The project dashboard is a free tool that is only available to verified hoteliers to make adopting new technology easier by streamlining their research and simplifying their communication workflow.
TLDR
We analyzed 57 verified hotelier reviews, compared feature sets, pricing, and real-world case studies to break down where each platform delivers. The right choice depends on your property type and priorities:
ACIGRUP shines .
Counter shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Payment processing and Housekeeping module.
Side-by-side ratings based on 57 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 57 |
After analyzing 57 verified reviews, ACIGRUP users most value its , while Counter users highlight user interface and usability, customer support, automated features. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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User interface and usability
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Customer support
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Automated features
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Platform integration
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Bug issues
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Reporting and revenue management
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Pricing
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How each product ranks among Property Management Systems vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment | ACIGRUP |
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|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #26 28 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) | — | #46 4 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | — | #32 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #31 1 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | ACIGRUP |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #31 16 reviews |
| Luxury | — | #44 4 reviews |
| Branded / Chain | — | #43 4 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #32 5 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | ACIGRUP |
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|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | — | #25 8 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #20 25 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #16 4 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #11 2 reviews |
Choosing between ACI Hotel by ACIGRUP and Counter hinges on your property’s specific needs and operational priorities. Both aim to streamline hotel management, but they serve markedly different audiences and offer varying features, support levels, and market presence. Your decision should reflect whether your focus is on comprehensive PMS capabilities or a simpler, hostel-focused platform.
ACIGRUP offers a broad but unreviewed platform with no recent data, while Counter provides a well-rated, active system praised for ease of use, features, and support. Given the recent reviews and higher overall scores, Counter is the more dependable choice right now. Are you ready to dive into the details?
Both ACI Hotel and Counter address core property management functions—reservation handling, guest management, and operational oversight. However, ACI Hotel aims to be an all-in-one hospitality platform with AI-driven review analysis and strategic insights, while Counter is designed specifically for hostels, focusing on simplicity and operational automation.
ACIGRUP’s platform has no recent reviews or detailed feature set, making it difficult to assess real-world performance or support effectiveness. Counter, by contrast, has 54 recent reviews, with a 4.73/5 rating and a 91% likelihood to recommend, indicating high user satisfaction. Do you prioritize a broad enterprise solution or a straightforward hostel system?
If your hotel needs a comprehensive PMS with advanced analytics, review summaries, and integration into broader hospitality systems, ACI Hotel could be suitable. It’s better for properties looking for AI-driven insights and an all-in-one platform, especially if operating across multiple regions.
Conversely, if your hostel or small property demands a simple, mobile-friendly interface with essential automation and strong support, Counter is the clear choice. Its ease of use and tailored features for hostels make it ideal for those prioritizing operational simplicity and guest engagement.
For hotels seeking detailed analytics and scalable features, go with ACI Hotel. If ease of use and support are your priorities, Counter is your best fit.
Counter scores a 4.6/5 for ease of use, with reviews praising its intuitive interface, quick onboarding, and mobile accessibility. Users highlight how easy it is to train staff and manage operations remotely, with many citing its simplicity as a key strength.
ACI Hotel, on the other hand, reports no ratings or reviews, making its usability impossible to gauge. Given Counter’s proven user-friendliness and recent positive feedback, it clearly has the edge here.
Edge: Counter.
Counter boasts 19 distinct features—channel management, payment processing, booking engine, calendar view, guest CRM, multi-currency support, and more—many designed specifically for hostel management. These features directly support daily operations, revenue tracking, and guest engagement.
ACIGRUP has no documented features or integrations in the available data, making it impossible to compare feature depth. Counter’s robust feature set and industry-specific tools give it a decisive advantage.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s support scores a near-perfect 4.96/5, with reviewers describing the team as responsive, helpful, and quick to resolve issues. Specific praise goes to staff like Evelyn and Max for their professionalism and support quality.
ACIGRUP has no recent reviews or support ratings, leaving support quality unverified. Based on current data, Counter’s support reputation is clearly superior.
Edge: Counter.
Counter integrates with seven verified partners, including Stripe, Cloudbeds, SiteMinder, and Goki, covering payments, channel management, and access control. These integrations enhance operational efficiency by connecting key platforms your hotel may already use.
ACIGRUP reports no verified integrations, limiting its connectivity potential. With more integrations and active partnerships, Counter offers better connectivity options.
Edge: Counter.
