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 1,621 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:
Cloudbeds shines when it comes to ease of use and staff training — especially for independent properties (4.5/5) , with exclusive features like Centralized user & role management and Unlimited Channels (no additional cost).
Exely shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) .
Side-by-side ratings based on 1,621 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $100/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 1,387 | 234 |
After analyzing 1,621 verified reviews, Cloudbeds users most value its ease of use and staff training, calendar and reservations management, reporting and analytics, while Exely users highlight user-friendly interface and ease of daily operations, support and responsiveness of the exely team, channel management and real-time ota synchronization. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Ease of use and staff training
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User-friendly interface and ease of daily operations
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Calendar and reservations management
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Support and responsiveness of the Exely team
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Reporting and analytics
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Channel management and real-time OTA synchronization
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Channel manager and OTA synchronization
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Increase direct bookings and website revenue
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Support responsiveness
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Reporting and analytics gaps
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Payments, invoicing, and accounting workflows
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Integration with PMS and other third-party systems
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Mobile app limitations
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How each product ranks among Channel Managers vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #3 572 reviews | #15 26 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #5 171 reviews | #9 51 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #4 42 reviews | #14 5 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #11 4 reviews | #7 5 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #2 484 reviews | #15 29 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #4 213 reviews | #13 27 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #4 108 reviews | #15 14 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #2 92 reviews | #14 6 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #1 405 reviews | #18 2 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #4 183 reviews | #19 10 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 231 reviews | #5 67 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #6 14 reviews | #7 13 reviews |
Choosing a channel manager for your hotel involves balancing ease of use, features, support, and overall value. Both Cloudbeds’ MyAllocator and Exely aim to simplify distribution, but their approaches and strengths differ significantly. Your decision hinges on which product aligns best with your hotel’s size, technology needs, and growth plans.
Cloudbeds’ platform offers a broad suite of integrated tools with a proven track record and a larger user base. Exely, meanwhile, emphasizes straightforward, error-reducing rate management with an ultra-lean interface. Which will serve your hotel better?
Cloudbeds and Exely both solve the core challenge of managing multiple OTAs and reducing overbookings through synchronization. Cloudbeds’s strength lies in its extensive ecosystem, integration options, and comprehensive platform that combines PMS, channel management, and booking engine—making it ideal for hotels seeking an all-in-one solution.
Exely focuses primarily on rate and availability updates with a simple interface, designed to eliminate manual errors quickly. It’s best suited for hotels or chains that want a straightforward, highly reliable channel manager without extra features. Do you need a full platform or a specialized rate management tool?
If your hotel needs a broad, integrated platform that manages operations, distribution, and guest engagement in one place, Cloudbeds is the clear pick. Its larger review base (over 1,062 reviews) and higher recency of feedback mean better support and ongoing improvements.
If your hotel’s priority is error-free, rapid updates across OTAs with minimal fuss—and you don’t require a broader PMS—Exely offers a simpler, more direct experience. It’s perfect for independent hotels and chains that want to streamline distribution without extra bells and whistles.
For multi-property management, extensive integrations, and future scalability, Cloudbeds outshines. For quick, reliable rate updates and overbooking prevention, Exely is a solid choice.
Cloudbeds has a highly regarded interface with a 4.6/5 ease-of-use rating, praised for its intuitive design and staff onboarding. Its onboarding score (4.45/5) and review comments highlight a platform that’s accessible to teams at all levels, though some users mention a learning curve with advanced features.
Exely edges out slightly with a 4.95/5 rating, offering a very simple, user-friendly extranet that minimizes training needs. Its minimalistic approach means less complexity during setup and daily operations.
Edge: Exely.
Cloudbeds stands out with 17 unique features, including PMS connectivity, role management, unlimited channels, and yield rules—features that give it a broader operational scope. Its ability to connect with 190 verified partners and offer extensive automation sets it apart.
Exely provides core channel management features, focusing solely on rate and availability updates, with no additional features beyond synchronization and reporting. Its simplicity is an advantage for those seeking straightforward functionality.
Edge: Cloudbeds.
