The Hostaway alternative. Hands-off distribution, free platform, and a service layer if you need it

How Hububb describes Hostaway

Their tagline (as we summarise it): Vacation rental PMS and channel manager

Their positioning: Enterprise PMS for professional vacation rental managers; deep integrations and extensive feature set.

Where Hostaway is strong (we acknowledge)

• Broad OTA integrations
• Mature automation and task rules
• API access and partner ecosystem

Where Hububb wins

• No built-in service provider marketplace. Hosts must source cleaning/maintenance separately
• Pricing is opaque; demo-required sales model slows evaluation
• Learning curve is steep for small hosts

Comparison table. Hububb vs Hostaway

Feature breakdown

Service providers included (the biggest gap in Hostaway)

Hostaway focuses on PMS and channel management. When a booking ends, sourcing cleaners, handymen, or linen services is on you. Hububb bundles a marketplace of vetted local pros directly into the dashboard. Jobs are scheduled, tracked, and paid in the same place you manage your listings.

• Browse and book vetted cleaners, handymen, locksmiths from Hububb’s network
• Or invite your existing team. Free, no per-seat fees
• Automatic job creation when a checkout is detected
• Photo proof, SLAs, and ratings built in

Go live on every OTA without managing every account

Hostaway connects to OTAs you’ve set up yourself. Meaning you maintain separate accounts on Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, Hotels.com, and every other channel. With Hububb, you only connect Airbnb and Booking.com directly. For Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, trip.com, and other channels, Hububb lists on your behalf. Managed by experts who know how each platform ranks, prices, and converts.

• Connect your own Airbnb and Booking.com accounts
• Hububb lists on Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, trip.com, and more on your behalf
• Channel-specific optimization handled by Hububb’s team
• One dashboard, one login, every OTA

One inbox. Even for channels other PMS tools can’t reach

Hostaway can only sync your guest messages for channels that expose a messaging API: Airbnb, Booking.com, sometimes Vrbo. Channels like Hotels.com, Agoda, and Trivago don’t have message APIs, so traditional PMS tools simply can’t unify them. Hububb does. Because we manage your listings on those channels, we capture messages directly and forward them into your unified inbox. You read and reply from one place. Even on the OTAs no one else can sync.

• Every guest message routed to one inbox
• Includes channels without messaging APIs (Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, trip.com)
• Reply from Hububb. Message goes back through the OTA’s channel
• No more logging into half a dozen partner portals

Designed for hosts who manage 1-50 properties

Hostaway is optimized for large property management companies with dedicated ops teams. If you’re a host with a handful of properties, Hububb gives you the same automation without the enterprise onboarding overhead.

Hububb is a channel. Not just a tool

Hostaway is software you bolt onto channels Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo bring you. Hububb is software AND its own demand layer. Hububb Stay routes bookings from corporate travel managers, insurance relocation firms, health-travel networks, and longer-stay booking partners directly to eligible Hububb-listed properties. Different demand profile, different stay lengths, different revenue. 5% per booking, no setup cost. Eligibility opens up once your listings hit 4.7+ on Airbnb with 10+ reviews. An upgrade path most hosts cross within their first season.

• Direct partnerships: corporate travel, health travel, insurance relocation, medium-stay platforms
• Typical stay 5-30 nights. Different economics from OTA weekend travelers
• 5% per booking, no monthly fee for the demand
• Eligibility: 4.7+ rating on Airbnb, 10+ reviews

Migration story

How to switch from Hostaway to Hububb

Migration takes about an hour for most hosts. Hububb imports your existing OTA listings directly. No re-listing needed.

• Connect your Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com accounts to Hububb
• Confirm your calendar and pricing sync from your OTA listings
• Cancel your Hostaway subscription (or run both in parallel for one cycle)
• Invite your existing cleaners (works anywhere), or browse Hububb’s provider marketplace

Frequently asked questions

Is Hububb cheaper than Hostaway?

Yes, for almost any portfolio. Hububb’s platform is free. You only pay a small fee per channel for OTAs like Expedia, Vrbo, or Agoda that Hububb lists on your behalf. Hostaway uses custom per-listing pricing requiring a sales call. For most hosts, total Hububb cost is a fraction of Hostaway’s monthly bill.

Does Hububb replace Hostaway’s channel manager?

Yes. And it goes further. Hububb syncs calendars, rates, and bookings across Airbnb and Booking.com (connected directly), and also lists your property on Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, trip.com, and other channels on your behalf. You don’t need to create or manage accounts on those platforms yourself.

What can Hububb do that Hostaway can’t?

Hububb has a built-in marketplace of vetted local service providers (cleaners, handymen, linen services). You can also invite your own existing providers for free. Hostaway has no native service provider layer.

Can I migrate my listings without re-listing on Airbnb?

Yes. Hububb connects directly to your existing OTA accounts. Your listings, reviews, and booking history stay where they are.

Does Hububb bring me bookings, or just manage them?

Both. Hububb manages your listings across Airbnb, Booking.com, and the channels Hububb lists on your behalf (Vrbo, Agoda, Expedia, Hotels.com, Trivago, trip.com). And Hububb operates its own demand pool. Hububb Stay. That routes corporate, health, insurance, and longer-stay bookings to eligible properties. Listings with a 4.7+ Airbnb rating and 10+ reviews qualify, at 5% per booking. Hostaway doesn’t bring demand. It manages distribution to OTAs you already have or list on yourself.