Counter vs. Prostay:
Which Is Right for You?

Is Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay Better for Hotels?

Counter by Counter and Prostay by Prostay both address the operational needs of hotels but diverge sharply in their core target markets and feature sets. Counter is tailored primarily for hostels, with 83% of its users from that segment and 50 verified reviews rating hostels at 4.7/5. In contrast, Prostay focuses on resorts and boutique hotels, with 80% of users in resorts and a perfect 5/5 rating from 4 resort reviews. Both systems aim to simplify property management through automation and integration, streamlining tasks like reservations, guest communication, and billing.

Where they overlap, both systems reduce manual workload by automating key workflows, such as payment processing and booking management. However, Counter centers on simplicity and mobility for hostel environments, while Prostay provides a broader, more sophisticated toolset suitable for full-service hotels and resorts, including on-premise deployment and extensive reporting capabilities.

Counter by Counter vs Prostay by Prostay: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your property is a hostel or small budget accommodation with a focus on ease of use and mobile access, choose Counter. This is supported by Counter’s user base where 83% are hostels and its 50 reviews scoring 4.7/5 in that segment, reflecting strong operational fit. For boutique hotels or resorts seeking a comprehensive system with advanced features like native email marketing, integrated POS, and revenue management, Prostay is the stronger choice. Prostay’s perfect 5/5 rating from boutique and resort hotels, though limited to fewer than 10 reviews, indicates high satisfaction within these segments.

Data is thin for mid-sized limited service hotels and multi-property chains on both products, but Prostay’s multi-property support and offline mode suggest suitability for larger or more complex operations. Counter’s absence of multi-property capabilities and fewer integrations limit its fit for these properties.

Is Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay Easier to Use?

Counter and Prostay both score highly on ease of use and onboarding, with Counter rated 4.6 and 4.7 respectively and Prostay slightly higher at 4.8 for both metrics. Reviewers emphasize Counter’s clean, intuitive interface, especially its mobile-friendly design, which simplifies training and daily management for hostel staff. Users highlight rapid staff adoption and minimal learning curves, a key operational advantage in high-turnover environments.

Prostay users also praise the system’s intuitive workflows and faster staff training, noting well-designed automation that expedites daily tasks. However, Prostay’s more complex feature set may require longer initial familiarization at larger properties.

Despite these nuances, the difference in ratings is less than 0.3 and both products have over 10 reviews, so ease of use is essentially comparable.

Edge: Even.

Which Has Better Features: Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay?

Prostay offers 21 unique features that Counter lacks, including transactional emails for bookings and folios, native email marketing, centralized messaging, task management, automated reminders and payment requests, automated space optimization, real-time status updates, drag-and-drop tapechart, rules-based room assignments, and a revenue management module. These features empower hotel managers and front desk staff to automate guest communications, optimize room allocation, and manage revenue dynamically, critical for resorts and boutique hotels with complex operations.

Counter’s unique features include group booking functionality, an automated night audit, and a mobile app that allows property management on the go. These simplify hostel operations by streamlining group check-ins and nightly financial reconciliation, with mobility enhancing frontline staff flexibility.

Since Prostay’s additional features directly impact operational efficiency and revenue optimization in full-service hotels, and it offers a broader set of integrated tools, it has a clear advantage in features.

Edge: Prostay by Prostay.

Which Has Better Customer Support: Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay?

Both products receive excellent customer support ratings: Counter scores 4.9/5 and Prostay 5/5, with onboarding scores at 4.7 and 4.8 respectively. Counter reviewers frequently mention specific support staff by name (Evelyn, Max, José) and praise their responsiveness and helpfulness, although some note slower support in certain time zones. Prostay users describe support as professional and responsive, with the onboarding process aided significantly by Prostay’s team during migration.

Given the minimal rating differences and high praise for support teams on both sides, customer support quality is effectively even.

Edge: Even.

Which Has More Integrations: Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay?

Counter leads with 7 verified integrations compared to Prostay’s 2. Both share Stripe for payment processing, but Counter uniquely integrates with WuBook, FLYR Hospitality, SiteMinder, Cloudbeds, Channex, and Goki, providing connectivity with major channel managers and access control systems that benefit properties with diverse distribution needs.