Counter has 54 recent reviews with a 4.73/5 rating, and 91% of users recommend it. Hoteliers in hostels and small properties praise its simplicity, support, and automation, with comments like, “Best PMS for hostels” and “Very friendly tool, easy to learn.”
ACIGRUP has no recent reviews or ratings, so its reputation remains unverified. Given current user feedback, Counter is clearly rated higher by active hoteliers.
Edge: Counter.
Pricing details for ACI Hotel are unavailable, with no trial or subscription info provided, suggesting a possibly bespoke or enterprise pricing model. Counter, meanwhile, is free to use, with no charges or implementation fees, making it accessible for small hostels and budget-conscious operators.
This cost advantage makes Counter especially appealing for startups and small properties seeking a straightforward, no-cost solution.
Not ideal if your property is small, needs simple tools, or prefers a free, lightweight system.
Not ideal if your hotel requires advanced analytics, multi-property management, or complex revenue tools.
The core difference lies in their target audiences: ACI Hotel is positioned as a broad, feature-rich PMS with AI insights, suitable for larger or multi-property hotels. Counter is a streamlined, user-friendly system tailored for hostels and small operations, emphasizing ease of use and support.
If your hotel needs extensive analytics, integrations, and a scalable platform, ACI Hotel is a compelling choice—though its unverified support and no recent reviews are drawbacks. For most hoteliers, especially in the hostel segment, Counter offers a proven, high-rated solution that simplifies daily tasks and delivers excellent support.
In the current landscape, Counter’s active user base, recent reviews, and positive ratings make it the safer, more reliable pick. Unless you require enterprise-scale features, Counter is the more practical choice for your property.
According to HTR's product database, ACI Hotel and Counter share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | ACIGRUP |
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| Booking Engine | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| RevPaR & ADR Reports |
Showing top differences. 7 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces w... Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces work well, allowing managers to handle tasks remotely. It is particularly noted for its simplicity in calendar and calendar management.
The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for thei... The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for their professionalism. However, there are concerns about slower support in certain time zones.
Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings acro... Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings across platforms. This automation reduces staff workload and improves operational efficiency.
Where hoteliers push back
Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during boo... Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during booking cancellations. These bugs have a negative impact on daily operations and guest experience.
Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are s... Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are seen as lacking, particularly for businesses operating on multiple rate plans or using dynamic pricing.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. ACI Hotel and Counter share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. ACI Hotel offers 0 verified integration partners, while Counter offers 7. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Counter leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 vs 0.0/5. Look for transparent pricing and a trial or demo option. Filter reviews on each product page by property size to hear from hotels like yours.
ACI Hotel: No. Counter: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Property Management Systems vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.
The HT Score is a composite ranking that considers 4 criteria groups and over a dozen variables to help hoteliers objectively compare hotel technology products. ACIGRUP has an HT Score of 0 and Counter has 17. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
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| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
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How highly do users recommend this product? Ratings Score, Review Volume, Share of Voice, Review Depth, Review Recency, Success Stories ▾ The most heavily weighted factor. Analyzes average satisfaction ratings (likelihood to recommend, ease of use, support, ROI), total review count relative to category peers, review recency (at least 20 reviews in the trailing 6 months), and share of voice across unique hotel clients to detect selection bias. |
| Partner Ecosystem |
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How highly do tech partners recommend this company? Partner Recommendations, Integration Quantity, Integration Quality ▾ Evaluates partner recommendations as expert votes of confidence, the number of verified integrations, and ecosystem quality — the average HT Scores of integration partners. Products with higher-quality integration ecosystems are more likely to deliver a connected tech stack. |
| Customer Centricity |
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How customer-centric is this organization? Certified Support, Review Consistency, Profile Completeness ▾ Assesses whether the company has earned HTR Customer Support Certification, maintains consistent review collection over time (an indicator of feedback-driven culture), and keeps product profiles complete with capabilities, screenshots, pricing, and features. |
| Reach, Staying Power & Resources |
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How extensive is this company's reach and resourcing? Geographic Reach, Staying Power, Company Resources, Trending Score ▾ Measures global presence (countries and regions served), years in business as a stability proxy, team headcount as a resource proxy, and a trending score based on trailing-twelve-month buyer inquiries, reviews, partner recommendations, and press activity. |
Customer ratings and reviews are by far the most important factor in the HT Score algorithm. HTR does not accept payment for higher rankings. All reviews are verified — only hotel industry practitioners with confirmed affiliations can submit ratings. View full HT Score methodology →
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