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 137 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:
Assa Abloy shines .
freetobook shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) and Payment Requests.
Side-by-side ratings based on 137 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | Contact sales | From $200/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 0 | 137 |
After analyzing 137 verified reviews, Assa Abloy users most value its , while freetobook users highlight ease of use, pricing/value for money, guest experience enhancements. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Ease of Use
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Pricing/Value for Money
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Guest Experience Enhancements
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Channel Management
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Customization
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Self-Catering Focus
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Handling of Single vs. Double Occupancy Rates
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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 | Assa Abloy |
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | — | #28 26 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) | — | #53 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | — | #25 1 reviews |
By Property Type
| Segment | Assa Abloy |
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| Boutique ▾ | — | #23 24 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | — | #26 20 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | — | #31 6 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | — | #26 5 reviews |
By Region
| Segment | Assa Abloy |
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| North America ▾ | — | #28 6 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #8 94 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #22 2 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #14 2 reviews |
Choosing the right property management system (PMS) can significantly impact your hotel’s operations, guest experience, and revenue. Assa Abloy offers a solution with a long-standing reputation but minimal recent user feedback, whereas freetobook provides a modern, feature-rich platform with a large, active user base and recent positive reviews. Your decision hinges on whether you prioritize established reliability or current user satisfaction and innovation.
Both products aim to streamline reservations, improve distribution, and enhance operational control. Yet, their approaches differ: Assa Abloy leans toward enterprise security and integrations, while freetobook emphasizes ease of use and all-in-one management. How do these differences align with your hotel’s needs?
Assa Abloy, known for its security hardware and integrations, is primarily aimed at larger hotel chains or properties seeking high-security solutions. Its PMS offering is less visible in the review marketplace, with no recent reviews or star ratings, making its current usability and customer support unclear.
In contrast, freetobook boasts over 129 reviews in the last six months with an overall rating of 87.22, and a 99% likelihood to recommend, indicating strong recent user satisfaction. This recent feedback suggests freetobook is more aligned with the needs of independent and small-to-medium hotels seeking an accessible, feature-rich platform.
Assa Abloy’s lack of recent reviews raises questions about its current support and usability, whereas freetobook’s active user base and ongoing updates show it is evolving to meet hotelier demands. Given this, which platform better suits your hotel’s operational priorities and support expectations?
If your hotel requires a secure, enterprise-grade solution with advanced integrations, and your team has the technical capacity to implement complex systems, Assa Abloy might be appropriate. However, if you need a user-friendly, all-in-one PMS with extensive features, ongoing support, and recent positive reviews, freetobook is the stronger option.
Specifically, for small to medium-sized hotels or B&Bs looking to grow their direct bookings and streamline operations, freetobook’s comprehensive suite of 38 features—including channel management, booking engine, guest messaging, and revenue management—makes it an ideal fit. Conversely, Assa Abloy’s limited available data and lack of recent feedback suggest it’s less suitable unless your hotel’s infrastructure already aligns with its offerings.
In essence, if you prioritize ease, recent support, and a proven track record, go with freetobook; if you require high security and enterprise-level features, further investigation into Assa Abloy’s current capabilities is needed.
Freetobook’s user interface scores nearly perfect at 4.91 out of 5, with most reviews emphasizing its simplicity, quick onboarding, and intuitive navigation. Users highlight how even staff with limited tech experience can manage reservations, communicate with guests, and handle daily operations efficiently.
Assa Abloy’s usability isn’t reflected in recent reviews or ratings, leaving its ease of use uncertain. Given the lack of recent feedback and support data, it’s unlikely Assa Abloy offers the same level of user-friendliness as freetobook.
Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook offers 38 distinct features, including channel management, booking engine, guest messaging, online check-in, revenue tracking, guest app, and automated reminders—many of which directly support independent hotels and B&Bs. It also integrates with Stripe, RoomPriceGenie, and Pitchup.com, providing connectivity to popular booking channels and payment solutions.
Assa Abloy, by comparison, has no publicly available feature set or integrations beyond its core security hardware. Its limited data and absence of recent reviews suggest it doesn’t offer a comparable suite of hospitality management tools.
Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook’s recent reviews consistently praise its customer support, rating 4.91 out of 5, with comments on quick responses, knowledgeable teams, and helpful onboarding. Guests say, “Customer support is great with one-to-one help making sure we get the most out of their PMS.”
