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
Comparison
Lodgify vs Kigo
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
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
✓Editorial verdict
Which Should You Pick: Lodgify or Kigo?
Pick Lodgify if you're a small-to-mid host (2–20 properties) who wants affordable per-listing pricing and a built-in website builder to grow direct bookings without per-booking commissions. Pick Kigo if you manage 20+ listings, need five direct OTA channels including TripAdvisor and Expedia, and value bundled operations tools (eSignature, task scheduling, contactless check-in) over direct-booking website infrastructure.
Editorial perspective from the Lodgify side; factual claims about Kigo are drawn from its review.
Pricing Side-by-Side
Lodgify
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
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 KigoWhat each tool does well — and where it falls short
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.
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.
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.
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.
Which Should You Pick
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.
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
Where Lodgify and Kigo actually differ
- Lodgify starts at $16/property/mo with a 1.9% booking fee on Starter; Professional ($40/mo) and Ultimate ($59/mo) eliminate booking fees entirely. Kigo charges a flat $59/mo plus 1.25%–4% per booking depending on payment source — and charges commission even on cancelled bookings.
- Lodgify's core value proposition is a direct-booking website builder with SEO tools and guest CRM to reduce OTA dependency. Kigo treats website creation as a secondary feature and leads with OTA distribution and operations automation.
- Kigo connects to five major OTA channels (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor); Lodgify covers four (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals). Kigo has broader traditional OTA reach, while Lodgify includes Google Vacation Rentals.
- Lodgify supports Zapier (8,000+ app connections) and has 20+ marketplace integrations. Kigo has 12+ integrations with no Zapier support — more limited automation options for operators who rely on third-party tooling.
- Lodgify is rated best for small portfolios (1–20 listings) and struggles at scale beyond 20. Kigo is built for scale (20–100 listings) but is expensive and overkill for smaller operations — they serve opposite ends of the portfolio-size spectrum.
Common objections
- Kigo has more OTA channels and bundled ops tools — am I leaving capability on the table by choosing Lodgify?
- Only if your primary pain point is OTA distribution breadth or back-office operations like eSignature and task scheduling. If you're running under 20 listings and your goal is building a direct-booking channel to reduce OTA commission dependency, Lodgify's website builder and per-listing pricing deliver more value than Kigo's extra channels. Most booking volume comes from Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com — channels both platforms cover.
- Kigo is now a Guesty subsidiary — does that make it a safer long-term bet than Lodgify?
- The Guesty acquisition gives Kigo corporate backing, but it also means Kigo's independent roadmap is uncertain. Lodgify remains an independent, focused product with a clear small-host positioning. Neither platform's longevity is guaranteed — evaluate based on current feature fit, not corporate parentage.
- Both platforms have reported channel sync bugs — how do I decide which is more reliable for my listings?
- Neither has a clean reliability record in user reviews. Kigo's 3.7/5 ease-of-use rating is below average, and Lodgify users report occasional Vrbo sync issues specifically. Both offer free trials — test with your actual property mix and OTA connections before committing to either.
Keep Digging
Lodgify
Best website-builder PMS for hosts growing into direct bookings
Kigo
Comprehensive channel management hampered by per-booking commissions and reliability issues