Comparison of the best channel managers : Rating, price and alternative
Welcome to Channel-manager-experts.us Whether you’re a seasonal rental business, a hotel or a concierge service, a channel manager is the essential tool for a successful online presence.
We’ve sifted through nearly a dozen tools available on the French market. Here you’ll find our channel manager comparison.
Don’t hesitate to read our full reviews of our top 3 channel manager and other alternatives that might interest you…
Following our selection, you’ll find a channel manager buying guide to help you make the right choice.
Comparative table of our top 3 :
Hostaway
Le channel manager le plus complet/Biens/Mois
- Dynamic pricing included
- Channel manager 200 OTAS
- Software to manage 300 assets
- Reservation engine website
Lodgify
Meilleur rapport Qualité/Prix/Biens/Mois
- Complete website design
- 3 mobile applications
- Channel manager Premium
- Free installation
Superhote
Meilleur channel manager 100% français/Biens/Mois
- Mobile financial reporting
- Sound monitoring
- 30-day free trial
- Easy to handle
Rates are indicative and exclusive of VAT. They are degressive depending on the number of units you manage.
For example, the Lodgify subscription is 15 euros/ property with 10 properties. Visit the channel manager pages to determine the price of your software.
The cheapest Beds24:
We can’t do a review of channel managers without mentioning Beds24, one of the market leaders for almost 20 years. Solid and reliable, it’s one of the market’s best-sellers. Without revealing the content of our review, we can say that Beds24 is as complicated as it is complete ! A feature to take into account when making your choice.
Smoobu the channel manager for occasional renters
Smoobu is capable of synchronizing over 100 vacation rental sites. It also offers an integrated website and a sales statistics table. Fair value for money, but with limitations when looked at in greater depth. To find out more, read our full Smoobu review.
Channel manager Hotel Amenitiz :
The Amenitiz all-in-one solution is designed for hotels. It is not designed for seasonal rentals.
Eviivo channel manager:
Eviivo is one of the all-in-one solutions on the market. Originally created in the UK for hoteliers, this software has developed and expanded its offering to meet the needs of seasonal renters.
To find out more, read our review of the Eviivo platform.
The Elloha solution:
Elloha is a French channel manager designed for small independent hotels, seasonal gîtes and guest houses.
In addition to its channel manager, you can generate a site with its booking engine.
Read the full Elloha review in the dedicated article.
Misterbooking designed for hotels :
Misterbooking is a channel manager for hotels. The software is a PMS, channel manager and booking engine in one. Read our review of the Misterbooking solution.
Guide to buying a channel manager :
How does the channel manager work?
Automatic price and availability updates
As mentioned above, this is an essential criterion for choosing your software.
Indeed, one of your online platforms may not be integrated into the tool. It must therefore be possible to link all your distribution channels.
Centralized messaging :
As the name suggests, centralized messaging can be integrated into your channel manager. A single, central point for responding to your travellers’ messages.
Please note that this feature is mostly available for the 2 main OTAs, Booking and Airbnb.
This means you can communicate with your customers without having to connect to either of these platforms.
In addition, an interesting feature will be the automatic sending of messages.
In fact, you can schedule different mailings to enhance the customer experience. They’ll feel less alone if you can’t welcome them. Here, for example, is a framework that can be set up by sending messages:
- A welcome message when booking;
- Another on the day of arrival with, for example, the key box codes;
- One, on the evening of his arrival, to find out if everything is going well…
- Well, one, on the eve of his departure etc…
Activity report and dashboard :
Of course, to keep track of your business, you need figures. Most channel managers offer this feature.
However, depending on your appetite and your taste for analyzing figures, you’ll need to guide your choice:
- or for a complete and detailed table for a good analysis of your business
- or a simpler one with the essential data.
In fact, you can find data such as :
- SALES ;
- occupancy rate
- REVPAR ;
- the number of check-ins
- number of nights
- number of passengers
- the amount of commissions paid, etc…
Automatic calendar updates across all your channels. A reservation on Booking, for example, will instantly block the calendar on Airbnb and all other connected platforms.
If you have your own reservation site, most of them will allow you to integrate it into your eco-system.
Some of them, like Superhote for example, allow you to apply multiplier coefficients to display prices net of commissions.
For example, a night at €100 could be displayed:
- 115 € on Booking ;
- 120 € on Airbnb;
- 105 € on your website etc…
Other features are also available, depending on your choice.
Some of these figures can also be accompanied by graphics to make them more entertaining.
Prices and rates for a channel manager :
Prices vary according to the tool you choose. However, you should bear in mind that this type of software is billed on a subscription basis, either monthly or annually, often accompanied by a commercial discount.
You will also find several ways of calculating the rate:
A unique, all-inclusive package is available.
Others offer tiered pricing plans with a pre-determined feature set. The integration of the website mentioned above will often be a decisive option in the plan you choose.
Finally, some charge by the “option” , such as Beds24. Prices vary according to the features selected.
Once you have chosen your plan, the price will increase according to the number of properties or rooms in your hotel.
For an interesting solution , count €60 to €70 for 3 to 4 goods.
channel manager: Disadvantages
There’s nothing wrong with using this type of solution. It will simplify your day-to-day work and take the pressure off your time-consuming tasks.
That way, you can concentrate on your customers and developing your business, whether through the purchase of other goods or simply your marketing strategy.
Channel manager customer reviews
channel manager: should you subscribe?
As you’ve already guessed, when you get into the tourist rental business with a B&B, hotel or concierge service, signing up for a channel manager will be mandatory.
To choose you will find :
- At the top of this page is our comparative table of channel managers available on the French market;
- See also our home page to discover all the criteria and functions partly mentioned above to help you choose.
- Finally, take a look at the detailed reviews of all the tools presented on this page.
Each review is detailed, enabling you to compare it with other software on the market. So you can choose the one that’s right for you.
Already got an idea of which channel manager you’d like to use? Great! check out the corresponding review below, or go straight to their site by clicking on their logos.
BENEFITS
- Time-saving
- Automation of tedious tasks
- No more risk of errors, overbooking
- Analysis tools
DISADVANTAGES
- Small additional cost: Subscription
FAQ : Questions asked by our readers :
Yes and no. You won’t be able to permanently purchase a license from a channel manager. There will always be a monthly subscription fee, but you can subscribe annually and obtain significant discounts (20%).
Yes, free training courses are available and support is often provided by the tools.
Yes, some channel managers offer trial periods. Don’t hesitate to try out several!