The Host Co review
Our independent editorial read on The Host Co for Pennsylvania short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.8 · our editorial rating
- Category
- In-stay upsell storefront
- Pricing
- Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo
- Free tier
- Yes
- Needs a PMS
- No
- Size
- Niche
The published facts, in plain English
The Host Co is In-stay upsell storefront. Published pricing: Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo. There is a free tier. It runs without a separate PMS. Scale: niche.
Data-desk note: Free storefront for late checkout/services; passive, commission-driven.
Who it’s for
The Host Co is one host software tool we track for owners weighing their options in Pennsylvania.
Our take
We list The Host Co’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to BnBGenius
Side by side on published terms: The Host Co lists Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo, while BnBGenius lists free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. Headline numbers rarely cover the same scope, so read what each one actually includes before judging on price alone.
Reading the record
Category first: The Host Co is In-stay upsell storefront, so judge it against that job — not against suites that promise everything. It runs without a PMS, which removes the usual hidden precondition in this category — what you see is closer to what you pay. The free tier is the sensible on-ramp: put it on one live listing and let a real booking cycle do the judging. On cost, the published Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo is the number to hold against your own hours saved.
Same tool, two situations
- The owner far from the door. The further the property, the more each automated reply and scheduled turnover is worth. The no-PMS setup keeps the moving parts — and the failure points — few.
- The one-listing host. At one property, tooling should cost minutes and pocket change — check what The Host Co’s model costs at your actual size, not at the portfolio scale the marketing pictures.
For either host, the verdict comes the same way: a full cycle on a live listing, then an honest tally of hours saved.
Before you decide, put one benchmark beside it: BnBGenius — the no-PMS, flat-price setup (free first 500 messages, then $10/month) we measure host tools against. If The Host Co beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. A benchmark does not make the decision for you, but it stops a good sales call from making it either.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with BnBGenius.
Questions owners ask
What does The Host Co cost?
Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo.
Is there a free tier?
Yes.
Do you need a PMS to run The Host Co?
No — it runs without a separate PMS.
Questions to put to The Host Co
- “Is Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo per listing or flat?” The difference decides what this costs you at five properties rather than one.
- Free tier or trial. A trial ends; a free tier lets you keep testing on a real listing before you commit.
- What it needs underneath. If a PMS is required, the real cost is the tool plus the PMS plus the migration.
Alternatives worth comparing
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- Minoan — Free (trade discounts + Showroom commission).
- iGMS — FLEX $1/booked night (min $20/prop); PRO $18–$21/prop/mo.
- Uplisting — £72/mo flat (1–5); £16/unit (6–40).
Our own number one in this category is BnBGenius — see BnBGenius Tasks for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
See BnBGenius →