HostDesk, the simple and free Smoobu alternative for small hosts.
Smoobu is a complete channel manager, popular across Europe — real-time rate sync on Airbnb, Booking, Abritel, Expedia. But the real features are paid. If you have one to four properties and mostly want to sync your calendars and track your net revenue, HostDesk does the essentials, free for one property.
Free forever · no credit card · set up in 20 minutes
Comparison
HostDesk vs Smoobu: each to their strengths.
An honest comparison. Smoobu does things HostDesk doesn’t — and vice versa.
| Criterion | HostDesk | Smoobu |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free for 1 property | From ~€27/month + ~0.9% fees (observed, to verify) |
| Free for 1 property | Yes, forever | Very limited free plan (subdomain, observed) |
| Booking fees | None | ~0.9% depending on plan (observed, to verify) |
| Calendar synchronization | Yes, via iCal | Yes, channel manager |
| Real-time multi-OTA channel manager | No (iCal sync) | Yes |
| Real net revenue calculation | Yes | Partial / depends on plan |
| Automatic tourist tax | Yes | Depends on setup |
| Cleaning estimate + shareable link | Yes | No |
| Built for | 1 to 4 properties, independent host | Hosts & managers, multi-OTA |
Smoobu figures and features observed publicly, to be verified on their official pricing. Comparison provided in good faith, with no affiliation.
What Smoobu does more
Smoobu is more complete on multi-OTA — let’s be fair.
Smoobu is a genuine real-time channel manager: it pushes your rates and availability live to Airbnb, Booking, Abritel and Expedia, preventing double bookings without relying on iCal. If your priority is real-time multi-OTA, Smoobu does things HostDesk doesn't.
It's a tool built for hosts and managers active on several platforms, and that's reflected in its price: there is a free plan, but it's very limited (subdomain, minimal features), and the real features are paid, plus a small percentage fee on bookings.
What HostDesk does better for a small host
Simpler, more affordable, focused on your profitability.
For an individual host with one to four properties, HostDesk gets to the essentials: it syncs your calendars via iCal to prevent double bookings, calculates your real net revenue (after platform commissions), handles tourist tax automatically and estimates your cleaning costs with a shareable link for your cleaner.
And above all it's free forever for one property, with no booking fees, then stays under €10/month up to four properties. The trade-off is clear: sync is via iCal, not a real-time channel manager, and there is no multi-OTA rate push.
- Free forever for 1 property, no credit card.
- Real net revenue, tourist tax and cleaning included.
- iCal calendar sync (no real-time rate push).
Frequently asked questions
HostDesk as a Smoobu alternative.
Is HostDesk really a Smoobu alternative?
For a small host, yes: if your main need is to sync your calendars, track your net revenue and manage cleaning, HostDesk covers the essentials, free for one property. However, HostDesk does not replace Smoobu's real-time multi-OTA channel manager.
Is HostDesk cheaper than Smoobu?
Yes for a small host: HostDesk is free for one property and stays under €10/month for four, with no booking fees. Smoobu has a very limited free plan, and its real features start around €27/month plus a small percentage fee (observed on their site, to be verified).
What does Smoobu do that HostDesk doesn’t?
Smoobu offers a real-time channel manager that syncs rates and availability live across many platforms (Airbnb, Booking, Abritel, Expedia). HostDesk does not do that: it syncs calendars via iCal, with no real-time rate push.
What about calendar synchronization, then?
HostDesk syncs your Airbnb, Booking, VRBO and Abritel calendars via iCal to prevent double bookings. It's simpler than a real-time channel manager and enough for most small hosts, but it does not update your rates in real time.
Can I try HostDesk for free?
Yes. The free plan covers one property, forever, with no credit card. You can use it with no time limit as long as you manage a single property, then move to a paid plan if you add more.
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