Rentals United reaches 90+ channels versus Hostaway's 8 — doesn't that make it the better choice for multi-channel distribution?

Only if those long-tail channels actually drive revenue for your portfolio. For most operators, Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Expedia generate 80%+ of OTA bookings — and Hostaway holds preferred-partner status on three of those four with priority API access and fewer sync errors. Rentals United's edge is genuine breadth into niche OTAs and metasearch surfaces a PMS-native module won't reach, which matters for established managers in multiple markets. Below 50 listings or without a clear niche-channel revenue case, Hostaway's 8 direct channels with preferred-partner reliability cover more revenue with less operational overhead.

I already run Guesty/Hostfully/Track — wouldn't Rentals United layer cleanly on top without ripping out my PMS?

Yes, that's exactly Rentals United's positioning and a real strength. Its PMS partner roster (Guesty, Hostfully, Track, Escapia, MEWS, Streamline, Hostify) means you can plug it in as a distribution layer without changing your core stack. Hostaway is the wrong tool for that job — it's a PMS replacement, not a distribution add-on. If you're satisfied with your current PMS and just need broader channel reach, Rentals United is the right category and Hostaway isn't competing for that buy.

Both require sales calls for pricing — which is actually cheaper at scale?

Hard to compare without quotes from both. Hostaway is reportedly ~$40/listing/mo at mid-scale, so 50 listings would run ~$2,000/mo plus the 1.8% direct booking fee. Rentals United's HotelMinder-cited figure of ~€107/mo for 10–19 properties suggests dramatically lower per-listing distribution costs at scale, but the vendor doesn't confirm dollar figures and Business/Enterprise tiers are fully custom. The deeper comparison isn't price per listing — it's whether you're buying a full PMS (Hostaway) or a distribution layer that runs alongside your existing PMS spend (Rentals United).

Comparison

Hostaway vs Rentals United

Pricing, pros and cons, and buyer-fit side-by-side. Pick the one that matches your operation — or see why neither should.

Property Management Software

Hostaway

All-in-one vacation rental software for professional hosts

Best for Scale

The automation layer for operators scaling past 10 listings

Contact sales • No free trial

Full review →Is it worth it?

Property Management Software

Rentals United

Channel manager with 90+ OTA distribution for professional property managers

Best for Enterprise

Deepest OTA channel catalog for managers who already run a PMS

Contact sales • No free trial

Full review →Is it worth it?

Visit Hostaway →Visit Rentals United →

✓Editorial verdict

Which Should You Pick: Hostaway or Rentals United?

Pick Hostaway if you want an all-in-one PMS with preferred-partner status on Airbnb, Vrbo, AND Booking.com, a native mobile app, an owner portal, and 300+ integrations with an open API and Zapier. Pick Rentals United if you already run a PMS like Guesty, Hostfully, Track, Escapia, or MEWS and need a dedicated distribution layer reaching 90+ niche OTAs and metasearch surfaces beyond the big three. Hostaway is the unified platform; Rentals United is the distribution specialist that sits behind your existing stack.

Editorial perspective from the Hostaway side; factual claims about Rentals United are drawn from its review.

Pricing Side-by-Side

Hostaway

Full pricing →

Contact sales • No free trial

Standard (quote)

Quote only — ~$40/listing/mo reported

10+ listings typical

Booking fee: Percentage on direct bookings (rate depends on negotiated quote)

Channel manager for 26+ OTAs
Unified guest inbox
Automation engine
Direct booking site
Owner portal
Open API + marketplace access

Try Hostaway

Enterprise (quote)

Custom

50+ listings, management companies

Booking fee: Negotiated

Everything in Standard
Dedicated account manager
Priority support
Custom integrations

Try Hostaway

Rentals United

Full pricing →

Contact sales • No free trial

Contact sales

Rentals United does not publish numeric pricing. The vendor's pricing page lists property-band tiers (Pro for 5-99 properties, Business for 100-499, Enterprise for 500+) and states 'Our prices are tailored to your business.' Capterra confirms 'Starting Price: Contact vendor for pricing' and 'Free Trial: Not available.' Confirm pricing directly with Rentals United sales.

View full pricing →

Try Rentals United

What each tool does well — and where it falls short

What Hostaway does well

Best-in-class multi-channel reliability — eliminates double bookings
Real-time API sync across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and dozens more. Operators consistently report it as the most reliable sync in the market, which directly prevents costly double-booking incidents.
Preferred-partner status with Airbnb, Vrbo, AND Booking.com — the 'triple crown'
Hostaway is the only property management platform with preferred/premier partner status across all three major OTAs. Priority API access and faster feature rollouts mean fewer sync errors and access to channel-exclusive tools before competitors.
Owner portal with professional reporting — real value for co-host and management companies
Owners get their own login to view revenue, occupancy, and payout statements in real time, with customizable visibility controls. For co-hosting businesses, this transparency tool is a genuine client-retention feature.

What Rentals United does well

Connects to 90+ listing channels including niche regional OTAs
Every tier advertises certified API connections to 50+ channels and access to 90+ listing channels in total, which is the platform's core differentiator versus PMS-bundled channel managers.
API described by integrators as robust and well-documented
A Capterra reviewer called the API 'absolutely phenomenal' and 'unbelievably robust, brilliantly documented,' and the vendor publishes API documentation as a top-level resource.
Preferred-partner status with Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com
Named preferred-partner programs with the largest OTAs can reduce listing-quality friction for managers routing inventory through Rentals United.
Broad PMS interoperability for managers who already have a stack
The partner page lists integrations with Guesty, Track, Hostfully, Escapia, and Streamline, making it a natural distribution layer behind an existing PMS.