Cloudbeds’s support rating (4.41/5) is strong, with reviews emphasizing responsiveness and helpfulness, though some users report occasional delays. Its onboarding process is well-rated (4.45/5), and the company has a large, global support team.
Exely scores a perfect 4.95/5 on support and onboarding, with reviews explicitly praising its responsiveness and ease of problem-solving. Its recent product launch and smaller team enable more personalized, rapid assistance.
Edge: Exely.
Cloudbeds excels with 190 verified partners, offering integrations with PMS, revenue management, marketing, and more. Shared partners like Booking.com and IDeaS ensure robust connectivity, supporting extensive automation.
Exely has only 8 verified partners, mainly OTA platforms like Booking.com and Hotellab, with limited other integrations. Its ecosystem is more focused and less flexible for expanding operational needs.
Edge: Cloudbeds.
Cloudbeds’s 4.64/5 overall rating reflects a broad user base, including independent hotels, hostels, and boutique properties, with recent reviews confirming continued satisfaction. Hotels consistently praise its comprehensive features and ease of scaling.
Exely, with a 85.09/5 HTR score but fewer reviews, has received uniformly positive feedback about its simplicity and reliability—particularly from independent hotels and small chains. However, the limited number of recent reviews reduces confidence in long-term support.
Given the volume and recency, Cloudbeds’s ratings are more representative, making it the stronger choice.
Edge: Cloudbeds.
Cloudbeds charges a $200/month base fee, with no freemium or tiered pricing outlined. Its higher cost reflects its broader feature set and extensive integrations.
Exely’s pricing starts at $100/month with no additional fees, making it more affordable for hotels prioritizing fundamental distribution management. Its straightforward pricing structure appeals to smaller operations.
For value that matches your budget and feature needs, Cloudbeds offers more, but Exely’s lower price may suffice for simple use cases.
Not ideal if you prefer a lean, single-function channel manager without additional features, or have a very limited IT support team.
Not ideal if you need a broader platform that manages reservations, guest engagement, or revenue optimization.
Cloudbeds offers a comprehensive, scalable platform that integrates operations, distribution, and guest experience — making it ideal for hotels aiming to grow and optimize across multiple channels. Its larger user base, broader feature set, and extensive integrations make it a top choice for mid-sized and larger hotels seeking efficiency and future-proofing.
Exely’s simplicity, affordability, and focus on error-free rate synchronization suit small hotels or chains that want a straightforward, reliable channel manager. Its ease of use and dedicated support make it a dependable solution for those with limited technical resources.
If your hotel needs a broad, future-ready platform, Cloudbeds is the clear leader. For quick, reliable distribution without extra complexity, Exely offers a strong alternative.
These are the features each vendor has configured, organized by feature group — the same data shown in the vendor dashboard. Expand a group to compare features side by side.
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Rate Management
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| Support for Weekly & Monthly Rates | ||
| Yield Rules | ||
| Derived Rates | ||
| Inventory Management | ||
| Inventory grid | ||
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Room Type Mapping
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| Channel Self-Mapping | ||
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Automation & Syncing
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| Bulk Updates & Multiple Restrictions | ||
| 2-way real time integrations | ||
| PMS connectivity | ||
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Administration & Settings
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| Multi-lingual | ||
| Centralized user & role management | ||
| Multi-Currency Support | ||
| Inventory grid | ||
| Integrated Payment Processing | ||
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Analytics & Reporting
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| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Booking Performance and Pace Reporting | ||
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Other
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| Unlimited Channels (no additional cost) |
We analyzed 10 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"I have not worked with a company that has such good customer service as Cloudbeds has. It's miles ahead."
"Before Exely, we could not get enough flexibility or functionality we needed. We couldn’t manage dynamic pricing or promotions properly, now the system provides us all the tools t..."
"The biggest benefit of Cloudbeds' platform is its flexibility. I can access reporting online from anywhere. Everything is smoother with Cloudbeds."
"Once we switched to Exely, we immediately noticed a significant increase in reservations from online travel agencies. We discovered that our previous system had blocked some availa..."
