Property Management Software
Kigo
All-in-one vacation rental PMS with channel management, now a Guesty company
Solid Option
Comprehensive channel management hampered by per-booking commissions and reliability issues
From $59/mo • Free trial
Comparison
Kigo vs OwnerRez
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
OwnerRez
Vacation rental software for serious hosts
Best Overall
Published pricing with direct-channel and booking depth
From $40/listing • Free trial
✓Editorial verdict
Which Should You Pick: Kigo or OwnerRez?
Pick Kigo if you manage 20+ listings and need 5 OTA channels including Expedia and TripAdvisor, plus bundled eSignature and website creation, and can absorb per-booking commissions. Pick OwnerRez if you run 3–20 listings and want zero booking fees, predictable per-property pricing starting at ~$40/mo, direct-API connections including best-in-class Vrbo, an open API with Zapier, and a strong direct booking website.
Editorial perspective from the Kigo side; factual claims about OwnerRez are drawn from its review.
Pricing Side-by-Side
Kigo
Full pricing →From $59/mo • Free trial
Flat monthly
$59/mo flat rate subscription. Kigo charges 1.25% on non-payment bookings (e.g., Airbnb where the OTA collects payment) and 4% on paid bookings (e.g., VRBO, Booking.com, Direct) — the 4% includes credit card processing fees (~2.8% Stripe), making the effective platform commission ~1.2%. Commission is charged even on cancelled bookings. Free trial available, no credit card required.
Try KigoOwnerRez
Full pricing →From $40/listing • Free trial
1 property
~$40/mo
1 listing
Booking fee: Zero on all bookings
- Channel manager (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google)
- Hosted booking website + widgets
- WordPress plugin
- CRM + guest profiles
- E-signed rental agreements
- Custom triggers + automation
- QuickBooks Online integration
- 14-day free trial
5 properties
$88/mo
Up to 5 listings
Booking fee: Zero on all bookings
- Everything in 1-property tier
- Owner statements + reporting
10+ properties
Sliding scale, decreases per-unit cost as portfolio grows
10+ listings
Booking fee: Zero on all bookings
- Everything in 5-property tier
- Volume pricing
- Priority support
What each tool does well — and where it falls short
What Kigo does well
Extensive channel management and synchronization
Kigo offers seamless integration to major third-party channels with synchronized availability, rates, and content across multiple listing sites, reducing risk of double bookings and opening up sales revenue opportunities.
User-friendly interface for daily operations
Users with 30+ years in vacation rentals find Kigo the quickest and easiest to learn for getting daily tasks completed, with straightforward processes for payments, refunds, and customer communication.
Comprehensive feature coverage in one platform
Kigo integrates reservation management, distribution, marketing, revenue management, eSignature, and website creation in one platform, streamlining operations for property managers.
What OwnerRez does well
Zero booking fees on all channels — including direct
OwnerRez charges only the flat per-property rate — no percentage cut, no per-booking commissions, no surprises. Predictable costs as volume grows.
Best-in-class direct-API channel management, included free
OwnerRez builds its own direct API connections to Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Google Vacation Rentals rather than routing through a third-party aggregator. Faster sync, fewer failure points, and no extra fee for channel connectivity.
Support quality is the platform's defining differentiator
Across Capterra, G2, and Trustpilot, support quality is the single most cited reason operators choose and stay with OwnerRez. Personalised guidance and custom screen-capture videos — uncommon at this price point.
Where Kigo falls short
High pricing burden on smaller operations
Pricing is consistently noted as high for smaller businesses, with minimum monthly fees that can be prohibitive for operators with limited vacation rental inventory.
Technical complexity and reliability issues
Users report frequent bugs and glitches affecting integrations, calendar syncing, and website functionality, with an average Ease of Use rating of 3.7 versus the 4.5 category average.
Commission charges on all bookings including direct
Unlike many competitors, Kigo charges a percentage of all bookings including direct bookings not acquired through channels, and continues charging commission even on cancelled bookings.
Where OwnerRez falls short
No native iOS or Android app — mobile management runs through a PWA with real limitations
Users report missing push notifications for SMS and channel messages, navigation issues, and difficult photo reordering on mobile. Staff have confirmed no app is planned.
Steep initial learning curve — the depth is real and so is the ramp
OwnerRez is designed for depth over ease of setup. Independent reviews consistently agree the platform rewards patience but demands it. Users expecting plug-and-play describe feeling overwhelmed initially.
Email-only support — no phone line for urgent issues during live bookings
For most users the depth of email responses compensates, but for time-sensitive situations (guest locked out at check-in, channel sync failure mid-booking), the inability to call is a meaningful gap.
Which Should You Pick
Pick Kigo if
Mid-to-large vacation rental managers seeking comprehensive channel distribution and established integrations
Skip Kigo if
Budget-conscious small operators or those prioritizing cost efficiency over extensive channel connectivity
Pick OwnerRez if
Tech-comfortable hosts and property managers with 2-100+ listings who want deep channel automation, granular accounting, and a direct booking website — and are willing to invest setup time.
Skip OwnerRez if
You need a native iOS/Android app for on-the-go management, want plug-and-play onboarding with minimal configuration, or primarily operate outside the US market.
Where Kigo and OwnerRez actually differ
- OwnerRez charges per-property starting at ~$40/mo (1 listing) to $88/mo (5 listings) with zero booking fees or commissions; Kigo charges $59/mo flat plus 1.25% on non-payment bookings and 4% on paid bookings (the 4% includes credit card processing, making the effective platform cut ~1.2%).
- Kigo connects to 5 OTA channels (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Expedia, TripAdvisor); OwnerRez connects to 4 (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Vacation Rentals) — Kigo has broader traditional OTA distribution while OwnerRez uniquely includes Google Vacation Rentals.
- OwnerRez offers an open API and Zapier support for custom workflows; Kigo has limited API access and no Zapier — OwnerRez is significantly more extensible for operators who automate.
- Both platforms include website creation and eSignature; Kigo bundles revenue management and marketing tools in its base platform, while OwnerRez focuses on channel management depth and direct booking with a strong hosted booking site.
- OwnerRez is independently owned and focused on the 3–20 listing segment; Kigo is a Guesty subsidiary (acquired after founding in 2008) — different roadmap incentives and long-term product direction.
Common objections
- OwnerRez has zero booking fees — why pay Kigo's per-booking commission at all?
- At most portfolio sizes OwnerRez's no-commission model is simpler and cheaper in total cost. Kigo's $59/mo flat base is lower than OwnerRez at 5+ listings ($88/mo), so if your booking volume is low the base savings can offset commissions. But as bookings increase, Kigo's 1.25–4% commissions compound — most operators past a few listings will pay less total with OwnerRez.
- Kigo has 5 channels versus OwnerRez's 4 — is that distribution gap meaningful?
- It depends on your market. If TripAdvisor or Expedia drive real revenue in your area, Kigo's extra channels matter. But OwnerRez counters with Google Vacation Rentals (growing fast in search-driven markets) and notably stronger Vrbo integration. For most US-focused operators, OwnerRez's 4 channels plus its direct booking website cover the majority of booking volume.
- Kigo is backed by Guesty — doesn't that make it a safer long-term bet?
- Not necessarily. Acquired subsidiaries often get deprioritized when the parent company's flagship product overlaps — and Guesty's core PMS competes directly with Kigo. OwnerRez is independently owned with a consistent focus on its target segment. Independence often means more predictable pricing and product direction than being part of a consolidator's portfolio.
Keep Digging
Kigo
Comprehensive channel management hampered by per-booking commissions and reliability issues
OwnerRez
Published pricing with direct-channel and booking depth