Property Management Software
Barefoot
Enterprise-grade vacation rental PMS built for customization and scale
Best for Scale
Enterprise PMS that rewards operators who outgrow simpler tools
From $800 • Free trial
Comparison
Barefoot vs Hostex
Pricing, pros and cons, and buyer-fit side-by-side. Pick the one that matches your operation — or see why neither should.
Property Management Software
Hostex
Low-cost all-in-one channel manager and PMS for short-term rentals
Best Value
Cheapest credible all-in-one PMS with no booking fees, if you can tolerate a dated UI
From $4.9/listing • Free trial
Pricing Side-by-Side
Barefoot
Full pricing →From $800 • Free trial
1–50 units
$800/mo
50 listings
Booking fee: 1% of rent on Airbnb/VRBO bookings
- Full trust accounting
- Owner statements
- Reservation and booking management
- Customizable workflows, fees, and reporting
- Direct integrations to Airbnb, VRBO, TripAdvisor
- Open API access
51–100 units
$1,100/mo
100 listings
Booking fee: 1% of rent on Airbnb/VRBO bookings
- Everything in 1–50 tier
Hostex
Full pricing →From $4.9/listing • Free trial
Standard
$4.90/property/mo
- Channel manager (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and more)
- Unified inbox and automation
- No booking fee
Pro
$7/property/mo
- Standard features plus expanded automation
- Direct booking website
- No booking fee
Enterprise
$10.50/property/mo
- Pro features plus enterprise support
- Custom configuration
- No booking fee
What each tool does well — and where it falls short
What Barefoot does well
Highly configurable platform instead of preset workflows
Teams can customize processes, fees, communication, and reporting to match their operations rather than adapting to rigid defaults. Reviewers on Capterra consistently cite configurability as the top differentiator.
Exceptional customer support with 95% retention rate
Users report submitting questions by end of day and receiving solutions the next morning. The 95% customer retention rate backs up the support quality claims.
Rock-solid system stability after 20+ years
Multiple reviewers note the software has no bugs or glitches. Two decades of development have produced a mature, reliable codebase.
What Hostex does well
Aggressive flat per-listing price with no booking fee
Standard tier starts at $4.90/property/mo and the vendor explicitly states 'no booking fee' on every tier, making total cost predictable as volume grows.
Broad OTA channel coverage including non-Western markets
Beyond Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo, Hostex connects directly to Trip.com, Agoda, Houfy, and Tujia — uncommon at this price band and useful for hosts with international guests.
Open REST API with webhooks at no extra cost
Hostex publishes an OpenAPI for property, booking, and messaging sync with OAuth 2.0 — rare for sub-$10/property tools and enabling custom workflows without an enterprise contract.
Designated Airbnb 'Preferred Software Partner 2026'
The Airbnb partner badge is shown on hostex.io homepage logos, signalling a vetted Airbnb API connection that small hosts often struggle to find at low price points.
Where Barefoot falls short
Steep learning curve and dated interface
The UI is not modern and onboarding requires significant setup and training investment. Operators should plan for a real ramp-up period.
Airbnb integration is problematic
Some features available before Airbnb integration are lost after connecting, and setting rates through the integration is challenging. Operators heavy on Airbnb should test carefully.
High entry cost shuts out small operators
At $800/mo for up to 50 units, an operator with 10 listings pays effectively $80/unit/mo — far more than per-listing competitors charging $10–20/unit.
Where Hostex falls short
Vrbo channel connection is harder than other OTAs
A Capterra reviewer noted the Vrbo flow is 'quite complex compared to other OTAs and is not very straightforward,' which can slow onboarding for Vrbo-heavy portfolios.
Dated UI and constrained template editing
Capterra reviewers describe the interface as less modern and email/check-in template customization as limited — workable, but newer competitors feel more polished.
Setup curve and slower support during peak periods
SoftwareSuggest reviewers cite a complex initial setup and slow support response during peak periods, which matters most when migrating from another PMS mid-season.
Which Should You Pick
Pick Barefoot if
Established vacation rental companies with 20+ units who need robust customization and don't mind the learning curve.
Skip Barefoot if
You have under 20 units — the $800/mo base cost makes per-unit economics unfavorable compared to per-listing alternatives.
Pick Hostex if
Solo hosts and small property managers (2–50 listings) who need a low-cost channel manager, unified inbox, and direct booking site without paying booking-percentage fees.
Skip Hostex if
You're an enterprise PM needing US-based 24/7 phone support or trust-accounting depth equivalent to Streamline or Track.
Keep Digging
Barefoot
Enterprise PMS that rewards operators who outgrow simpler tools
Hostex
Cheapest credible all-in-one PMS with no booking fees, if you can tolerate a dated UI