Last Updated on June 16, 2023 by Rental Recon
As short-term rental properties and the property management industry become more popular, more companies are creating property management software programs for hosts. The market is flooded with programs designed to streamline the property management process and every program claims that it has the best tools and features.
How do these property management software programs really stack up? Today we are looking at two popular programs: Hostaway Property Management Software and iGMS Vacation Rental Software.
Hostaway vs. iGMS: Which Program is Best for Managing a Short-Term Rental Business?
After using both property management software programs to manage my Airbnb business, I determined that Hostaway is the overall best choice for a property management software program. Hostaway is easy to use and provides rental managers with an array of tools to organize and grow their business.
What Does Hostaway Do?
Hostaway is a comprehensive all-in-one short-term rental software program that is perfect for Airbnb and VRBO hosts. This program features a wide variety of tools that help hosts stay organized and run their short-term rental business. Features like a unified inbox, multi-calendar, and endless software integrations allows hosts to manage all their rentals in one convenient location.
Overview of iGMS
iGMS Vacation Rental Software is a property management software program tailored to hosts who manage vacation rentals. iGMS aims to improve property manager’s efficiency and increase profits. The various tools that iGMS offers like automated messaging, payment processing, and financial reports allows hosts to reduce their manual workload and keep their short-term rental business organized and running smoothly.
Key Features of Hostaway
Hostaway boasts a lot of great features that made it easy for me to manage my Airbnb rental business. Some of my favorite features include:Reservations Manager- Allows you to keep track of all your bookings including reservation requests and guest communications.
- Reservations Manager- Allows you to keep track of all your bookings including reservation requests and guest communications.
- Guest Portal- Guests can use their own portal to check in, update their contact information, look up their reservation details, and even buy additional services.
- Booking Website- Hostaway features a booking website that is quick and easy to set up. This helps hosts grow their business.
- Task Management- Managing rentals takes a team and the task management tool allows you to keep that team on track and organized. You can create tasks based on reservations, set up automated tasks to change when a reservation changes, and even assign the tasks to your cleaning and maintenance teams.
These are just a few of the helpful tools and features that short-term property managers will benefit from when they use Hostaway.
iGMS Key Features
iGMS offers users a variety of tools and features to increase the productivity and effectiveness of a short-term rental business. Some notable features include:
- Unified inbox
- Multiple account management
- Automated messaging
- Multi-calendar
- Team management
- Dynamic pricing
- Website builder
One feature I found really useful was Key Exchange Management. As an Airbnb host who manages properties from a distance, this tool allows me to track the status of my rental keys and automate key management.
What is Each Program Best Used For?
Hostaway is the best all-around property management software program for property managers with a short-term rental business. This program goes above and beyond basic property management and has tools that help with accounting and finances. If you run your own business, you will want to use Hostaway.
iGMS is a great program for the beginner property manager or someone who is just launching their business. This is an easy to learn program that is very affordable. If your property isn’t turning a big profit yet and you don’t want to spend a lot on management software, this program is a great starting out option.
Pros & Cons of Using Hostaway
Pros of Hostaway
- User friendly and intuitive
- Seamless integrations
- Frequent updates and improvements
- Great customer service
Cons of Hostaway
- The app lacks some features
- Setup process and learning to use the program can be challenging
iGMS Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros of iGMS
- Easy to use and setup
- Consistent improvements to the software
- Coordinate between the multi-calendar and cleaning tasks
- Great customer service
Cons of iGMS
- Cannot link your own website
- App can have issues
What Platforms Do Hostaway and iGMS Support?
Hostaway supports the following platforms:
- Airbnb (preferred partner)
- VRBO (connectivity partner)
- Booking.com (premier partner)
- HomeAway
- Expedia
- TripAdvisor
- Homes & Villas by Marriott
iGMS also integrates with numerous third-party apps including:
- Airbnb
- Booking.com
- VRBO
- VacationRentals
- EveryDoor
- Homelidays
Who Uses Hostaway?
Most Hostaway customers are property managers who run an Airbnb, VRBO, or other short-term property rental business. Hostaway’s accounting and bookkeeping tools make it a great option for small business owners who not only manage properties, but also need to keep their company up and running.
Typical Customers for iGMS
iGMS is best suited for hosts who manage one or two short-term rental properties. The available tools and pricing plans make this program great for a new host starting their own property rental business. As hosts grow their business or acquire more properties, they may want to switch to a program that better accommodates a bigger business.
