HolidayFox vs Hostaway
- HolidayFox
- A Book now button on your website, a chat that answers any time of day, and one calendar so you're never double-booked. Listed on holidayfox.com and in Google's hotel search. We set it up for you.
- Hostaway
- Short-term rental PMS + channel manager for property managers
- Hostaway pricing
- Quote-only. hostaway.com/pricing (checked 2026-09-13) is step 1 of 3: how many listings, then “Get a free quote”. No published £/$ starting price. Third-party and help-article invoice examples are not their plan prices.(checked 2026-09-13)
- HolidayFox pricing
- free for the Book now button, or from £12.99/month for a website we build for you + 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox
If you search “property manager channel manager” or “Hostaway vs OwnerRez”, Hostaway is on the page. They sell to hosts and managers who run many Airbnb / Vrbo / Booking.com listings from one screen.
I run HolidayFox, so this is not a neutral page. Both take bookings. The useful question: do you need a channel manager built for property managers (and will take a quote), or a booking system that answers at 9pm on your own website?
What Hostaway is, and what they do well
Online calendar + channel manager + inbox + owner reporting, aimed at portfolios rather than a single B&B. Billing is per listing; they say you are charged for listings in the account even if a channel is not connected.
Things they genuinely do well:
- It is a real short-let operations system. Calendar, channels, inbox, owners — built for many listings.
- No public starting price on 13 September 2026. hostaway.com/pricing is a three-step wizard. Step 1: 2–14, 15–49 or 50+ listings (one listing is a separate “more info” link). Step 2: “Get a free quote” — email, name, then Next. We will not invent a per-listing dollar figure from a help-centre invoice example.
- That extra — a channel manager for property managers, on a quote — is why a 20-listing operator talks to them.
- Dynamic pricing and other add-ons are sold on top. Ask them what the invoice is.
If your priority is “a short-let system for property managers, and I will take a quote,” Hostaway is a credible answer. We cannot say whether our commission is cheaper than their software cost because they did not publish a number.
What HolidayFox is, and where we are different
HolidayFox is a direct booking system for independent stays. A Book now button on your website, a chat that answers guests any time of day, and one calendar for every booking. We set it up for you.
Guests pay by card on your website through the Book now button. Paying inside the chat is still rolling out. Bookings from Pitchup, Airbnb and Booking.com land in the same calendar, so you're never double-booked. You don't need Hostaway to run it.
Side by side
| Capability | Hostaway | HolidayFox |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Short-let channel manager for property managers | A direct booking system for independent stays |
| Booking calendar | Yes — inside a system for many listings | Yes — one calendar, never double-booked |
| Website | Direct booking inside their product | A Book now button on your website, or a website we build |
| Chat that knows which dates are free | Inbox / automations, not a booking chat | Yes — on your website, any time of day |
| Your prices in Google's hotel search | Not the headline public product | Yes, on every plan |
| Pricing | Quote by listing count | free for the Book now button, or from £12.99/month for a website we build for you + 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox |
Hostaway: no public plan card on hostaway.com/pricing, checked 2026-09-13. HolidayFox figures from holidayfox.com/en/partners, reviewed 2026-09-13.
Talk to us
15 minutes with Hannah. She will show you how it works. If you already use Hostaway, you can keep it.
Questions owners ask
Is HolidayFox a Hostaway alternative?
Yes, for taking bookings. Hostaway's extra is a short-let channel manager for property managers, sold on a quote.
How much does Hostaway cost?
They do not publish a starting price. hostaway.com/pricing (checked 2026-09-13) asks how many listings you manage, then collects a quote form. HolidayFox: free for the Book now button, or from £12.99/month for a website we build for you plus 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox. Card fees are separate: Stripe, the card-payment company, takes its standard fee (1.5% + 20p for UK cards).
Can I keep Hostaway and use HolidayFox?
Yes. Link the two calendars so you're never double-booked. You don't have to keep it.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-13