Lodgify vs Hostaway: Which STR Property Management System Is Right for You?

Lodgify and Hostaway are both property management systems designed for vacation rental operators who self-manage — but their core philosophies differ. Lodgify prioritizes direct bookings and your own branded website. Hostaway prioritizes channel management and operational automation across Airbnb, VRBO, and other OTAs. The right choice depends on how you want to generate bookings and run your operation. For hosts considering professional management instead, see Awning's full-service vacation rental management.

Lodgify: Direct Booking Website + PMS

Lodgify's defining feature is their website builder — they make it easy to create a professional direct booking website for your vacation rental, reducing dependency on Airbnb and VRBO. They also offer channel management, booking management, and basic operations tools, but the website and direct booking engine is their competitive differentiator.

Lodgify's Strengths:

•        Best-in-class direct booking website builder for vacation rentals

•        Payment processing and booking engine built in

•        Good channel synchronization with Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com

•        Reasonable pricing — starts at ~$13/month for 1 property

•        Good for hosts who want to build a brand and reduce OTA dependency

Lodgify's Limitations:

•        Weaker operations automation than Hostaway

•        Less robust channel management for operators distributing across 10+ channels

•        Financial reporting and owner portals less developed than Hostaway

Hostaway: Channel Management and Operations at Scale

Hostaway is a full PMS focused on helping property managers distribute across as many channels as possible and automate the operations that follow. Their strength is in the breadth of channel connections, the depth of automation, and the operational workflow tools they provide for growing property management businesses.

Hostaway's Strengths:

•        40+ channel connections with active synchronization

•        Strong automation: guest messaging, task management, cleaner coordination

•        Owner portal and financial reporting for professional property managers

•        Wide integration ecosystem — PriceLabs, Wheelhouse, Stripe, and more

•        Better suited for 5+ property operations

Hostaway's Limitations:

•        No direct booking website builder (requires third-party or custom site)

•        Higher price point than Lodgify for small portfolios

•        More complex to set up and configure

When to Choose Each

Both platforms work best when combined with a dynamic pricing tool. Use Awning's Airbnb market data to understand demand patterns in your market, and the income estimator to project what professional management would deliver compared to self-management.

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📎  Related Resources

→ Airbnb Market Data — Know Your Market

→ Airbnb Income Estimator

→ Awning Airbnb Marketing Service

→ Awning Full-Service Management

→ RedAwning Portfolio Management

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Compare self-management to full-service →