Best PMS Systems for STR Revenue Management

Choosing Your PMS Is a Long-Term Decision

Switching PMS systems is a major, major lift. It is very complicated. So when you choose your PMS, choose wisely, because you do not want to switch later on. In this episode, I am going to tell you which PMS systems are best when it comes to revenue management.

Welcome back to Get Paid for Your Pad. It is Monday. This is an episode of Rev Up, where we talk about revenue management and give tips and tricks on how you can maximize revenue in your business. Today we are covering PMS systems, because a PMS is a very important piece of software in any short-term rental business.

Why PMS Choice Affects Revenue Management

We are currently working with about 75 companies worldwide. Pretty much every PMS system that is out there, we have some experience with through our clients. When you manage revenue for somebody, you always have to go into the PMS to set up integrations, set up discounts and promotions, check bookings, and look at the calendar.

We have become pretty familiar with most PMS systems. And we have worked with a number of systems that have caused major challenges. Some have poor OTA connections, others do not support certain discounts, some make it very difficult to set up new units. We have run into pretty much any challenge you can think of.

No PMS is perfect. That is something to accept upfront. It is about choosing the PMS that will cause the least amount of headaches. The goal is to choose one system and work with it. Accept its limitations rather than switching repeatedly, because switching is always a heavy lift and always causes complications.

The Five PMS Systems Freewyld Recommends

1. Guesty

Guesty is, in my opinion, the market leader. They have the most functionality, the user interface is great, and they have had significant investment so they will be around for a long time. They are actively improving the system on an ongoing basis. It is one of the more expensive options, although there is often room for negotiation and they run promotions. It would be my first choice.

2. Hostfully

Hostfully has been around for a long time and has a great team. It is the system we use internally at Freewyld Foundry. It does have its limitations like any other PMS, and their website can be a little slow at times. They have actually leaned into that with their sloth mascot, which I think is funny. But overall it works well and is reasonably priced.

3. HostAway

HostAway had a massive investment a while back. It is one of the more robust choices available and the functionality you get for the cost is solid. A lot of our clients use it and we do not run into any significant challenges with it.

4. OwnerRez

OwnerRez is one of the more affordable options on this list. If you are looking for a budget solution, it is worth checking out. The one limitation we have run into is with Airbnb discounts. We prefer to apply length-of-stay discounts and early bird discounts directly on the Airbnb calendar using rule sets, and sometimes OwnerRez overrides those. There is a workaround by setting them up inside OwnerRez, but it adds a step. Not a major issue, but worth knowing.

5. Hospitable

Hospitable, formerly known as Smart B&B, is a system we work with quite a lot for our clients. They have solid automations and AI functionality. As of now we do not have any major challenges with it and it is definitely a PMS we recommend.

What to Look for When Choosing a PMS

From a revenue management perspective, here are the most important criteria.

OTA Connections

You need a fully integrated connection to the main OTAs: Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com. Do not use iCal connections. You want a proper two-way API integration. VRBO and Booking.com integrations can vary between systems, so research this carefully.

PriceLabs Integration

We have had issues with certain PMS systems where connecting to PriceLabs takes two weeks of back and forth with support. With the five systems above, the PriceLabs integration is seamless. Beyond just connecting, you also want to check what functionality is available through the integration: can you push minimum night settings, weekly discounts, and monthly discounts directly from PriceLabs to the PMS? This varies by system. The PriceLabs website shows a compatibility matrix you can check.

Discounts and Promotions

OTA-native discounts are becoming increasingly important for both conversion and visibility. Airbnb has length-of-stay, early bird, and custom promotions. VRBO recently introduced four discount types: last minute, early booker, members-only, and mobile-only. Booking.com has a wide range of stackable discounts. If your PMS does not support applying these discounts directly through the OTA, you are leaving visibility and conversion on the table. This is a real limitation with some systems.

Simplicity at Scale

Keep your tech stack as simple as possible. Things that are a minor inconvenience at five units become real problems at fifty. Every extra step you can eliminate makes scaling easier.

Multi-Unit Support

If you have hotel-type properties or multiple identical units, check that your PMS supports multi-unit listings. This lets you build a single listing with a strong review score across all units, which is a significant advantage.

AI in PMS Systems

AI is being integrated into most major PMS platforms, and that is generally a positive trend. For reporting specifically, AI is making the built-in reporting features less important because you can now export your data and use tools like Claude to generate any custom report you need. Focus your PMS evaluation on the operational and revenue management fundamentals rather than the reporting dashboard.

One to Watch: Boom

One newer system I am keeping an eye on is Boom. I have spoken with the team at VRMA and have heard strong things. We do not have any clients on it yet so I cannot speak from direct experience, but they seem very AI-forward and I would not be surprised if they become one of the main players in the near future.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a PMS is a major long-term decision. Schedule demos with all five of the systems I mentioned: Guesty, HostAway, Hostfully, OwnerRez, and Hospitable. Go in knowing that no system is perfect and pick the one that fits your business best. The time you spend choosing well now will save you a much larger amount of time and money later.

If you have questions about a specific PMS you are using and whether it has revenue management limitations, feel free to reach out at jasper@freewyldfoundry.com. We have clients on nearly every system out there and can likely give you a straight answer.