Backyou vs. Explara: Which Is Right for You?

Updated May 15, 2026  ·  53 verified reviews analyzed

TLDR

We analyzed 53 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:

Backyou.io shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Meeting Room Utilization & KPI Reporting and Mobile Sales CRM.

Explara shines .

See the full breakdown below ↓

How Does Backyou Compare to Explara?

Side-by-side ratings based on 53 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.

HTScore
85
0
Likelihood to Recommend
98%
0%
Ease of Use
5.0/5
0.0/5
Customer Support
4.9/5
0.0/5
Value for Money
4.8/5
0.0/5
Starting Price From $300/mo Contact sales
Verified Reviews 53 0

What Are the Pros and Cons of Backyou vs Explara?

After analyzing 53 verified reviews, Backyou.io users most value its ease of use, customizable quotes, statistics and reporting, while Explara users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.

Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
Pros
+ Ease of Use
+ Customizable Quotes
+ Statistics and Reporting
+ Support Responsiveness
Cons
Job Descriptions

Backyou.io vs Explara: Rankings by Hotel Segment

How each product ranks among Hotel Sales Software vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.

By Hotel Size

Segment Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
Small (10-24 rooms) #3 8 reviews
Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) #5 32 reviews
Large (75-199 rooms) #12 0 reviews
X-Large (200+ rooms) #6 5 reviews

By Property Type

Segment Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
Boutique #8 12 reviews
Luxury #8 8 reviews
Branded / Chain #7 20 reviews
Extended Stay #9 0 reviews

By Region

Segment Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
North America #11 3 reviews
Europe #4 38 reviews
Asia Pacific #7 2 reviews

The Decision

Choosing between Backyou by Backyou.io and Explara by Explara hinges on your hotel’s specific sales and event management needs. Both products aim to streamline event and group booking processes, but Backyou.io is tailored for hospitality sales teams focusing on booking management, while Explara caters more broadly to event organizers handling a variety of event types. The core difference is their target audience and functionality scope. Are you seeking a hotel-centric sales platform or a versatile event management system?

Is Backyou.io or Explara Better for Hotels?

Backyou.io is designed specifically for hotels seeking to improve their group and event sales processes. It centralizes requests, automates proposals, and offers robust CRM and reporting tools, making it ideal for property sales teams aiming to boost revenue and efficiency. Explara, on the other hand, is a cloud-based event platform that handles ticketing, registration, and post-event engagement, suited for organizers managing diverse event formats beyond hotel groups.

While Backyou.io has a dedicated focus on hospitality with 47 recent reviews and an average score of 85, Explara hasn't accumulated recent hotel-specific feedback or review data, making Backyou the more validated choice for hotel sales teams. Does your hotel need a specialized sales tool, or are you exploring a broader event platform?

Backyou.io vs Explara: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs a dedicated platform to streamline group and meetings sales, Backyou.io is the clear choice. Its features like meeting room occupancy, lead time analysis, pipeline CRM, and automated workflows directly support hotel sales operations, especially if your primary goal is increasing group booking conversions.

If you require a comprehensive event platform that manages everything from ticketing to post-event surveys, Explara might seem appealing. However, its lack of recent hotel-specific reviews and integrations makes it less reliable for hotel sales teams focused on group reservations. For hotels prioritizing sales efficiency and revenue growth, Backyou.io is the more appropriate solution.

Is Backyou.io or Explara Easier to Use?

Backyou.io scores a 4.98 out of 5 for ease of use, with users highlighting its intuitive interface, straightforward quote management, and efficient workflow automation. Its onboarding process also receives a high rating of 4.86, making it accessible for hotel teams with varying tech familiarity.

Explara’s ease of use remains unverified due to the absence of recent reviews or ratings, leaving its user experience uncertain. For hotel teams seeking a proven, user-friendly platform with a high satisfaction record, Edge: Backyou.io.

Which Has Better Features: Backyou.io or Explara?

Backyou.io offers 20 unique features tailored for hotel sales, including meeting room occupancy, demand pace analysis, dashboard reporting, BEO management, mobile CRM, and workflow automations. Its feature set directly addresses the complexities of managing group bookings, contracts, and revenue tracking.

Explara provides a unified event management platform but lacks the specialized hotel-focused features that Backyou.io offers. It is more suited for general event organizers rather than hotel sales teams. With a feature advantage and hotel-aligned functions, Edge: Backyou.io.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Backyou.io or Explara?

Backyou.io boasts a 4.94 out of 5 support rating, with reviews praising its responsiveness, ease of onboarding, and ongoing assistance. One review states, "The support team was quick to adapt to our needs and provided dedicated help, which made implementation smooth."

Explara’s support and onboarding ratings are unverified due to no recent reviews, making it difficult to gauge support quality. Given Backyou.io’s proven track record and recent positive feedback, Edge: Backyou.io.

Which Has More Integrations: Backyou.io or Explara?

Backyou.io integrates with eight verified partners, including Stayntouch, Mews, Opera Cloud, and Salesforce, enabling seamless data flow across systems used in hospitality. Explara, meanwhile, has no verified integrations, limiting its ability to connect with existing hotel systems.

For hotels seeking a connected, streamlined workflow, Backyou.io’s integrations offer a significant advantage. Edge: Backyou.io.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Backyou.io or Explara?

Backyou.io has a strong review base with 47 reviews, 11 of which are recent, and consistently high ratings in ease of use, support, and value. Hotels across segments, particularly branded hotels and city center properties, rate it highly, with a 98% likelihood of recommendation.

Explara lacks recent hotel-specific reviews or ratings, making it impossible to determine hotel satisfaction levels. Based on available data, Backyou.io clearly has the higher hotel-rated reputation.

