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Comparison

Boom 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

Boom

AI-first property management system for mid-to-large operators

Best for Automation

Ambitious AI-first PMS with real automation chops — but young, unpriced, and unproven at scale

Contact sales • No free trial

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

Visit Boom →Visit Hostex →

Pricing Side-by-Side

Contact sales • No free trial

Custom

Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective customers must book a demo or contact sales. No pricing page exists on the website (/pricing returns 404). Boom is not listed on G2 or Capterra. Source: Lodgify comparison confirms 'does not provide any information regarding pricing on its site.'

Try Boom

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
Try Hostex

Pro

$7/property/mo

  • Standard features plus expanded automation
  • Direct booking website
  • No booking fee
Try Hostex

Enterprise

$10.50/property/mo

  • Pro features plus enterprise support
  • Custom configuration
  • No booking fee
Try Hostex

What each tool does well — and where it falls short

What Boom does well

  • Deep AI automation across guest comms and operations

    Boom's BAM handles guest messaging 24/7, writes review responses, and auto-creates tasks from guest feedback. One operator said their front office team is 'now available to deal with making our guests happy, rather than dealing with repetitive stuff.'

  • White-glove onboarding and responsive support

    Case studies and reviews consistently highlight hands-on migration support. One operator (250 properties) reported full PMS migration completed in one week with 24/7 support, including weekends.

  • Consolidates multiple tools, potentially cutting software spend

    One reviewer reported saving ~$30k/year in add-on software costs after switching to Boom from a previous PMS stack, managing everything in one place.

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 Boom falls short

  • No public pricing — must contact sales

    Boom discloses no pricing on its website and the /pricing URL returns a 404. This makes comparison shopping impossible and suggests custom enterprise-style quoting.

  • Young product with reported stability issues

    Launched around September 2024, two of ten Trustpilot reviews (1-star each) cite bugs and unfinished features. One reviewer warned: 'go for a grown up PMS who have a product that works.'

  • No built-in direct booking website builder

    Unlike Lodgify, Hostaway, and Hospitable, Boom has no native website builder or booking widget. Direct booking sites require a third-party partner integration with ICND.

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 Boom if

Mid-to-large STR operators (50–360+ listings) who want an AI-first, all-in-one PMS with automated guest comms, dynamic pricing, and white-glove onboarding support.

Skip Boom if

You're a solo host or small operator who needs transparent pricing, a built-in direct booking website builder, or a mature mobile app — Boom has none of these.

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

Boom

Ambitious AI-first PMS with real automation chops — but young, unpriced, and unproven at scale

Hostex

Cheapest credible all-in-one PMS with no booking fees, if you can tolerate a dated UI