Prostay’s integrations are limited to Stripe and STAAH, the latter a channel manager but less widespread than those Counter supports.

Hotels relying on extensive OTA connections and multiple platforms will find Counter’s integration portfolio more flexible. Prostay’s fewer integrations may constrain connectivity, though its native features cover many operational areas.

Edge: Counter by Counter.

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: Counter by Counter or Prostay by Prostay?

Counter has 57 reviews averaging 4.6/5 overall, with 50 reviews from hostels at 4.7/5 and 35 from limited service hotels at 4.6/5. Prostay’s rating is a perfect 5/5 but based on only 5 total reviews, with 4 from resorts and 3 from boutique hotels.

Due to Prostay’s limited review volume, its rating may not fully reflect the current product experience, especially as no reviews are from the last six months for either product. Counter’s review volume provides a more reliable performance indicator, especially for hostels.

Given the data, hoteliers in hostels and limited service hotels rate Counter highly with a substantial sample; boutique hotels and resorts rate Prostay perfectly but from a small sample.

Edge: Even.

How Much Do Counter by Counter and Prostay by Prostay Cost?

Counter does not publish pricing details and offers no free trial, monthly flat fee, per-room pricing, or implementation fees. It is described as a free PMS designed for hostels.

Prostay sets a base price of $600.00 with no published per-room or monthly fees and no trial offered. No implementation fees are listed.

The lack of transparent pricing from Counter and the fixed base price from Prostay make direct cost comparison difficult. Hostels benefit from Counter’s free access, while Prostay’s fee structure suits full-service hotels expecting a broader feature set.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Counter by Counter?

• Hotels that operate primarily as hostels, supported by 83% of Counter’s user base and 50 reviews scoring 4.7/5.
• Teams that need a mobile-friendly PMS enabling management from any device or location.
• Properties seeking simple group booking management and automated nightly audits to reduce manual reconciliation.
• Hostels requiring integrations with multiple channel managers and payment processors to maximize online distribution.
• Teams valuing responsive support with quick follow-up, especially for English-speaking Europe-based properties.

Not ideal if:

• Your hotel needs advanced revenue management or dynamic pricing tools.
• You operate multiple properties requiring centralized management.
• Your property demands sophisticated guest communication automation or email marketing.
• You require a fully integrated POS system beyond basic payment processing.
• You run a full-service resort or large boutique hotel needing extensive reporting and operational modules.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Prostay by Prostay?

• Resorts and boutique hotels seeking a comprehensive PMS with integrated revenue management and native email marketing.
• Properties requiring robust automation of guest communications, including transactional emails and centralized messaging.
• Hotels that manage complex room assignments with rules-based automation and drag-and-drop tapecharts.
• Teams needing multi-property support and offline operation capabilities for remote locations.
• Properties wanting built-in POS and spa & wellness modules for full-service operational integration.

Not ideal if:

• Your property is a hostel or small budget accommodation with limited staff technical training.
• You require extensive channel integrations beyond Stripe and STAAH.
• Cost is a major factor, given the $600 base price without transparent per-room pricing.
• You prefer a fully cloud-based, mobile-first PMS with minimal initial setup.

Counter by Counter vs Prostay by Prostay: The Bottom Line for Hotels

Counter by Counter and Prostay by Prostay serve distinct hotel segments with some feature overlap but clear operational differences. Counter focuses on hostels with a straightforward, mobile-accessible platform and multiple integrations optimizing online distribution. Prostay targets resorts and boutique hotels demanding sophisticated automation, revenue management, and multi-property support.

Choose Counter if your property is a hostel or limited budget hotel valuing ease of use, mobile flexibility, and broad channel management integration. The free pricing model and high review volume in this segment confirm its operational fit and value.

Choose Prostay if you operate a full-service resort or boutique hotel requiring advanced features like centralized guest messaging, revenue management, integrated POS, and offline capabilities. Prostay’s perfect ratings in boutique and resort segments reflect satisfaction with its comprehensive toolset despite limited review volume.

This comparison is definitive where segment data is sufficient: Counter excels in hostels and entry-level properties; Prostay is better for larger, full-service hotels needing extensive operational control.