Customer Support
Customer Support for Hostaway
Hostaway has a dedicated customer support team. If you are in the United States and need to contact Hostaway for customer service, you can reach them at 415-825-3034. You can also email Hostaway at one of their two email addresses: support@hostaway.com or sales@hostaway.com.
iGMS Support Team
iGMS has excellent customer service. You can contact them through direct message on their website or email them at support@igms.com. You can also connect with iGMS on one of these popular social media platforms:
- YouTube
How Do I Learn How to Use Property Management Software?
Hostaway Set Up and Training
Before committing to Hostaway, you can request a demo with a product expert. This will allow you to see how Hostaway works and how it can help you manage your property rental business. You product expert will show you the ins and outs of the program so when you sign up, you are ready to go.
Ongoing support is always available and Hostaway offers these useful and educational resources:
- Hostaway Blog
- Case studies and success stories from other users
- Vacation Rental Guide
- Help Center
- Webinars
iGMS Training
For new users, iGMS has several helpful resources to learn how to get the most out of this property management software program. Some resources include:
- Marketplace
- Weekly webinars
- Blogs and audio articles
- Help desk
- Guides
- Vacation rental news
iGMS even has a vacation rental marketing quiz so you can test your property management knowledge and find out which areas of your business to research and improve.
Pricing: How Much Does Property Management Software Cost?
Hostaway Pricing Plans
Hostaway offers customized pricing so you can choose the plan that fits your business needs and budget. Plans start at $100 a month but are easily customized so you can add additional features.
Check out Hostaway Property Management Software to contact Hostaway and request a price quote that fits your business.
iGMS Pricing
iGMS has flexible and affordable plan options for property managers. They have four membership tiers including Lite, Flex, Pro, and Enterprise. The flex plan is a great option for new property managers because it only charges you $1 per booked night. As you grow your business and have more booked nights, you can upgrade your plan to one of the other options.
Partner Integrations for Hostaway and iGMS
Each of these apps easily integrates with dozens of partners to provide you with extra tools to run your rental business.
Hostaway Integrations
Hostaway integrates with over 100 partner apps. Some integrated partners include:
- Properly
- Wishbox
- BeyondPricing
- Stripe
- Operto
- Wheelhouse
Hostaway also works with Zapier, which provides you with access to over 3,000 additional apps that may not have a direct integration with Hostaway.
iGMS Integrations
Using the iGMS Marketplace, users can search through a library of available integrations. Using these app integrations allows you to make the most of your property management software. Some beneficial apps that you can integrate with iGMS include:
- Owner Direct
- Stayz
- Abritel
- Stripe
- Wheelhouse
- Operto Teams
These apps cover everything from cleaning services, to payments, and even additional rental marketplaces.
Alternative Property Management Software Options
Hostaway and iGMS are great property management software options, but there are plenty of other programs on the market. Similar programs include:
- Buildium
- Yardi Breeze
- TurboTenant
- Propertyware
- RentRedi
- Rentec Direct
Each of these programs provides users with different features, pricing plans, and pros and cons. It may take a few trials to figure out which management software works for you.
Hostaway Company Details
Hostaway was launched in Finland in 2015 by founder and CEO Marcus Rader. Hostaway has headquarters all over the world with locations in:
- Helsinki, Finland
- Toronto, Canada
- Los Angeles, USA
- Barcelona, Spain
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Perth, Australia
Hostaway prides itself on being solutions-oriented and providing excellent customer service.
iGMS Company Details
The iGMS team has fifteen years of experience in IT and software development. They pride their company on the ability to integrate seamlessly with major vacation rental platforms to provide hosts with the best management tools and experience. iGMS is constantly releasing new updates and working to improve their platform.
Final Thoughts on Hostaway
Hostaway Property Management Software is my top choice for a property management software program because it has every tool, I need to run my business in one convenient location. This program is affordable, easy to use, and provides great customer service.
After using Hostaway for a couple of months, I have been able to better manage my rentals, stay more organized, and keep track of finances. All of these advantages will result in more income and growth for my rental business.
For more information about Hostaway, check out Rental Recon’s Epic Hostaway Review to learn more about how this program can help you manage your rentals and grow your business.
Overall Review of iGMS
iGMS is a great program for the new short-term rental property manager. If you have just acquired your first Airbnb and are getting your feet wet running a business for the first time, iGMS will provide you with all the basic tools you need to manage your rental at an affordable price.
I love that this company strives to constantly improve their program with frequent updates and new feature additions like recently adding a website builder and updating their user dashboard. iGMS offers a free trial so you can try the program out risk free to see if its right for you and your business.
