In this article
A channel manager keeps your calendars in step. A website keeps more of every booking.
The short answer: A channel manager keeps your calendars and prices in step across booking sites. A website is where guests book you direct, so you keep more of every booking. They do different jobs, and you do not have to choose. If you list on two or more sites, you need some way to keep calendars in step. Either way, a website of your own is the part that raises what you keep, and it should connect to the booking tool you already use.
If you own a vacation rental, you have probably heard two pieces of advice. "Get a channel manager." And "get your own website." Both are good advice. They are not the same thing, and mixing them up costs owners money.
Here is the plain version.
What is the difference between a channel manager and a website?
- A channel manager connects your listings on booking sites, so your calendar, prices and bookings stay in step. Its job is to avoid double bookings and save you from updating every site by hand. Many are part of a bigger tool, often called a property management system, that also helps with messages and tasks.
- A website is your own place where guests book you direct. Its job is to bring you bookings without a booking site's fee, and to let guests meet your brand, see your photos and pay on the spot.
A channel manager helps you manage bookings you already get. A website helps you get more of the bookings you keep.
What do you need? Find your case
- You list on one booking site only. You do not need a channel manager. A website is the first thing worth adding, because it gives repeat guests a place to book without the fee.
- You list on two or three sites, with one or two homes. You need a way to keep calendars in step. A free calendar link (called iCal) can work, but it updates on each site's own schedule. Airbnb, for example, says its calendar updates every 3 hours (Airbnb). Read why double bookings happen. Add a website next.
- You have many homes, three or more sites, or same-day bookings. A channel manager, or a property management system with one built in, is worth paying for. A website goes on top.
One thing to know about fees. Airbnb says hosts who use property management software must use its single fee, which comes out of your payout and is about 15.5% for most hosts (Airbnb). That is one more reason to move bookings to your own website, where card fees are about 3%. See the full maths in how much Airbnb really takes from you.
What does a channel manager not do?
- It does not bring guests to you. It only keeps the calendars on the sites you already use in step.
- It does not make a booking site that is yours. Some tools include a simple website, but a site built around your brand, your photos and your reviews is a separate job.
- It does not lower what booking sites charge. Bookings that come from a booking site still pay that site's fee.
How do a channel manager and a website work together?
The best setup is simple. Your booking tool stays your master calendar. Your website connects to it, so your dates stay in sync. The goal is that a guest books on your site, the booking lands in your tool, and the dates are blocked everywhere else. How fast that happens depends on the tool, so ask.
That is how we build. We do not replace your tool, we connect to it. We work with Hosthub, Hostaway, Escapia, Guesty, Lodgify, OwnerRez, Hospitable and Smoobu, and your calendar and prices stay in step with Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo through your tool. Guests pay on Stripe. See everything on our works with page.
Before you buy any website, ask: how does it get my dates, and how often? If the answer is vague, keep looking.
How much does each one cost?
- A channel manager or property management tool: a monthly fee that depends on the tool and the number of homes. Check each tool's own pricing page.
- A website from Launch VRO: Launch Pad is $999 to set up, with an optional monthly plan from $89. The site is ready in 7 working days or it is free, and you pay half to start and the other half when you go live.
- Card fees on direct bookings: about 2.9% plus 30 cents for a normal US card (Stripe).
A channel manager is a cost that saves you time. A website is an investment that pays you back. About $8,000 of direct bookings covers a $999 setup, so for many owners the website pays for itself in the first season. Compare the options in how much a direct booking website costs.
The short answer
- Need to stop double bookings across sites? Use a channel manager or a calendar link.
- Want to keep more of every booking? Get your own website.
- Want both? Connect them, and let one tool be your master calendar.
Already have a booking tool? The next step is the part that raises your income. Pay your first installment and we start building.
Not sure what is possible for you? Ask us
On a call, we will:
- Tell you which booking tools we connect to, and how your dates would stay in step with your site.
- Help you decide whether you need a channel manager at all, or whether a website is the better first step.
- Show you, with your own numbers, what a direct booking website could change for your bookings.
We will tell you honestly what is realistic. We do not promise results, because nobody honest can.
Common questions
- What is a channel manager for a vacation rental?
- A channel manager connects your listings on different booking sites, so your calendar, prices and bookings stay in step across them. Its main job is to prevent double bookings and save you from updating every site by hand.
- Do I need a channel manager if I only use Airbnb?
- No. A channel manager is for keeping several sites in step. With one site, the first thing worth adding is your own booking website, so repeat guests can book you without the booking site's fee.
- Is a booking website the same as a channel manager?
- No. A channel manager keeps your calendars and prices in step across booking sites. A website is your own place where guests book direct. Most owners benefit from both, connected to each other.
- Can I use a direct booking website with my channel manager?
- Yes. A good website connects to the booking tool you already use, so your dates stay in sync. Launch VRO connects to tools such as Hosthub, Hostaway, Escapia, Guesty, Lodgify, OwnerRez, Hospitable and Smoobu instead of replacing them.
Sources and helpful links
- Airbnb: sync your calendars — how often Airbnb updates connected calendars
- Airbnb: how host fees work — the single fee for hosts who use software
- Stripe pricing — card fees on direct bookings
- Launch VRO: works with — the tools we connect to