"Cloudbeds is like if Apple made a property management system. The ease of use is super simple and straightforward for guests and our staff. It’s very intuitive and just makes sense..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
A consistent benefit is that Cloudbeds is easy for non-technical staff to learn and operate, which shortens onboarding and reduces dependence on speci... A consistent benefit is that Cloudbeds is easy for non-technical staff to learn and operate, which shortens onboarding and reduces dependence on specialists. Users also mention training resources, videos, and the knowledge base as helpful for adoption, though some still want more guided training for advanced functions.
Users repeatedly say Cloudbeds' calendar makes daily reservation handling simple, clear, and efficient. It helps staff track occupancy, manage check-i... Users repeatedly say Cloudbeds' calendar makes daily reservation handling simple, clear, and efficient. It helps staff track occupancy, manage check-in/check-out, split stays, room assignments, and reservation changes from one place, reducing manual coordination at the front desk.
Many users rely on Cloudbeds for operational and financial reporting, especially occupancy, revenue, channel performance, and year-over-year compariso... Many users rely on Cloudbeds for operational and financial reporting, especially occupancy, revenue, channel performance, and year-over-year comparisons. At the same time, they frequently ask for faster downloads, more modern dashboards, deeper customization, and more practical report formats for management use.
Where hoteliers push back
Support is often praised for quick chat responses, helpful follow-up, and good onboarding assistance, especially when teams need help learning the sys... Support is often praised for quick chat responses, helpful follow-up, and good onboarding assistance, especially when teams need help learning the system. However, there are also strong complaints about slow ticket resolution, lack of phone support, chatbot friction, and poor handling of urgent operational failures.
Users value Cloudbeds for integrated payments, invoice creation, folio handling, and easier billing workflows that reduce manual work at the desk. Neg... Users value Cloudbeds for integrated payments, invoice creation, folio handling, and easier billing workflows that reduce manual work at the desk. Negative comments focus on local tax invoicing gaps, payment setup issues, missing payment gateway options, and the need for better support for regional compliance and multi-currency operations.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
What hoteliers love
Reviewers frequently describe Exely as intuitive, easy to use, and straightforward for daily hotel work. They say the system simplifies reservation ha... Reviewers frequently describe Exely as intuitive, easy to use, and straightforward for daily hotel work. They say the system simplifies reservation handling, rate updates, and distribution tasks, helping teams work faster with less training and fewer mistakes.
A large share of reviews praise Exely’s support teams for fast, professional, and solution-oriented help. Hotels value quick responses during setup an... A large share of reviews praise Exely’s support teams for fast, professional, and solution-oriented help. Hotels value quick responses during setup and daily operations, and several say the team’s proactive guidance reduces friction and helps them use the platform more effectively.
Users most often say Exely keeps rates, availability, and inventory synchronized across multiple OTAs in real time, which reduces overbookings and man... Users most often say Exely keeps rates, availability, and inventory synchronized across multiple OTAs in real time, which reduces overbookings and manual updates. Hotels value being able to manage multiple channels from one place and keep distribution consistent across platforms.
Where hoteliers push back
Reporting is one of the most common improvement requests. Reviewers want more detailed, customizable, and faster reports with better visibility into r... Reporting is one of the most common improvement requests. Reviewers want more detailed, customizable, and faster reports with better visibility into revenue, channel performance, pickup trends, and guest behavior to support stronger revenue management decisions.
Many users ask for stronger integrations with PMS platforms, OTAs, payment gateways, and other hotel systems. While some praise existing connectivity,... Many users ask for stronger integrations with PMS platforms, OTAs, payment gateways, and other hotel systems. While some praise existing connectivity, others report missing PMS links or integration issues that create manual work, duplicate reservations, or limited workflow flexibility.
Ranks higher for
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Cloudbeds Channel Manager and Exely Channel Manager share many core Channel Managers features, but each has unique capabilities. Cloudbeds Channel Manager offers 203 verified integration partners, while Exely Channel Manager offers 10. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Exely Channel Manager leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 vs 4.6/5. 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.
Cloudbeds Channel Manager: No. Exely Channel Manager: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Channel Managers 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. Cloudbeds has an HT Score of 99 and Exely has 92. 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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