Choose a replacement by the kind of property you run. Hotels with a front desk and housekeeping need a full property management system. Hosts with rentals across booking sites need strong channel and calendar sync. If you want a gentle start, a simpler booking tool may be enough for now.
There are two jobs hiding in this search. One is running a hotel's front desk, rooms and housekeeping. The other is keeping rentals booked across several sites without clashes. RoomRaccoon describes itself as all-in-one hotel management software, and the seven alternatives below cover both jobs in different measures, listed in no particular order.
RoomRaccoon swaps compared
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Beds24 | Rental and hotel channel management | Rentals and hotels listed on several channels |
| Cloudbeds | Hospitality management system | Hotels wanting one combined system |
| eviivo | Hotel and rental PMS | Mixed portfolios of rooms and rentals |
| Hotelogix | Cloud hotel PMS | Front desk, housekeeping and point of sale |
| Sirvoy | Hospitality booking tools | Owners wanting a short route into software |
| StayNTouch | Hotel PMS | Full-featured hotel operations |
| WebRezPro | Cloud PMS for independent lodging | Inns and independent lodging |
Calendar sync is where switches go wrong
The feature lists here look alike. Almost every tool mentions bookings, channels and guests. The difference shows up when two bookings arrive for the same room from two different sites within minutes of each other. That's the moment that loses you a guest, a review and sometimes a refund.
It's not only about speed. Rates, minimum stays and closed dates also need to reach every site correctly, and a mismatch there can be just as awkward as a clash. If you're moving from a system you know well, list the rules you've set up over time and check each one exists in the new tool.
So the thing to test in any replacement is how calendars, channels and guest messages stay in sync without double bookings. Ask each vendor how fast changes reach every channel, what happens if a channel connection drops, and whether guest messages from different sites land in one inbox.
Hotel desks, rental channels and simple starts
Front desk systems for hotels and inns
Hotelogix, StayNTouch and WebRezPro are property management systems first, built around running the building: rooms, front desk and, in some cases, housekeeping and point of sale. Cloudbeds combines the property side with wider hospitality tools in one system.
Tools that cover rentals as well as rooms
Beds24 and eviivo both say they handle vacation rentals alongside hotels, which makes them worth a look if you run a mix of rooms and self-catering units. The first of the two puts channel management and calendars at the centre of its pitch.
A gentler start
Sirvoy keeps its homepage pitch short and simple. It may suit smaller owners who want to get going without a long setup project, but ask for a demo built around your own rooms, because the homepage says little about how it works.
Whichever group you lean towards, ask how housekeeping and cleaning fit in. A booking system that doesn't tell the cleaning team when a room or unit turns over will leave someone checking by hand, and that's often where small properties lose the most time.
Hotel and rental tools from B to W
Alphabetical and in no particular order. Every description reflects what the vendor says about its own product.
Beds24
Best for: Hosts, hotels and property managers wanting bookings, channels, calendars, payments and guest messages in one system, per the vendor; a free trial is named.
Cloudbeds
Best for: Properties after a combined hospitality management system, which the vendor pitches at ambitious hotels.
eviivo
Best for: Operators running both hotel rooms and vacation rentals; the vendor describes an all-in-one PMS for both, with AI features in its newer pitch.
Hotelogix
Best for: Hotel teams who want front desk, housekeeping, point of sale, a channel manager and direct bookings in one cloud PMS, according to the vendor.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Sirvoy
Best for: Owners who want a simple start with hospitality software; the vendor's homepage says little beyond that and names a free trial, so ask for a demo.
StayNTouch
Best for: Hotels needing a full-featured property management system for day-to-day operations, which is the vendor's own description.
WebRezPro
Best for: Inns and other independent lodging that want a cloud PMS to simplify operations, per the vendor.
Advice for small hotels and hosts
Don't switch in your busiest season. Moving bookings, rates and channel connections while guests are arriving every day is asking for mistakes. Pick a quieter stretch, run the old and new systems side by side for a short time, and only cut over once a few test bookings have flowed through cleanly.
If you're a rental host comparing booking sites as well as software, my list of Airbnb alternatives sits well alongside this one, and my on-page SEO tips for vacation rental websites help bring in more direct bookings once the new system is live.
Run a double-booking test
- Connect a test room or unit to two of your real booking channels in the new system.
- Make a booking on the first channel and time how long the second channel takes to close those dates.
- Cancel the booking and check the dates reopen everywhere.
- Send a guest message from each channel and confirm both arrive in the same inbox.
- Change the room's availability by hand and check every channel picks it up.
- Only move your live calendar once every step works without a manual fix.
Do you make hotel and rental software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a PMS and a channel manager?
A property management system runs the property: rooms, guests, front desk and reports. A channel manager keeps availability and bookings in sync across booking sites. Many tools now offer both.
Can rental hosts use hotel software?
Some tools cover both hotels and vacation rentals. If you run self-catering units, check the tool handles whole-property bookings and cleaning between stays.
How do I avoid double bookings when I switch?
Run a short overlap where both systems are live, test bookings on every channel, and only switch fully once each test syncs cleanly.
Will I lose my guest history?
Not if you plan for it. Export guest records and future bookings before switching, and ask each vendor what they can import.
Are there rules on short-term rentals I should check?
Yes, rules on registration, tax and guest records vary by country and city. Check with your local authority or regulator before you take bookings.
