Smoobu alternative
FrontDesk vs Smoobu
Smoobu is a vacation rental PMS with public prices from €29/month that grow with each unit. FrontDesk is a hotel PMS at €39 per property, whatever the room count.
How we compare: we have no commercial relationship with Smoobu. What we say about Smoobu comes from its own public pages, read on September 30, 2026 (link below); where a vendor publishes no price we say so instead of quoting third-party estimates. Prices change, so check the source before you decide. FrontDesk's gaps are on this page as plainly as its strengths.
How you pay
Smoobu
Plans per unit, public
- • Professional Flex €29/month with a 0.9% booking fee; Professional Prepaid €31.50/month and Teams Pro+ €49.50/month with 0% booking fee (annual discount applied).
- • Each additional unit "costs from €9.60 per month"; above 20 properties Smoobu quotes on request. 14-day trial without a card.
FrontDesk
Per property, public, no quotes
- • €39/month per property (or €390/year) up to 49 rooms; from 50 rooms Enterprise at €2.90 per room per month, falling to €1.90 from 400 rooms.
- • Groups: €33/month per property from 3 properties, €29 from 10, one subscription and one invoice, activated from Settings.
- • Every feature in the one plan; no setup fee, no minimum term, 14-day trial without a card.
Feature by feature
Smoobu: prices published. FrontDesk: €39/month per property on the pricing page, sign up and pay by card yourself.
Smoobu: each additional unit adds to the monthly price. FrontDesk charges per property, never per room or per booking.
Smoobu: channel manager in every plan. FrontDesk connects two-way to OTAs through Channex (a certified channel manager you subscribe to separately) or syncs via iCal. It is not a built-in channel manager.
Smoobu: booking website in every plan; the Flex plan carries a 0.9% booking fee. FrontDesk: a hosted booking page per property with live availability and seasonal prices; deposits go to your own Stripe account.
Smoobu: full API access listed in every plan. FrontDesk: REST API for reservations, availability and guests plus signed webhooks, in the base price.
Smoobu: e-invoicing listed with the Teams Pro+ plan. FrontDesk does not submit electronic invoices to tax systems yet.
Choose Smoobu if
- • You manage a few holiday apartments and want channel manager, booking website and guest messaging in one low-cost tool.
- • Your work is centred on Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo calendars rather than a hotel front desk.
Choose FrontDesk if
- • You run a hotel with many rooms and want a price that does not grow with each unit.
- • You need hotel front-office tools: night audit, folios, numbered invoices, staff roles and housekeeping.
- • You run several properties and want volume pricing from 3 properties.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Smoobu cost?
From Smoobu's pricing page (September 30, 2026): Professional Flex €29/month with a 0.9% booking fee, Professional Prepaid €31.50/month and Teams Pro+ €49.50/month, each additional unit from €9.60/month, quotes above 20 properties.
What does it cost to try FrontDesk?
Nothing, and you don't talk to anyone: the demo with a sample hotel is at /demo, and the 14-day trial of every feature needs no credit card.
See it before you decide
The demo runs on a sample hotel with no forms or sales calls; the 14-day trial needs no credit card.