21 Must-Have Airbnb Tools To Up Your Hosting Game
From dynamic pricing to smart locks and all-in-one PMS software, discover 21 powerful Airbnb tools that save time, prevent mistakes, and boost your hosting profits.
Key Takeaways:
- There are several apps that can help Airbnb hosts streamline operations and boost bookings by leveraging specialized tools for pricing, messaging, and property management.
- Instead of just getting one tool, hosts should integrate multiple tools to save time, reduce errors, and deliver memorable stays to their Airbnb guests.
- Essential tools include a channel manager, pricing software, messaging app, and analytics platform.
With technological advancements developing at lightning-fast speeds, Airbnb tools have developed just as quickly. Hosts can now boost almost every aspect of their Airbnb business by adding property technology to their hosting routines.
We have compiled the ultimate list of some of the best Airbnb tools across the categories that hosts and property managers can benefit from the most by using property technology. The tools and apps mentioned in this list are industry leaders preferred by iGMS customers.
Read further to find out how these Airbnb tools and apps can help you get better at numerous aspects of building and running your business.
We have compiled the ultimate list of our top 21 hosting tools across the categories that hosts can benefit from the most by using property technology. The tools and apps mentioned in this list are industry leaders preferred by iGMS customers.
Read further to find out how these Airbnb tools and apps can give your business a competitive edge.
How Automation Gives Airbnb Hosts the Upper Hand
The main driving factor behind any sort of automation is to make something simpler or faster. Automating your Airbnb through host tools and apps is no different.
Here is how Airbnb host tools can give you an advantage over your competition:
1. Save time
Airbnb tools can automate mundane and repetitive tasks like messaging, writing guest reviews, and scheduling cleanings. This saves tons of your time, giving you the freedom to explore new opportunities in growing your business.
The best part of saving time through automation is that your guests will benefit too.
For example, with automated messages, guests will be able to receive prompt responses which, in turn, will have a positive effect on your response time on the platform.
2. Minimize mistakes
When performing business activities manually, there is always a risk of human error. One area in Airbnb management where hosts are prone to make mistakes is ensuring their calendars are up to date.
When an Airbnb host has multiple properties to manage at once, and each of them is listed on more than one rental platform (which is recommended), it can be overwhelming for one person to manage and sync them manually.
Host tools can help keepyour listing up to date across popular rental platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, etc. This way, you prevent double-bookings, one of the most common (but easily preventable) hosting mistakes.
3. Enhance the guest experience
Taking advantage of the different Airbnb tools for hosts will enhance the experience for guests. Guests appreciate the convenience and speed that technology brings and, as a result, they will likely leave better reviews for your listings, thus boosting your ratings even more.
For example, by introducing smart locks to your Airbnb you will be able to set up a seamless self-check-in process. This adds convenience and flexibility to your guests’ arrivals and departures which will enhance the guest experience.
4. Increase ROI
With the right combination of Airbnb tools, you will be able to leverage their strengths to increase your return on investment in a number of different ways.
While some tools can help to save on costs, there are also those that can help you boost your revenue.
For example, dynamic pricing tools can help you set competitive rates by taking into consideration factors like supply, demand, and upcoming local events.
The Best Airbnb Tools for Hosts
From automated messaging to market research, there are tools available for every facet of Airbnb rental management.
Here are some of our top recommendations to make up your winning combination:
Calendar synchronization and messaging
A channel manager can support hosts with managing their properties across different short-term rental platforms and online travel agencies (OTAs). You can, for example, use a channel manager to update rates, availability, and bookings automatically across multiple channels in real-time.
That said, when you’re managing multiple Airbnb listings, or multiple listings across a variety of platforms, it helps to make use of a vacation rental software solution instead. This option is a more comprehensive tool that is better equipped for task management than a channel manager.
The difference lies in its capabilities. While a channel manager helps manage your listings across multiple platforms, vacation rental software helps optimize all the aspects of property management.
This allows hosts to speed up the time it takes to send important guest communication using templates and automated messaging. For example, automated messaging can be tailored using templates for more personalized communication with guests and triggered by specific events, like booking confirmations or checkout reminders.
Vacation rental management software also has added benefits and capabilities, including a multi-calendar, better reviews management, and automated hosting tasks. Some could even have unique apps and services like productivity tracking to elevate your hosting game even more.
1. iGMS
iGMS is an all-in-one vacation rental software that offers not only a robust channel manager and automated messages but also a host of automation tools for every step of the hosting process.
Top features include:
- Synchronizing reservations across the top short-term rental platforms into a multi-calendar to eliminate the risk of getting a double-booking
- Triggered automated messaging and a unified inbox to organize your messages into a single feed and ensure prompt replies
- Receiving payouts and creating invoices by connecting your Stripe account to iGMS
- Managing direct bookings using a direct booking management toolkit
- Creating essential reports within minutes and tracking key metrics with our Dashboard feature
- Adjusting your pricing dynamically through smart pricing integrations with PriceLabs, DPGO, and Wheelhouse
Dynamic pricing
Using a dynamic pricing app is a smart way to maximize the revenue potential of your Airbnb as it lets you change your nightly rates in real-time, based on influential market fluctuations.
