TL;DR: Property management software for short-term rentals typically costs between $10 and $50+ per listing per month, depending on the pricing model, your portfolio size, and whether you add extra modules. The real question isn’t “what’s the cheapest option?” — it’s whether the software pays for itself in time saved, bookings protected, and revenue captured. Most hosts find that even mid-tier pricing delivers ROI within the first month if it prevents a single double-booking or recovers a few hours of manual calendar work each week.
Why PMS pricing is so varied
Ask five property managers what they pay for their property management software (PMS), and you’ll get five different answers. That’s not evasion — it’s how the market actually works.
Short-term rental software pricing depends on your portfolio size, which features you need, and how the vendor structures their model. A side-hustle host with two beach condos has different needs than a property manager running 75 units across three cities. The pricing reflects that.
Most platforms fall into one of three models, and understanding them matters more than memorizing specific dollar amounts.
The three main pricing structures
- Flat monthly fee: You pay a fixed amount per listing regardless of how many bookings you get. This works well for high-performing properties where predictable overhead makes budgeting easier. If your units stay booked, you’re not sharing extra revenue with your software provider.
- Base fee plus commission: A lower monthly rate combined with a small percentage of each reservation — often 1-2%. This model keeps your fixed costs down during slow seasons and aligns the software’s success with yours. For seasonal properties or hosts still building occupancy, this can be the more cash-flow-friendly choice.
- Custom or quote-based: Both smaller and larger portfolios may have pricing tailored to their specific needs, integrations, and support requirements. Enterprise-level property management companies often negotiate rates tied to their total revenue or unit count.
Some platforms blend these approaches. Guesty Lite, for example, offers both a flat-fee plan and a bundle option at around $9/month plus 1% of reservations — the latter includes dynamic pricing tools that would cost extra elsewhere.
For growing portfolios moving into Guesty Pro or enterprise tiers, pricing becomes more tailored to the business — scaling with your operations rather than following a one-size-fits-all grid.
What actually drives the cost
The sticker price is only part of the equation. When comparing PMS options, look beyond the monthly fee:
- Channel management: Some platforms charge separately for connecting to Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. Others — including Guesty — bundle multi-channel distribution into the core subscription. If you’re listing on more than one platform, this distinction matters.
- Payment processing: Most software integrates with payment processors, but the margins vary. A half-percent difference on processing fees adds up fast at scale.
- Dynamic pricing: Revenue optimization tools can be built in, available as an add-on, or require a third-party subscription. The bundle plan mentioned above includes Guesty PriceOptimizer; other platforms might charge $10-20 per listing extra for equivalent functionality.
- Onboarding and migration: Legacy systems sometimes charge setup fees in the hundreds or thousands. Modern SaaS platforms typically waive these or keep them minimal, but it’s worth asking, especially if you’re switching from another provider and need data migration support.
The ROI calculation that actually matters
Software costs are easy to measure. The costs of not having software or having the wrong one for your operation are harder to see — until they hit.
One double-booking can wipe out a month’s subscription fee in refunds, relocation costs, and review damage. A missed message during peak booking season might cost you a $2,000 reservation. Three hours per week updating calendars manually is 150+ hours per year you’re not spending on growth.
The math usually works like this: if your PMS costs $100/month and saves you 10 hours of manual work (valued conservatively at $25/hour), you’re $150 ahead before counting prevented errors or captured revenue you’d otherwise miss.
For most hosts, the break-even point arrives fast. The question shifts from “can I afford this?” to “what’s it costing me to go without?”
How to evaluate what you’re actually paying for
When comparing short-term rental software pricing, run this checklist:
- What’s included in the base price? Channel syncing should be a standard — not an upsell.
- How does pricing scale? A platform that works at three listings should still make sense at a thousand. Look for models that reward growth rather than penalize it.
- What’s the true cost of the “cheap” option? Limited channels, missing automations, or unreliable syncing create hidden costs in time and risk. The lowest monthly fee rarely delivers the lowest total cost of ownership.
- Does the pricing model match your cash flow? Seasonal operators might prefer commission-based plans that flex with revenue. High-occupancy hosts often benefit from flat fees that cap their software costs.
FAQs
Some platforms offer free tiers, but they typically limit you to one or two listings, charge higher per-booking fees, or lack reliable channel syncing. For anything beyond a single casual listing, paid software usually pays for itself in prevented errors alone.
With all-in-one platforms like Guesty, channel management is included. Some competitors charge for this as an add-on or require third-party integrations — always confirm what’s bundled.
Depends on the pricing model. Flat-fee plans don’t. Commission-based plans (like Guesty Lite’s bundle option) take a small percentage in exchange for lower fixed costs.
The main costs are time (data migration, learning curve) rather than fees. Most modern platforms handle migration as part of onboarding. Ask about the process upfront — a provider confident in their product will make switching easy.
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