The property management system (PMS) is the core of a short-term rental business: it receives bookings from the platforms, runs cleaning, messages and often invoicing. But a tool that is perfect for 5 listings quickly becomes too expensive or too limited at 80. Here is how to read the market by size.

1 to 20 listings: simple, no commitment

At this stage you want a reliable channel manager, a unified inbox and clear pricing.

• Smoobu starts at €29 per month for one listing and stops at 20 listings (quote beyond). No commitment option, mobile app included.
• Superhote, a French vendor, includes 3 listings for €67 excl. VAT per month, then charges per listing. 30-day trial.
• Guesty Lite charges $9 per listing per month: the price follows your portfolio closely.

20 to 80 listings: automation pays off

This is where every manual task becomes expensive. Look at message automation, built-in cleaning management, an owner portal and an API.

• Avantio starts at 20 listings: €14 per listing per month, with a €295 minimum.
• Hostify starts at 5 listings, between $10 and $20 per listing depending on the tier.
• Hostaway and Guesty (Pro plan) are quote-based, with an open API and mobile app.

Beyond 80 listings: distribution and data

Large portfolios need many channels, a solid API and owner reporting.

• Rentals United is first a channel manager: $330 per month for 10 to 50 listings, 90+ channels.
• Apaleo, designed for 50 units and more, charges €8 per unit with a €400 minimum and an annual commitment.

How to decide

1. Compute the real cost for your number of listings, not the headline price: the Software family calculator does it for you.
2. Check that your current tools connect to it (locks, cleaning, pricing) with the integration map.
3. Compare three finalists side by side, for example Guesty vs Hostaway.

Not sure where to start? My constellation suggests software for your portfolio in four questions.