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:
Backing the packers 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, Backing the packers 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 | Backing the packers |
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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 | Backing the packers |
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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 | Backing the packers |
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| North America ▾ | — | #25 8 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | — | #20 25 reviews |
| Asia Pacific | — | #16 4 reviews |
| Middle East | — | #11 2 reviews |
Choosing the right property management system (PMS) can significantly influence your hotel's operations, guest satisfaction, and revenue. You’re evaluating Backing the packers, a platform with no recent reviews and a low rating, against Counter, a well-reviewed, feature-rich solution. Both aim to streamline management tasks but diverge notably in usability, support, and market presence. Which platform truly aligns with your hotel’s needs?
Backing the packers offers an AI-driven review analysis but lacks a proven track record and recent user feedback. Counter, on the other hand, boasts a high overall rating, active user base, and ongoing improvements. Are you ready to prioritize a platform with more recent, positive reviews?
Backing the packers claims to analyze customer feedback through AI, providing insights and recommendations. However, it has no recent reviews or measurable ratings, making it difficult to assess its real-world performance. Counter, with 54 reviews in the last six months and a 4.73/5 rating, clearly demonstrates current user satisfaction.
Counter’s reviews highlight its ease of use, automation features, and support, whereas Backing the packers’ lack of recent reviews makes its reliability questionable. Does your hotel need a platform proven in recent, real-world settings?
If your hotel primarily serves hostels and values an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface with automated operations, Counter is the better fit. Its core features include channel management, payment processing, and guest CRM—absent from Backing the packers.
Backing the packers may appeal if you seek an AI analysis tool to mine review data, but with no recent user feedback, its actual effectiveness remains unverified. For active, customer-focused hostels or small hotels, Counter's proven feature set and recent reviews make it the smarter choice.
Counter has a high ease of use rating at 4.6/5 and is praised for its clean, intuitive interface that simplifies daily operations. Users find onboarding straightforward, with many noting quick staff adoption and minimal training.
Backing the packers' UI and user experience are unreviewed, but its lack of recent reviews signals limited ongoing user feedback. Given Counter's active support and recent positive comments, the edge clearly goes to Counter for ease of use.
Counter offers 19 features, including channel management, online booking engine, payment processing, guest profiles, multi-currency support, and automation tools—features not present in Backing the packers. Its integrated POS system and revenue tracking are particularly valued by users.
Backing the packers, on the other hand, provides no specific features or integrations, focusing solely on AI review analysis. When it comes to functional capabilities critical for daily management, Counter’s comprehensive feature set outshines Backing the packers. Edge: Counter.
Counter’s customer support scores 4.96/5, with reviews highlighting its responsiveness and professionalism. Users frequently mention staff like Evelyn and Max as helpful and quick to resolve issues.
Backing the packers has no recent reviews or ratings, making it impossible to gauge support quality. Based on current feedback, Counter’s support clearly holds the advantage. Edge: Counter.
Counter supports seven verified integrations, including Stripe, Cloudbeds, SiteMinder, and Goki, enabling connections with payment gateways and channel managers. Backing the packers has no listed integrations, limiting its connectivity options.
Counter’s broader integration ecosystem allows your hotel to connect with essential platforms, enhancing operational flexibility. For now, it’s the clear leader. Edge: Counter.
Counter’s recent reviews set its rating at 4.73/5, with users across hostel and small hotel segments expressing strong satisfaction. Hoteliers in diverse regions praise its ease of use, automation, and support.
Backing the packers’ rating remains at 0, with no recent reviews available. Its lack of recent feedback makes it impossible to determine current hotel satisfaction levels. Given recent positive reviews, Counter is rated higher by hoteliers today. Edge: Counter.
Pricing details for Backing the packers are unavailable, and it does not offer a free trial or clear fee structure. Counter also does not publish specific prices but states there are no implementation or monthly fees, implying a potentially straightforward or free offering, especially for small hosts.
Without explicit costs, your decision should focus on value and features rather than price alone. Counter’s transparent approach and user feedback on ROI support its value proposition.
Not ideal if your hotel needs a robust PMS or operational tools, as Backing the packers lacks core management features.
Not ideal if your hotel requires advanced revenue management, detailed reporting, or industry-specific features beyond basic hostel operations.
Counter is a comprehensive, actively supported PMS with a strong recent review base. Its broad feature set, ease of use, and recent user satisfaction make it a dependable solution for small hotels and hostels.
Backing the packers presents an intriguing AI review analysis service but lacks current user feedback and core PMS features. Without recent reviews or proven operational capabilities, it’s a risky choice for active hotels.
If your priority is a well-supported, feature-rich PMS with proven performance, Counter is the clear choice. For a specialized review analysis tool, Backing the packers might be suitable, but its limited data makes it less reliable for day-to-day hotel management.
In summary, Counter’s recent reviews, active support, and broad functionality make it the stronger option for your hotel today. Backing the packers might have niche applications but currently lacks the real-world validation needed for most hotel operations.
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.
| Backing the packers |
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According to HTR's product database, Backing the packers and Counter share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature | Backing the packers |
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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. Backing the packers and Counter share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Backing the packers 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.
Backing the packers: 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. Backing the packers 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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