The Stack

The Stack.

The short-term rental tech market, as we track it.

A curated view

Short-stay technology has fragmented. There are now several hundred tools competing across property management, pricing, guest communications, operations and finance. Most operators we advise carry a stack assembled by accident: three platforms doing what one could do, and a fourth they are paying for but no longer use.

We monitor this landscape full-time, because we run on it ourselves. The directory below is our curated view of the operators, platforms and tools we currently consider worth knowing, organised the way operators actually think about their work. We update it quarterly. The wider market is larger; this is the shortlist.

When you engage Australia Dreams on tech, we do not recommend in the abstract. We map your existing workflow, design the stack for your operation, and implement the changes. The tools listed here are reference points, not endorsements.

PMS
Top Pick
Hostaway

Cloud-native PMS with strong automation and channel sync.

PMS
Top Pick
Guesty

Enterprise PMS used across 500,000+ properties globally.

PMS
Top Pick
Hospitable

Automation-first PMS with strong guest communications.

PMS
Top Pick
Boom

AI-native all-in-one PMS, newer entrant.

PMS
Top Pick
Hostify

Unified inbox and AI-driven messaging across major OTAs.

PMS
HiRUM

Australian PMS combining reservations, channel and trust accounting.

Channel Manager
Rentals United

Long-standing channel manager distributing to 60+ booking channels.

Channel Manager
Top Pick
NextPax

Enterprise XML-first channel manager with 150+ channels.

Channel Manager
Top Pick
STAAH

Channel management trusted by 10,000+ properties worldwide.

OTA
Top Pick
Airbnb

Peer-to-peer marketplace with 5m+ accommodations across 191 countries.

OTA
Top Pick
Booking.com

One of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world.

OTA
Top Pick
Vrbo

Vacation rental booking channel serving 75m+ travellers monthly.

OTA
Top Pick
Agoda

OTA with particular strength across Asia-Pacific.

OTA
Top Pick
Savvy

Direct-booking OTA with zero commission for property managers.

OTA
Blueground

Platform specialising in 30-day-plus corporate and business stays.

Pricing & Revenue
Top Pick
PriceLabs

Dynamic pricing combining market data with revenue rules.

Pricing & Revenue
Top Pick
Beyond

Revenue management platform for STR (formerly Beyond Pricing).

Pricing & Revenue
Top Pick
Wheelhouse

Data-driven pricing with portfolio-level reporting.

Pricing & Revenue
Top Pick
Mydatavalue

AI revenue optimisation specifically for Booking.com listings.

Pricing & Revenue
DPGO

AI-driven dynamic pricing, traction among smaller operators.

Pricing & Revenue
Elevate Stays

Outsourced revenue management as a service for property managers.

Data & Analytics
Top Pick
AirDNA

Market intelligence for STR, the long-standing incumbent.

Data & Analytics
Top Pick
Key Data

Real-time business intelligence combining PMS and OTA data.

Data & Analytics
Airbtics

STR analytics platform aggregating Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com data.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
Aeve AI

AI Autopilot resolving 80%+ of guest inquiries in your tone of voice.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
Besty AI

AI-powered guest communications with embedded upselling.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
Enso Connect

Guest journey automation integrated with major PMS platforms.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
HostBuddy AI

AI guest messaging integrated directly with Hostaway.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
Conduit

AI platform handling text and voice guest conversations.

Guest Comms
Top Pick
Duve

End-to-end personalised guest management platform.

Guest Comms
Cortado AI

AI agents handling guest comms in 100+ languages.

Guest Comms
boringhost

Intelligent operating layer over your existing PMS.

Operations
Top Pick
Breezeway

Operations software for cleans, inspections and maintenance.

Operations
Top Pick
Doinn

AI-powered scheduling for property operations.

Operations
Top Pick
Operto

Unified platform for smart devices, guest experience and operations.

Operations
Top Pick
SuiteOp

Workflow automation with branded portals and upsells.

Operations
Top Pick
Turno

Cleaning marketplace and scheduling, formerly TurnoverBnB.

Smart Home
Top Pick
RemoteLock

Universal access control across lock brands.

Smart Home
Top Pick
Igloohome

Bluetooth keypad locks with time-coded algoPIN access.

Smart Home
Top Pick
Minut

Privacy-safe noise, motion and temperature monitoring.

Smart Home
Top Pick
Nuki

European market leader in retrofit smart locks.

Smart Home
Top Pick
Schlage Encode

Wi-Fi smart deadbolt with PMS integration.

Guest Experience
Top Pick
Touch Stay

Digital guidebooks that answer guest questions automatically.

Guest Experience
Top Pick
Localbird

Curated guest experiences with automated commission.

Guest Experience
DACK

Mobile-first guest portal with verification, access and upsells.

Guest Experience
Folio

Digital guides built to boost both revenue and operational efficiency.

Direct Booking
Top Pick
Boostly

Direct booking websites and marketing, 2,000+ operators worldwide.

Direct Booking
Top Pick
Flataway

Build your own vacation rental website with referral fees.

Direct Booking
CraftedStays

Simplified direct booking platform for short-stay operators.

Finance
Top Pick
Topkey

All-in-one financial OS built for short-stay property managers.

Finance
Top Pick
Clearing

Trust accounting and bookkeeping tailored for STR operators.

Finance
Top Pick
ChargeAutomation

Automated check-ins, payments, ID verification and upsells.

Finance
BookingTrust

Trust accounting purpose-built for Australian STR operators.

Compliance & Risk
Top Pick
Autohost

Guest screening using machine learning and behavioural checks.

Compliance & Risk
Top Pick
Chekin

Automated check-in covering booking through to check-out.

Compliance & Risk
Top Pick
Proper Insurance

Commercial insurance built specifically for STR operators.

Compliance & Risk
Top Pick
Truvi

Damage protection covering up to $5m per incident.

Compliance & Risk
Top Pick
Waivo

Damage protection with fast reimbursement without guest involvement.

Owner Acquisition
Top Pick
Vintory

Owner database, CRM and marketing automation to grow inventory.

Listing Optimisation
Top Pick
AutoRank

AI listing enhancement using local events and trending keywords.

On our radar

Three movements we are watching closely as of early 2026. The first is the consolidation of guest communications and PMS, with messaging layers being absorbed into core systems. The second is AI-native operations tools, where the gap between marketing claim and working software remains wider than most operators realise. The third is finance and trust accounting purpose-built for short-stay, which has lagged the rest of the stack and is finally moving.

We test new tools quarterly. Some make the directory. Most do not.

Engage the practice

A directory is not a stack.

The tools above are starting points. The work is in fitting them to your operation. When you engage Australia Dreams, we run a structured three-stage process: map your existing workflow, design the stack for your business, and implement the changes alongside your team.

Book a stack audit