These fluctuations could include changes in demand and supply, changes in season, or be based on events happening in the area of your Airbnb property. Using dynamic pricing tools can also improve your occupancy rates by ensuring your rates are in line with market conditions.
Here are some of the leading smart pricing tools and apps for your Airbnb listing:
2. Beyond
Beyond (formerly called Beyond Pricing) uses big data and predictive analytics to suggest optimal prices hosts can charge for their rental properties. It specializes in revenue management solutions for Airbnb rental hosts and was the first automated pricing app to appear on the market.
Beyond offers:
- A dynamic pricing tool to automate your Airbnb prices in a way that maximizes revenue
- Synchronization of your prices across online travel agencies daily
- Business insights and revenue forecasting
- Neighborhood data
3. PriceLabs
PriceLabs offers a dynamic pricing app for leading rental platforms, like Airbnb, and over 50 property management systems, including iGMS.
Like Beyond, PriceLabs optimize your revenue by adjusting your pricing using a smart pricing algorithm that analyzes local events, trends, and seasonal changes.
Top features include:
- A dynamic pricing tool to maximize revenue
- Portfolio analytics to help analyze your booking patterns
- Market dashboards with actionable insights
- Discounts/premiums for last-minute bookings
- Length-of-stay customization
4. Wheelhouse
Wheelhouse is a trusted smart pricing tool that helps its users increase their revenue by 20.6% on average. It offers over 15 customizable settings that you can use to customize pricing for last-minute bookings, gaps, specific days of the week, etc.
Wheelhouse offers features like:
- Reminders, notes, and alerts
- Personalized insights
- Historical performance
- Daily price synchronization
- Custom boundaries
5. DPGO
As an AI-driven dynamic pricing tool, DPGO utilizes machine learning, yield management, and deep learning to present the right price at the right time. Their AI systems are able to evaluate over 200 market data points in order to create optimal pricing recommendations.
These considerations range from competing Airbnb hosts’ prices to types of properties and amenities, and everything in between.
DPGO’s top features include:
- Optimized Airbnb pricing
- Daily updates to your prices for maximizing revenue
- Pricing forecasts for 52 weeks in advance
- A personal strategy
Key exchange and security
Key exchange solutions are essential additions to your set of host tools and are used to facilitate key moments during the guest journey — the checking in and out journey.
They help improve the guest experience by enabling guests to access their Airbnb with little to no input from the host.
Some of the leading key exchange tools include:
6. KeyNest
KeyNest offers simple and convenient key exchange solutions for Airbnb hosts, serviced apartment operators, and estate agents.
Their network of stores acts as pick-up and drop-off points for keys so that Airbnb hosts do not need to rearrange their schedules to match guest arrival times.
KeyNest offers:
- Key exchange services at their network of over 7,000 locations, for thousands of users, across 12 countries
- A smart key tracking service to track your keys remotely at any given time
- 24/7 call support
7. Keycafe
Specializing in smart key management, Keycafe offers simple and reliable key exchange services to businesses and the public alike.
Similar to KeyNest, Keycafe users are able to hand over keys via their public locations to facilitate guest arrivals and departures.
Keycafe’s top features include:
- Publicly available SmartBoxes for automated Airbnb rental key exchange
- Integrated key tracking capabilities
- 24/7 support
8. Lynx
Able to integrate into property management systems, Lynx offers smart keyless entry and home automation options to Airbnb hosts. It currently operates in more than 2,000 cities and has processed over 14 million VirtualKEYS.
Lynx offers:
- Keyless, contactless check-in and checkout
- Guest communication with automated messaging
- Operations automation
- Smart device management
- Early check-in and late checkout upsells
9. Jervis Systems
Jervis Systems provide access and automation solutions to Airbnb hosts. Its technology helps manage multiple locks from a single interface while ensuring the host’s property remains secure.
Top features include:
- Early check-in and late checkout upsells
- Automated pin code access
- Guest guidebooks
- Low-battery notifications
Guest experience tools
Using Airbnb apps that build a better experience for guests is an excellent investment in the growth of your Airbnb business.
These tools help you to collect guest information and improve their stay at your rental.
Here are our top picks of guest experience host tools:
10. Showplace
Showplace has a unique offering to hosts. It helps to enhance the experience of guests by helping with interior design ideas for your Airbnb, curating essential products, and gathering bids for installations.
Showplace offers:
- Property performance analytics
- Property branding
- 3D room visualizations
- Product recommendations
11. Touch Stay
Specializing in digital guest books, Touch Stay’s app offers an alternative to the traditional printed welcome book. By providing a digital guest book, hosts will appear more professional and organized to guests while at the same time reducing their workload as it can pre-emptively answer FAQs. This way, guests will be able to get familiar with the house rules and explore local recommendations on their own and in a format and at a time that’s convenient to them.
This will result in a more pleasant experience for guests.
Touch Stay’s top features include:
- AI chatbot to answer guest questions
- Automated messaging
- Branded design
- AI content assistant
12. StayFi
StayFi’s mission is to create a better experience for guests through collecting valuable guest information, driving direct bookings, and creating a better WiFi experience.