How Much Do Backyou.io and Explara Cost?

Backyou.io’s pricing starts at $300 per month, with no free tier or trial, reflecting its enterprise focus. Explara does not publicly disclose pricing and offers a variety of solutions, often tailored to event organizers, which may involve custom quotes.

For hotels seeking transparent, predictable pricing for a dedicated sales platform, Backyou.io’s flat-rate model offers clarity.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Backyou.io?

  • Hotels that primarily rely on group and meetings bookings to boost revenue.
  • Sales teams looking for automation, lead tracking, and detailed reporting.
  • Properties with multi-property operations needing centralized data.
  • Hotels aiming to improve response times and proposal quality.
  • Teams wanting integration with PMS and CRM systems like Mews or Opera.

Not ideal if you:

  • Are a small boutique hotel with minimal group sales.
  • Need a platform solely for event ticketing or attendee engagement.
  • Prefer a free or very low-cost solution without dedicated hotel features.

Edge: Hotels that want a dedicated, sales-focused platform with automation and integrations.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Explara?

  • Hotels with large event or conference spaces that host external organizers.
  • Properties seeking to manage multiple event types, including exhibitions and community events.
  • Hotels aiming to engage attendees with mobile apps and post-event surveys.
  • Teams wanting a unified platform that covers pre-event, event-day, and post-event activities.

Not ideal if you:

  • Need a hotel-specific sales management tool.
  • Require deep integration with PMS or CRM systems.
  • Seek a platform with recent hotel-focused reviews and support.

Edge: Not applicable for hotel-specific sales but suitable for hotels acting as event organizers or hosts.

Explara vs Backyou.io: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Backyou.io and Explara serve vastly different markets, with Backyou.io tailored to hotel sales teams managing groups and events. Its 85 HTR score, recent reviews, and extensive features make it a dependable choice for hospitality professionals looking to streamline group sales. Explara is more suited for event organizers handling external events, not specifically designed for hotel sales operations.

Choose Backyou.io if your hotel aims to grow its group booking revenue, automate workflows, and integrate seamlessly with property systems. Explara may be helpful if your hotel functions as an external event organizer or hosts large public events but isn't ideal for direct sales management.

In conclusion, for your hotel’s sales and group management needs, Backyou.io outperforms Explara by a significant margin—more recent reviews, better support, deeper integrations, and hotel-centric features make it the clear choice.

How Much Do Backyou and Explara Cost?

Hotel Sales Software 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.

Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
Starting Price From $300/mo

Which Features Does Backyou Have That Explara Doesn't (and Vice Versa)?

According to HTR's product database, Backyou and Explara share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.

Feature Backyou.io Backyou.io Explara Explara
Dashboard
Demand Pace Analysis
Lead Time Analysis
Meeting Room Occupancy
Meeting Room Utilization & KPI Reporting
Sales Conversion Analytics

Showing top differences. 8 more features differ between these products.

Backyou.io vs Explara: The Bottom Line

Backyou.io
Backyou.io
4.9/5 from 53 reviews

What hoteliers love

Ease of Use 100% positive

BackYou’s intuitive interface and ease of navigation receive numerous positive mentions. These aspects contribute significantly to time savings and us... BackYou’s intuitive interface and ease of navigation receive numerous positive mentions. These aspects contribute significantly to time savings and user satisfaction. The software is often described as user-friendly and straightforward.

Customizable Quotes 62% positive

Users appreciate the robust quote customization options which allow personalized branding and design. This feature is noted for enhancing professional... Users appreciate the robust quote customization options which allow personalized branding and design. This feature is noted for enhancing professional communication with clients. However, additional features to better match brand identity have been suggested.

Statistics and Reporting 75% positive

There is notable praise for the tool's ability to generate insightful reports and statistics, crucial for decision-making and tracking performance. A... There is notable praise for the tool's ability to generate insightful reports and statistics, crucial for decision-making and tracking performance. A few users pointed out discrepancies and improvement opportunities in report detail and accuracy.

Where hoteliers push back

Job Descriptions 40% negative

Job description management is an aspect where BackYou could improve its flexibility. Users indicate difficulties and seek more dynamic creation and mo... Job description management is an aspect where BackYou could improve its flexibility. Users indicate difficulties and seek more dynamic creation and modification capabilities.

Unique capabilities

Meeting Room Occupancy Lead Time Analysis Dashboard Meeting Room Utilization & KPI Reporting Sales Conversion Analytics
5.0/5 ease of use 4.9/5 support 8 integrations
Visit Profile
Explara
Explara
0.0/5 from 0 reviews
0.0/5 ease of use 0.0/5 support 0 integrations
Visit Profile

Where the ratings diverge most

Ease of Use Backyou.io 5.0 vs 0.0 (+5)
Customer Support Backyou.io 4.9 vs 0.0 (+4.9)
Value for Money Backyou.io 4.8 vs 0.0 (+4.8)
Onboarding Backyou.io 4.9 vs 0.0 (+4.9)

Frequently Asked Questions About Backyou vs Explara

Can Backyou replace Explara?

It depends on your requirements. Backyou and Explara share many core Hotel Sales Software features, but each has unique capabilities. Backyou offers 8 verified integration partners, while Explara offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.

Which is better for small or independent hotels?

Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Backyou leads in ease of use at 5.0/5 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.

Do Backyou or Explara offer a free plan?

Backyou: No. Explara: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Hotel Sales Software vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.

How Does HTR Evaluate and Rank Backyou and Explara?

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. Backyou.io has an HT Score of 85 and Explara has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.

Criteria Group Weight What It Measures
Customer Ratings & Reviews

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

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

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

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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