Assa Abloy’s support quality isn’t documented in recent reviews, making it difficult to assess. Its lack of recent customer feedback diminishes confidence in its current support level, unlike freetobook’s active, positive user experiences.
Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook connects with four verified partners, including Stripe, RoomPriceGenie, Pitchup.com, and Sweeply, offering broad options for payments, distribution, and revenue management. Its open architecture supports third-party integrations, enhancing flexibility for small hotels.
Assa Abloy has only one verified partner—Yanolja Cloud Solution—limiting its integration scope. With so few verified connections, it’s less suitable if your hotel relies on diverse systems.
Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook’s recent review activity and high ratings indicate strong user satisfaction, especially among B&Bs, small hotels, and independent operators. Its 87.22 score and 99% recommendation rate reflect current positive experiences.
Assa Abloy lacks recent reviews and ratings, making it impossible to determine current user sentiment. The absence of feedback suggests it’s less favored in the hotel community today.
Edge: freetobook.
Assa Abloy does not publicly disclose pricing or offer a trial, making direct comparison impossible. Historically, Assa Abloy solutions involve enterprise-level pricing, often requiring custom quotes.
Freetobook charges a flat $200 monthly fee, with no implementation or setup costs, and no ongoing charges per room. Its transparent pricing and free trial offer clear value and predictability for small to medium hotels.
Not ideal if your hotel is small, seeks ease of use, or prefers an all-in-one management platform.
Not ideal if your hotel requires enterprise-level security, custom integrations beyond those offered, or highly specialized management features.
The core difference is that freetobook provides a modern, feature-rich PMS with recent positive reviews, while Assa Abloy’s offering remains largely unreviewed and uncertain in current support and usability.
If your hotel needs an intuitive, cost-effective system with active support and a broad feature set, freetobook is clearly the better choice. It’s suited for small to medium properties seeking growth and operational efficiency.
Assa Abloy might fit if you are part of a large chain or enterprise that already leverages its security hardware and has the resources to navigate a less transparent system. However, for most hotels, especially those looking for a reliable, well-supported PMS, freetobook stands out as the more practical and proven option.
Property Management Systems pricing is rarely straightforward. Here is what we know from each vendor's public pricing data. Always request a custom quote for your property size.
| Assa Abloy |
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| Starting Price | — | From $200/mo |
According to HTR's product database, Assa Abloy and freetobook share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Assa Abloy |
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| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Booking Engine | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) |
Showing top differences. 26 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
The software’s user-friendly nature is a major highlight, enabling even less tech-savvy users to manage their properties efficiently. This simplicity... The software’s user-friendly nature is a major highlight, enabling even less tech-savvy users to manage their properties efficiently. This simplicity allows property owners and managers to easily navigate the system, reducing the time required for administrative tasks and thereby increasing focus on improving guest services.
Freetobook is perceived as excellent value for money, offering advanced features at competitive pricing. Users recognize its affordability in comparis... Freetobook is perceived as excellent value for money, offering advanced features at competitive pricing. Users recognize its affordability in comparison to other systems, which is particularly attractive to small accommodation businesses looking to maintain professional operations without significant outlays.
Freetobook enables hotels to enhance the guest experience through features like the GuestAppy system, which provides personalized booking confirmation... Freetobook enables hotels to enhance the guest experience through features like the GuestAppy system, which provides personalized booking confirmations and tailored options. Users note these additions positively impact guest satisfaction and help in delivering a more professional service.
Where hoteliers push back
Although generally praised for its flexibility, some users feel there's room for improvement regarding customization options, particularly for invoice... Although generally praised for its flexibility, some users feel there's room for improvement regarding customization options, particularly for invoices and booking summaries. Enhanced options would allow users to better tailor the system to specific operational needs, improving overall satisfaction.
The system is primarily designed for hotels, and some reviewers have indicated a need for more self-catering features, suggesting potential for expans... The system is primarily designed for hotels, and some reviewers have indicated a need for more self-catering features, suggesting potential for expansion in this area. Addressing this could make Freetobook more attractive to a wider variety of accommodation providers.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Assa Abloy and freetobook share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Assa Abloy offers 1 verified integration partners, while freetobook offers 4. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. freetobook leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 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.
Assa Abloy: No. freetobook: 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. Assa Abloy has an HT Score of 0 and freetobook has 87. 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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