Where Hostaway falls short

1.8% booking engine fee on all direct bookings, introduced November 2024
Hostaway added a 1.8% guest service fee to every reservation through operators' own direct-booking websites. This undercuts one of the main advantages of direct bookings (avoiding OTA commissions) and was rolled out via a terms update that many users missed.
Steep learning curve and significant setup investment — not plug-and-play
Setup requires mapping channels, configuring automation rules, setting up owner statements, and training staff. Reviewers consistently note it takes weeks to become fully operational — a real barrier for small operators or teams without technical staff.
Opaque pricing and contract lock-in reported by users — cancellation is difficult
Hostaway requires a sales call to see numbers. Multiple HotelMinder reviews describe being signed into annual contracts they thought were monthly, and difficulty canceling mid-term. Read the contract carefully.

Where Rentals United falls short

Interface described as click-heavy and dated
A GetApp reviewer noted that 'navigation through the system requires more clicks than necessary,' which adds up to real daily operator time at scale.
Reports of double-booking incidents and billing disputes
A GetApp reviewer (jeffrey D.) wrote 'They cost me tens of thousands in double bookings and did not pay any of the fees.' This is a minority report but operationally serious when it happens.
No transparent pricing and no free trial
Capterra lists 'Starting Price: Contact vendor for pricing' and 'Free Trial: Not available,' so buyers cannot evaluate cost without a sales call.
Sub-5-listing portfolios are not the core ICP
The vendor's Pro tier starts at 5-99 properties, with only a 'We can still help!' note for smaller portfolios — signaling smaller hosts will not get the typical onboarding path.

Which Should You Pick

Pick Hostaway if

Multi-property managers running 10-100+ listings across Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com who need reliable multi-channel sync, team task management, and owner reporting in one platform.

Skip Hostaway if

You have fewer than 5 listings, you're budget-sensitive, or you rely heavily on direct booking revenue and can't absorb a 1.8% booking engine fee on every guest transaction.

Pick Rentals United if

Professional property managers with 20+ listings already running a PMS who need maximum OTA distribution breadth across niche regional channels in addition to Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.

Skip Rentals United if

You have fewer than 5 listings, want self-serve transparent monthly pricing, or only need the top 3 OTAs.

Where Hostaway and Rentals United actually differ

Product scope: Hostaway is an all-in-one PMS with channel manager, automation engine, owner portal, and direct booking site. Rentals United is a distribution-only layer designed to slot behind a PMS like Guesty, Hostfully, Track, Escapia, or MEWS — not a standalone PMS.
Channel breadth: Rentals United markets 'Certified API connections to 50+ channels' and '90+ listing channels total' including niche OTAs and metasearch. Hostaway connects to 8 direct OTA channels (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, Google Vacation Rentals, TripAdvisor, Agoda, HomeToGo) — far narrower channel reach.
OTA partner status: Hostaway holds preferred/premier partner status on Airbnb, Vrbo, AND Booking.com — the only PMS with all three. Rentals United does not publish equivalent named partner certifications across the big three.
Pricing: Both are quote-only. Hostaway is reportedly ~$40/listing/mo with $100–$500 setup fees and a 1.8% direct booking fee. Rentals United uses property-band tiers (Pro 5–99, Business 100–499, Enterprise 500+) with HotelMinder citing a third-party figure of ~€107/mo paid yearly for 10–19 properties — vendor-unconfirmed.
Operational tooling: Hostaway includes a native iOS/Android mobile app, owner portal with revenue reporting, automation engine, white-label booking site, and Zapier. Rentals United has no Zapier connection, no documented mobile app, no owner portal, and no native PMS workflows — it is a distribution layer, not an operational platform.

Common objections

Rentals United reaches 90+ channels versus Hostaway's 8 — doesn't that make it the better choice for multi-channel distribution?: Only if those long-tail channels actually drive revenue for your portfolio. For most operators, Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Expedia generate 80%+ of OTA bookings — and Hostaway holds preferred-partner status on three of those four with priority API access and fewer sync errors. Rentals United's edge is genuine breadth into niche OTAs and metasearch surfaces a PMS-native module won't reach, which matters for established managers in multiple markets. Below 50 listings or without a clear niche-channel revenue case, Hostaway's 8 direct channels with preferred-partner reliability cover more revenue with less operational overhead.
I already run Guesty/Hostfully/Track — wouldn't Rentals United layer cleanly on top without ripping out my PMS?: Yes, that's exactly Rentals United's positioning and a real strength. Its PMS partner roster (Guesty, Hostfully, Track, Escapia, MEWS, Streamline, Hostify) means you can plug it in as a distribution layer without changing your core stack. Hostaway is the wrong tool for that job — it's a PMS replacement, not a distribution add-on. If you're satisfied with your current PMS and just need broader channel reach, Rentals United is the right category and Hostaway isn't competing for that buy.
Both require sales calls for pricing — which is actually cheaper at scale?: Hard to compare without quotes from both. Hostaway is reportedly ~$40/listing/mo at mid-scale, so 50 listings would run ~$2,000/mo plus the 1.8% direct booking fee. Rentals United's HotelMinder-cited figure of ~€107/mo for 10–19 properties suggests dramatically lower per-listing distribution costs at scale, but the vendor doesn't confirm dollar figures and Business/Enterprise tiers are fully custom. The deeper comparison isn't price per listing — it's whether you're buying a full PMS (Hostaway) or a distribution layer that runs alongside your existing PMS spend (Rentals United).

Keep Digging

Hostaway

The automation layer for operators scaling past 10 listings

Full Hostaway review →Is it worth it?

Rentals United

Deepest OTA channel catalog for managers who already run a PMS

Full Rentals United review →Is it worth it?