Do you really need another PMS?

[Dima162]

Hi everyone! I’m helping my brother manage a couple of listings on Airbnb, and recently, we started thinking about adding Vrbo as well. I’m a technical person (software developer in a startup) and obsessed with automating as much as possible. Over the past weeks, I’ve been diving deep into researching different PMSs (Guesty, Hostfully, Lodgify, Hostex... you name it) and reading your comments here. And I noticed something interesting.

It feels like all the big problems are already solved: calendar syncing, dynamic pricing, messaging automation—there’s no shortage of options. But here’s the kicker: most of these solutions are either outrageously expensive or completely overbuilt for someone like me.

Do I really need to pay $30–50/month per property? I dont need fancy integrations, we dont use smart locks, we dont need syncing with cleaning software. That got me thinking: what if there was something super simple, affordable, and focused just on the basics? A unified calendar, guest communication, and maybe a touch of AI to smooth things out—all for the cost of two coffees per month.

Yup, YET ANOTHER PMS, but designed specifically for small needs like mine.

I couldn’t find anything that truly fits this vision, so I started wondering if others feel the same way and maybe there is an opportunity for my entrepreneurial nature to shine :). But, before diving into development, I’d love to do some quick “market research” and hear from you.

- Do you have any frustrations with your current PMS tools that a new PMS might solve?

- Is it the cost, unnecessary features, user interface or customer support?

- Or are there other pain points that PMS tools don’t address at all?

I’m just brainstorming here, but if this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts and frustrations.

[Helen3]

We get asked this question on this and other host communities multiple times @Dima162 by would be developers . 

I'd suggest you use your tech skills to find them .

[Dima162]

I've seen them but they mostly focused on selling something to the host. 
Here, i am trying to understand if there is a problem to solve at all.

Thanks for answer by the way.

[Helen3]

Yes that's exactly what the other developers are saying in their posts .

we are not here as a free resource to help with your market research 

this is a community for hosts and guests to ask Airbnb related questions relating to our listings or guest stays @Dima162 

[Dima162]

Thanks Helen. I understand.

[Bob297]

@Dima162 

I use Smoobu as my Property Management System (PMS). The cost is approximately €29 per month for one listing or €47 for up to three listings. They also offer discounts if you pay for one or two years in advance.

I started using Smoobu because I discovered that regular calendar syncing between platforms doesn’t always work reliably. The portals often blame each other when issues arise, resulting in double bookings. It was also time-consuming to constantly check if the sync was functioning properly.

I currently manage my listings on Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, and Micazu. With Smoobu, syncing has been flawless for the past three years. The system also automatically updates prices on Airbnb and Booking.com. While VRBO's integration was still in beta, they aim to have it fully operational by the second half of 2025 (though perhaps on "Musk time"?).