Property Management Software
Hostex
Low-cost all-in-one channel manager and PMS for short-term rentals
Best Value
Cheapest credible all-in-one PMS with no booking fees, if you can tolerate a dated UI
From $4.9/listing • Free trial
Comparison
Hostex 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
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
Pricing Side-by-Side
Hostex
Full pricing →From $4.9/listing • Free trial
Standard
$4.90/property/mo
- Channel manager (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and more)
- Unified inbox and automation
- No booking fee
Pro
$7/property/mo
- Standard features plus expanded automation
- Direct booking website
- No booking fee
Enterprise
$10.50/property/mo
- Pro features plus enterprise support
- Custom configuration
- No booking fee
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.
Try Rentals UnitedWhat each tool does well — and where it falls short
What Hostex does well
Aggressive flat per-listing price with no booking fee
Standard tier starts at $4.90/property/mo and the vendor explicitly states 'no booking fee' on every tier, making total cost predictable as volume grows.
Broad OTA channel coverage including non-Western markets
Beyond Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, Hostex connects directly to Trip.com, Agoda, Houfy, and Tujia — uncommon at this price band and useful for hosts with international guests.
Open REST API with webhooks at no extra cost
Hostex publishes an OpenAPI for property, booking, and messaging sync with OAuth 2.0 — rare for sub-$10/property tools and enabling custom workflows without an enterprise contract.
Designated Airbnb 'Preferred Software Partner 2026'
The Airbnb partner badge is shown on hostex.io homepage logos, signalling a vetted Airbnb API connection that small hosts often struggle to find at low price points.
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 Hostex falls short
Vrbo channel connection is harder than other OTAs
A Capterra reviewer noted the Vrbo flow is 'quite complex compared to other OTAs and is not very straightforward,' which can slow onboarding for Vrbo-heavy portfolios.
Dated UI and constrained template editing
Capterra reviewers describe the interface as less modern and email/check-in template customization as limited — workable, but newer competitors feel more polished.
Setup curve and slower support during peak periods
SoftwareSuggest reviewers cite a complex initial setup and slow support response during peak periods, which matters most when migrating from another PMS mid-season.
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 Hostex if
Solo hosts and small property managers (2–50 listings) who need a low-cost channel manager, unified inbox, and direct booking site without paying booking-percentage fees.
Skip Hostex if
You're an enterprise PM needing US-based 24/7 phone support or trust-accounting depth equivalent to Streamline or Track.
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.
Keep Digging
Hostex
Cheapest credible all-in-one PMS with no booking fees, if you can tolerate a dated UI
Rentals United
Deepest OTA channel catalog for managers who already run a PMS