StayFi offers:
- Branded guest WiFi
- Collection of guest and short-term rental data
- An email template builder
- A better WiFi experience for guests
Vacation rental insurance and guest screening
Insurance-based host tools and apps help mitigate the risk of loss and damage to your Airbnb.
They could also offer preventative measures like pre-screening of guests to avoid the risk before it becomes a concern.
Our top picks for insurance-based host tools include:
13. Safely
Safely offers comprehensive guest screening and Airbnb insurance for hosts.
Their technology allows you to screen potential guests for concerning factors like criminal records or even guests with consistent negative reviews.
Safely’s top features include:
- Airbnb insurance
- Comprehensive guest screening
14. InsuraGuest
InsuraGuest helps hosts by acting as the first line of defense in protection for your Airbnb.
It provides vacation rental insurance cover against theft, in-room damage, and accidental medical expenses to give hosts peace of mind while running their business.
InsuraGuest offers:
- Coverage for your Airbnb rental, its contents, and medical emergencies
- Integration with Airbnb and several software solutions
Data analytics and business intelligence
When it comes to growing your business, it is essential to stay up to date with the latest industry research and trends.
Technology within the short-term rental industry has evolved to such a degree that there are now apps available to help hosts stay informed and shine in a competitive industry.
Here are the best Airbnb tools we recommend for every host:
15. AirDNA
AirDNA is regarded as a leader in market research for Airbnb hosts. It provides custom short-term rental data, analytics and insights for property managers and hosts, helping to set them apart from their competitors.
AirDNA’s top features include:
- Market projections and research
- Rate recommendations
- Custom search filters
- Performance benchmarking
16. Lighthouse
Lighthouse currently tracks millions of short-term rental listings to empower hosts with insights about their properties. Armed with this info, hosts can optimize their prices, occupancy rates, and growth.
Lighthouse offers:
- Granular data and insights
- Supply and performance trends
- Automated reports
- Actionable dashboards
17. AllTheRooms
AllTheRooms is another convenient tool providing valuable business insights and analytics.
This tool helps you better understand the industry you are operating in to help boost your business performance.
Top features include:
- Market research and intelligence
- Property analysis and scores
- Competitive intelligence
Luggage storage
When your guests are traveling with lots of luggage, it is a thoughtful gesture to offer luggage storage options while they are staying at your Airbnb.
Here are some of our best Airbnb tool recommendations for luggage storage:
18. LuggageHero
LuggageHero saves Airbnb guests from having to drag their heavy luggage around the city. It has a growing network of luggage storage sites around the world.
LuggageHero offers:
- An online search and storage booking app
- Drop-off points in more than 6,000 locations worldwide
19. Bounce
Bounce is one of the largest luggage storage networks with 32,00 locations to choose from.
It offers luggage storage options for before your guest checks in or after they check out.
Bounce offers:
- 24/7 availability of their storage locations
- $10,000 bag protection
- 24/7 customer support
20. Radical Storage
Another good option for guest luggage storage is Radical Storage. Their online app offers a smart platform to make and track bookings, and manage commissions and invoices too.
Radical Storage’s top features include:
- 24/7 support
- 13,000 locations
- Bag protection
21. Stasher
Stasher is another one of the world’s largest luggage storage networks. It connects guests with hotels and stores all over the world that can keep their luggage safe while they enjoy their travels.
Stasher offers:
- Over 9,000 locations
- Flexible cancellation
- Free luggage shipping
- 24/7 customer support
Take Full Advantage of All Your Tools
It could be difficult to keep track of all the different tools at your disposal, and when each should be used. To maximize the effectiveness of each tool and improve all possible aspects of your Airbnb business, it’s a smart idea to master a combination of these tools and apps.
There are many ways to take advantage of each tool individually, but because iGMS provides an all-in-one vacation rental software, it is one of the best ways to get the most out of the Airbnb property technology.
What’s more, as an iGMS member, you will receive exclusive discounts and perks on many of the tools mentioned above, as a way to add even more value for our users.
FAQs
What tools do you need for Airbnb management?
As a host, you’ll need a combination of apps that typically include a property management system (PMS), dynamic pricing tool, and smart home technology at the very least. With these specialized tools, you’ll be able to manage your physical property, automate messaging, and improve operational efficiency.
What is the benefit of a PMS?
With an all-in-one property management system, you can sync your calendars across multiple booking platforms conveniently from one place. It also helps hosts improve guest communication by sending automated messages, making it one of the best Airbnb tools.
Is there a specialized website builder for Airbnb hosts?
Yes, there are website builders specifically built for short-term rental owners.
For example, iGMS has a vacation rental website builder that’s easy to use and allows hosts to convert their Airbnb listing into a fully functional website without any coding knowledge, as well as securely process payments via a Stripe integration.
About the Author
Callan Riddles is a former Content and Social Media Specialist at iGMS. Callan has a passion for finding new ways to help vacation rental businesses thrive. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experience all the new things that life has to offer.
