pricing plans, and pricing increases as you add more properties. Annual and multi-year plans provide 20–25% discounts.
- Starter plan from £12/month (annual billing) with 1.9% booking fee.
- Professional (£29/month) and Ultimate (£45/mo) plans eliminate booking fees and add advanced features.
Reviews
G2
4
Capterra
4.5
Trustpilot
4.8
G2
4.4
Capterra
4.4
Trustpilot
4.7
Reviews
Review Platforms
G2
Capterra
Trustpilot
Hostfully: Mid-Sized, Growth-Friendly PMS
Hostfully offers a property management platform designed for growing property managers who need automation, streamlined operations, and strong guest experience tools without enterprise-level complexity.
It’s well-suited for mid-size portfolios, providing messaging automation, digital guidebooks, and direct-booking support, but may be less ideal for very large property management companies seeking advanced analytics, full-scale revenue management, or highly customised workflows.
Their main features are:
- Customisable direct-booking website with integrated booking engine, custom domains, and SEO tools.
- Channel manager synchronising listings, rates, availability, and reservations across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and 50+ other channels.
- Unified inbox, central calendar, mobile app, payment collection via Stripe or PayPal, owner portal, reporting features, and guest CRM.
- Automated guest messaging, digital guidebooks, pre-arrival forms, rental agreements, and task management.
- Broad third-party integrations, multi-property management, and operational efficiency tools.
Pros:
- User-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile app.
- Clean layout and well-designed interface for managing information and sharing details with guests.
Cons:
- Reporting features need significant improvement
- Channel connections, especially with Booking.com, can be unreliable and hard to configure
Hostfully Setup
Hostfully does not offer a free plan for its full Property Management Platform, though users can request a free demo to explore its features before committing. The onboarding process is guided, with new users assigned an Onboarding Specialist and access to live 1:1 calls, on-demand tutorials, and checklist.
Additional resources include 24/7 in-product chat, email support, and a user community to ensure a smooth transition and efficient management from day one.
Hostfully Pricing Tiers
Hostfully offers three pricing tiers based on the size of your property portfolio with ~10% discount for annual billing.
- Starter Plan: 1–4 listings
- Pro Plan: up to 5-199 listings
- Enterprise Plan: 200+ listings
- One-time setup / implementation fee: £315 (waived if you pay annually)
The Trade-Off Dilemma
Hostfully offers strong automation and guest-experience tools, but some users find its reporting, channel connections (particularly with Booking.com), and payment workflows less robust than those in more enterprise-level systems.
Lodgify delivers an easy-to-use platform with a built-in website and booking engine, yet it lacks the deeper automation, broader channel connections, and operational features that mid-to-large managers often require.
For property managers seeking both advanced automation and a dependable direct-booking infrastructure, Zeevou stands out as a unified solution that eliminates this compromise.
Zeevou: Setup and Pricing Overview
Zeevou makes it easy to get started with a free plan and a structured, portfolio-friendly pricing model. You can sign up instantly, explore the system, and upgrade only when you’re ready.
Spark (Free):
Core PMS features, a direct-booking website, automated workflows, guest messaging, and basic payments.
Glow (~£14/unit):
Adds a channel manager, unified inbox, mobile app, and more integrations.
Blaze (~£26/unit):
Includes dynamic pricing, automated owner reporting, housekeeping & maintenance workflows.
Dazzle (~£42/unit):
Adds AI-powered 24/7 guest messaging and advanced automation tools.
All paid plans offer up to 80% savings on annual subscriptions, include a 30-day money-back guarantee, and support custom pricing or bulk discounts for larger portfolios. (Some plans apply a 10% fee on Google Vacation Rentals.)
Zeevou’s onboarding is designed to support you at every stage – from live Q&A and 24/7 chat support to a dedicated Customer Success Manager on higher-tier plans to help with workflow setup, channel connections, and system optimisation.
Which Platform Matches Your Business Model?
The right choice depends on your portfolio size, budget, team expertise, and growth plans.
Small- to medium-sized businesses:
Lodgify suits hosts who want an all-in-one system to manage bookings, build their own website, and sync listings across platforms. Its intuitive interface and integrated channel manager make operations smoother, though some users note limited website customisation and occasional channel-sync issues.
Medium-sized, automation-focused teams:
Hostfully suits managers who want a flexible, user-friendly PMS with solid automation, direct-booking tools, and strong guest-experience features.
Growing or mid-sized businesses:
If you manage 10–200 properties, Zeevou offers a more scalable and cost-effective solution, designed to help you grow efficiently without the complexity or high costs of enterprise tools.
Zeevou Sells "Financial Independence", Not Just " Automation”.
Lodgify vs Hostfully: Final Verdict
Lodgify is better suited for hosts and property managers who want to combine direct bookings with channel management in one place. Its built-in website builder and multi-platform integration make it ideal for those ready to grow their brand beyond OTAs.
Hostfully, is ideal for mid-sized or growing teams that want strong automation, digital guidebooks, and direct-booking support without the complexity of enterprise platforms. It offers a flexible, growth-friendly PMS but may lack the operational depth required by very large portfolios.
However, if your business is rapidly growing and you’re looking for a more affordable, all-in-one alternative, Zeevou is worth considering. It offers automation, direct booking tools, and transparent pricing – without the steep learning curve or high enterprise costs.
The information presented in this comparison is based on publicly available data and our independent analysis as of July 2025. Features, pricing, and capabilities may change without notice.
