TL;DR: The best short-term rental software in 2026 depends on where you are now and where you’re headed. Guesty covers the full spectrum, from hosts with a single property (Guesty Lite) through growing portfolios (Guesty Pro) to enterprise operations with 200+ units – with the deepest OTA integrations and native tools at every tier. Hospitable and Smoobu work for hosts who prioritize simplicity over scalability. Lodgify focuses on direct bookings. OwnerRez is a legacy software with core features, but lacks certain essentials like a native pricing engine or built-in payment processor.
Short-term rental software has evolved from calendar sync tools into full operating systems. The right platform in 2026 doesn’t just prevent double-bookings. It manages pricing across 60+ channels, handles guest communication at 2am, and generates owner statements without spreadsheet gymnastics. A bad fit creates more work than it solves, or forces an expensive migration when you outgrow it.
This guide breaks down five leading platforms, what they actually do well, and which operator profiles they fit.
What does STR software actually do?
A property management system (PMS) is command central for your rental business. In 2026, that means:
Channel management: Push rates and availability to key channels like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and your direct site from one dashboard. When a guest books on Airbnb, your Booking.com calendar updates in real-time.
Guest communication: One inbox for every message, whether guests booked through an OTA, emailed directly, or texted a question. You can use AI to support fast responses.
Operations: Schedule cleaners automatically when guests check out. Assign maintenance tasks. Track what’s done and what’s stuck.
Revenue intelligence: Dynamic pricing watches local demand, events, and competitor rates. You set the floor and ceiling, the algorithm fills the gaps.
Financial management: Track owner payouts, reconcile payments, and generate reports that don’t require an accounting degree to understand.
The differences between platforms come down to how deep these features go, and whether you’ll need to switch platforms as your portfolio grows.
How the top platforms compare
Guesty
Best for: Operators at any stage who want to manage their full business from one platform, whether operating their first property or 1,000+.
Guesty is built to scale with you. Start with Guesty Lite for 1–3 properties and get the core tools: channel management, automated messaging, task management, and a booking website. Move to Guesty Pro as you grow into the 4–199 range. Hit enterprise scale, and the platform handles multi-brand portfolios, complex owner structures, and teams across time zones – while supporting a full tech stack with a high-performing API.
The advantage of starting on a scalable platform is no potential migration headaches. The integrations you build, the workflows you create, and the guest data you collect all carry forward.
Guesty connects directly to over 60 booking channels, syncing rates, availability, and content in real-time. For revenue optimization, PriceOptimizer is built in, meaning no third-party subscription. Set your pricing strategy and let it adjust for seasonality, local events, and gap nights. The Unified Inbox pulls messages from Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, as well as emails, WhatsApp, and SMS into one view. ReplyAI drafts responses that match your tone.
Support runs 24/7 with dedicated customer success managers at every tier for Pro accounts. The 240+ marketplace integrations cover smart locks (also available natively), accounting, guest screening, damage protection, smart-home technology, marketing tools, and service providers.
The platform handles everything from a beach cottage side hustle to a 10,000-unit urban portfolio, without forcing you to start over when you’re ready to grow.
Hospitable
Best for: Hosts managing 1–10 properties who prioritize messaging automation
Hospitable is known for providing automated messaging that sounds human. The platform connects directly to seven channels, fewer than Guesty’s 60+, but covering the major OTAs. Setup takes hours, not days.
What’s missing: no email or WhatsApp in the inbox, and no built-in payment processing. The 51 marketplace partners cover basics, but you’ll piece together more tools as you grow. No 24/7 support or dedicated success managers.
Hospitable works for the host who wants to automate a small portfolio and doesn’t plan to scale significantly. Operators adding properties quarterly often find themselves migrating to a more complete platform within 18 months.
Lodgify
Best for: Operators building a brand around direct bookings
As OTA commission fees climb toward 15–20%, direct bookings look increasingly attractive. Lodgify focuses on that play with website builders, booking engines, and SEO tools designed to capture guests before they hit OTAs.
The platform connects to 12 channels directly and offers basic workflow automation. Communication features exist, but remain surface-level compared to dedicated tools.
Where Lodgify struggles is Airbnb sync gaps (reservation alterations and cancellations don’t sync), a lack of Booking.com SEA badge certification confirming all core tasks can be done from the PMS, and missing features like CRM, guest screening, accounting, and advanced analytics.
Looking for Lodgify Alternatives? Find the perfect solution here.
OwnerRez
Best for: Technical operators who want granular control over every workflow.
OwnerRez appeals to the property manager who thinks in spreadsheets and wants to customize everything. If you want to configure it yourself, OwnerRez gives you the levers. The inbox handles Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo – but not email / WhatsApp. There’s also no native pricing engine or built-in payment processor.
Smoobu
Best for: Small European operators and hosts who prioritize simplicity over features.
Smoobu is popular in the European market. Simplicity is the draw, but the tradeoff is depth. For operators planning to scale, you’ll likely outgrow it.
FAQ
Yes. Guesty supports brand segmentation within a single account. Run different websites, messaging templates, and pricing strategies for separate portfolios/franchises without logging into multiple dashboards. Other platforms don’t offer this capability.
It’s not either/or. OTAs bring discovery. Guests searching “beach house Outer Banks” find you through Airbnb’s algorithm. Direct bookings bring margins — no 15% commission — plus guest data you own. The strongest operators use OTAs for top-of-funnel visibility and push repeat guests to book direct. Make sure your platform supports both strategies with real channel depth.
Start with a platform that can grow with you. Migration costs are real – rebuilding integrations, retraining on new systems, and losing historical data. A platform like Guesty Lite gives you professional-grade tools from day one without paying for enterprise features you don’t need yet. When you add your fourth property, you upgrade tiers, not platforms.
Guesty’s talented marketing team is comprised of passionate professionals who share insightful industry knowledge and shape brand narratives. By bringing a diverse blend of expertise to the table, we are the visionary architects behind the Guesty brand and innovative campaigns that help people understand our product.
