Hostfully vs OwnerRez
Which Is Best for Holiday Property Managers?
Choosing the right property management system shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. As your portfolio grows, the differences between platforms become clearer – from gaps in automation and limited reporting features to increased manual tasks and rising costs, especially with tools that can’t scale alongside your business.
Hostfully and OwnerRez are commonly chosen, particularly by new Airbnb hosts looking to expand their property portfolios. However, as property managers grow their businesses, they typically need a solution with more sophisticated automation, better direct-booking features, and transparent pricing that can accommodate their increasing needs.
This guide explores how each platform performs in everyday operations, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and which offers the most reliable foundation for long-term efficiency and control.
What Is Holiday Rental Management Software?
Holiday rental management software centralises the essential functions of running short-term rentals or property management businesses, including bookings, guest communication, payments, channel distribution, operations, and reporting.
The best platforms go beyond storing reservations – they automate workflows end-to-end, ensure accurate syncing, eliminate repetitive tasks, and provide a reliable infrastructure to support growth without increasing your workload.
How to Choose Holiday Rental Software for Your Business
Automation vs Website Focus
Start by determining whether a platform is primarily a website builder or an operational engine. Some systems focus on creating websites with limited PMS functionality, while others are built around automation and workflow reliability. Many property managers prefer solutions that combine strong operational automation with robust website capabilities, so they don’t have to manage two separate systems.
Pricing Model and Real Cost of Scale
Consider more than just the monthly subscription. Booking fees, add-on bundles, and enterprise-style charges can quickly add up if the platform doesn’t meaningfully reduce manual work. The key question is whether the system actually saves time or silently creates new tasks.
Feature Depth and Operational Capability
As your portfolio grows, your software needs to keep pace. A strong platform offers reliable OTA syncing, automated payments, structured housekeeping workflows, accurate reporting, owner transparency, and rate automation that adapts to demand – all without constant oversight. Without these features, operational stability can become fragile.
Long-Term Growth and Scalability
Choose software that continues to perform as your inventory expands or as you manage multiple locations. The right system supports growth without forcing a complete overhaul of your tools or processes.
Zeevou vs OwnerRez: Head-to-Head Comparison
Choose OwnerRez if:
You run a small rental business and want direct integrations with major booking channels, along with the ability to manage direct bookings without paying commissions. However, the platform has a learning curve, so setting it up and mastering all its features may take some time.
Choose Hostfully if:
You want a medium-sized, 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.
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.
OwnerRez is best for the serious or established vacation rental manager who prioritises customisation, financial control, and avoiding per-booking commissions.
Features
Free plan
All-in-one platform
Direct booking website
Automation & reliability
OTA integrations (Airbnb etc.)
Scalability
(limited for large portfolios)
Reporting
See Why Smart Property Managers Choose Zeevou Over Hostfully andOwnerRez
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-sized 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.
- 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)
Reviews
G2
4.4
Capterra
4.4
Trustpilot
4.7
G2
5
Capterra
4.9
Trustpilot
4.7
Reviews
Review Platforms
G2
Capterra
Trustpilot
OwnerRez: Full API Integration and Automation
OwnerRez is a highly flexible PMS for hosts and professional managers who want full control and automation without per-booking fees. It combines API-level channel management with Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Google, hosted or embedded direct-booking websites, advanced triggers and messaging, digital contracts, owner portals, unlimited users, and integrations (dynamic pricing, smart locks, QuickBooks) in one scalable, contract-free platform.
Their main features are:
- Hosted or embedded direct-booking websites
- Full API integrations with major channels (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo)
- Advanced rules and mapping for rates and availability
- Detailed financial and tax reporting
- Custom owner statements and payout management
- Advanced messaging automations
Pros:
- Offers strong automation and reliable performance.
- Extensive integrations for custom workflows.
- Supports direct bookings with no commission fees.
- Designed for scalable operations.
- Backed by solid customer support.
- Steep learning curve.
- Messaging tools can be fragmented.
- Costs increase as additional features are added.
OwnerRez Setup
OwnerRez provides a 14-day free trial with full access to all features, along with a detailed Setup Checklist.
New users receive a free 1-hour Jumpstart Call with an onboarding specialist, and paid ProConnect and ProTransfer services are available for faster setup and data migration.
OwnerRez Pricing Tiers
Ownerez offers a unit-based pricing model starts at £30.6/month per property
- Everything included—no contracts or booking fees.
- The per-property fee decreases as your portfolio grows, and the account structure means a single monthly invoice covers unlimited users.
- A 14-day free trial.
Where Do Hostfully and OwnerRez Fall Short?
OwnerRez can feel complex, relies heavily on third-party tools for operations, and becomes less efficient as teams grow or need more built-in automation. It’s powerful but not as scalable or streamlined for multi-property managers.
Hostfully offers strong automation and guest-experience tools, but some users find its reporting, channel connections (especially Booking.com), and payment workflows less robust compared to enterprise-grade systems.
Zeevou provides a balanced alternative with transparent tiered pricing (Spark, Glow, Blaze, Dazzle), a free plan, and no booking commissions – offering a practical middle ground between simplicity and power.
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.
Mid-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.
Small hosts or early-stage operators:
OwnerRez suits smaller rental businesses that need direct OTA integrations, commission-free direct booking, and robust operational control, though it has a steeper learning curve.
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”.
Hostfully vs OwnerRez: Final Verdict
OwnerRez is a powerful and flexible PMS that works well for smaller hosts or early-stage rental businesses who need OTA integrations, commission-free direct bookings, and operational control.
Hostfully, is better suited to 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.
