Property Management Software
Kigo
All-in-one vacation rental PMS with channel management, now a Guesty company
Solid Option
Comprehensive channel management hampered by per-booking commissions and reliability issues
From $59/mo • Free trial
Comparison
Kigo vs Lodgify
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
Lodgify
Vacation rental software with built-in website builder
Best for Small Hosts
Best website-builder PMS for hosts growing into direct bookings
From $16/listing • Free trial
✓Editorial verdict
Which Should You Pick: Kigo or Lodgify?
Pick Kigo if you manage 20+ listings and need broad OTA distribution across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor with bundled eSignature and revenue management at a $59/mo flat rate plus per-booking commission. Pick Lodgify if you're a smaller operator (2–20 listings) focused on building a direct-booking website to reduce OTA dependency, with transparent per-listing pricing and no per-booking fees on Professional or Ultimate plans.
Editorial perspective from the Kigo side; factual claims about Lodgify are drawn from its review.
Pricing Side-by-Side
Kigo
Full pricing →From $59/mo • Free trial
Flat monthly
$59/mo flat rate subscription. Kigo charges 1.25% on non-payment bookings (e.g., Airbnb where the OTA collects payment) and 4% on paid bookings (e.g., VRBO, Booking.com, Direct) — the 4% includes credit card processing fees (~2.8% Stripe), making the effective platform commission ~1.2%. Commission is charged even on cancelled bookings. Free trial available, no credit card required.
Try KigoLodgify
Full pricing →From $16/listing • Free trial
Starter
$16/property/mo
Booking fee: 1.9% per booking
- Channel management (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com)
- Direct booking website builder
- Calendar sync
- Guest communication
Professional
$40/property/mo
Booking fee: None
- Everything in Starter
- No booking fees
- Advanced automation
Ultimate
$59/property/mo
Booking fee: None
- Everything in Professional
- Priority support
- Advanced features
What each tool does well — and where it falls short
What Kigo does well
Extensive channel management and synchronization
Kigo offers seamless integration to major third-party channels with synchronized availability, rates, and content across multiple listing sites, reducing risk of double bookings and opening up sales revenue opportunities.
User-friendly interface for daily operations
Users with 30+ years in vacation rentals find Kigo the quickest and easiest to learn for getting daily tasks completed, with straightforward processes for payments, refunds, and customer communication.
Comprehensive feature coverage in one platform
Kigo integrates reservation management, distribution, marketing, revenue management, eSignature, and website creation in one platform, streamlining operations for property managers.
What Lodgify does well
Reliable channel management with real-time calendar synchronization
Lodgify provides instant syncing across Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO that prevents double bookings, saving significant time in manual calendar updates.
Easy-to-use direct booking website builder
93% of users rated the interface as simple. The website builder enables property managers to create professional direct booking sites that reduce dependence on OTA commissions.
Strong customer support and onboarding process
Users consistently praise the comprehensive onboarding process along with helpful and friendly customer service staff who assist with platform setup and ongoing issues.
Where Kigo falls short
High pricing burden on smaller operations
Pricing is consistently noted as high for smaller businesses, with minimum monthly fees that can be prohibitive for operators with limited vacation rental inventory.
Technical complexity and reliability issues
Users report frequent bugs and glitches affecting integrations, calendar syncing, and website functionality, with an average Ease of Use rating of 3.7 versus the 4.5 category average.
Commission charges on all bookings including direct
Unlike many competitors, Kigo charges a percentage of all bookings including direct bookings not acquired through channels, and continues charging commission even on cancelled bookings.
Where Lodgify falls short
Mobile app stability issues and frequent logouts
Users report persistent mobile app stability problems with frequent logouts and limited mobile support for essential daily operations like cleaning and task management.
Limited reporting and operational management capabilities
Reporting features are limited compared to other hotel management software. Task tracking, maintenance, and owner reporting feel too restricted for complex operations.
Channel syncing issues particularly with VRBO
Some users experience ongoing syncing problems and tedious manual input requirements with VRBO integration, which can disrupt automated workflow processes.
Which Should You Pick
Pick Kigo if
Mid-to-large vacation rental managers seeking comprehensive channel distribution and established integrations
Skip Kigo if
Budget-conscious small operators or those prioritizing cost efficiency over extensive channel connectivity
Pick Lodgify if
Small to mid-sized property managers (2–20 properties) focused on growing direct bookings and channel management automation.
Skip Lodgify if
You manage 20+ properties with complex operational needs, require advanced mobile task management, or need extensive reporting capabilities.
Where Kigo and Lodgify actually differ
- Lodgify is built around a direct-booking website builder with SEO tools and guest CRM; Kigo includes website creation but is primarily an OTA-distribution platform — choose based on whether direct bookings or channel breadth is your priority.
- Lodgify starts at $16/property/mo (Starter has a 1.9% booking fee; Professional at $40/mo and Ultimate at $59/mo waive booking fees). Kigo is $59/mo flat plus 1.25% on non-payment bookings and 4% on paid bookings (includes CC processing, so net ~1.2% platform fee).
- Kigo connects to 5 major OTAs (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor); Lodgify connects to 4 (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals) — different channel mix, comparable core coverage.
- Kigo charges commission even on cancelled bookings, a cost that adds up for operators with high cancellation rates. Lodgify's subscription model has no per-booking penalties on cancellations.
Common objections
- Kigo charges 4% on paid bookings — why would a direct-booking-heavy operator pick Kigo over Lodgify?
- They probably shouldn't. Kigo's 4% on paid bookings (net ~1.2% after CC processing) still erodes margins for operators driving significant direct traffic. Lodgify's Professional plan eliminates booking fees entirely and its website builder is purpose-built for direct bookings. Kigo's value is in multi-channel OTA distribution and bundled tools like eSignature — if direct bookings are your primary channel, Lodgify is the better fit.
- Lodgify caps out around 20 listings — can Kigo actually handle larger portfolios better?
- Yes. Kigo was built for scale and rates "great" for 20–100 listing portfolios, while Lodgify users managing 20+ properties report performance issues and limited reporting. If you're growing past 20 listings and need robust multi-channel distribution, Kigo's architecture handles that workload better despite its per-booking costs.
- Both tools have reported sync bugs — is either channel manager meaningfully more reliable?
- Neither is bug-free based on user reviews. Kigo has reported calendar sync issues across channels, and Lodgify users flag occasional Vrbo sync problems specifically. Both offer free trials — test on your actual property mix and channel mix before committing.
Keep Digging
Kigo
Comprehensive channel management hampered by per-booking commissions and reliability issues
Lodgify
Best website-builder PMS for hosts growing into direct bookings