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:
Counter shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Payment processing and Housekeeping module.
CMSol shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 57 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 57 | 0 |
After analyzing 57 verified reviews, Counter users most value its user interface and usability, customer support, automated features, while CMSol users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
User interface and usability
▾
|
|
|
+
Customer support
▾
|
|
|
+
Automated features
▾
|
|
|
+
Platform integration
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
Bug issues
▾
|
|
|
−
Reporting and revenue management
▾
|
|
|
−
Pricing
▾
|
|
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 |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | #31 16 reviews | — |
| Luxury | #44 4 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #43 4 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #32 5 reviews | — |
By Region
| Segment |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | #25 8 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #20 25 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #16 4 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #11 2 reviews | — |
Choosing between Counter by Counter and Visual Hotel by CMSol hinges on your hotel’s operational needs. Counter is a comprehensive PMS that excels in managing hostels with a suite of features, while CMSol offers AI-driven insights but lacks a dedicated review and feature depth. Which system better aligns with your property’s size, segment, and growth plans?
Counter is a more established, review-backed platform with a high user rating and recent support improvements. CMSol, despite its innovation, has not yet demonstrated its effectiveness through recent reviews. Are you prioritizing proven reliability or exploring new AI-driven solutions?
Counter is designed explicitly for hostels, boasting a suite of 19 exclusive features like channel management, booking engine, automated night audit, and guest CRM, making daily operations more straightforward. CMSol, on the other hand, offers no unique features listed and appears to focus on AI-driven insights rather than core property management functions.
Counter maintains a high overall rating of 4.73/5 based on 54 recent reviews, with a strong 91% likelihood to recommend, signaling broad satisfaction. CMSol’s reviews are nonexistent or outdated, making it difficult to assess its effectiveness or reliability.
Do you need a proven, full-featured PMS or are you exploring AI analytics with uncertain current support?
If your hotel primarily needs a reliable, easy-to-use PMS tailored for hostels and small hotels, Counter is the clear choice. Its intuitive interface, 4.6/5 ease of use rating, and dedicated features like group booking management and integrated POS make it more suitable for day-to-day operations.
If your hotel aims to harness AI for guest feedback insights, operational recommendations, or personalized marketing and your team is comfortable with unproven platforms, CMSol’s AI capabilities may appeal. However, with no recent reviews or verified integrations, it’s risky to rely solely on this.
For hoteliers seeking stability, extensive integrations, and strong support, Counter is the safer, more proven pick.
Counter’s user interface scores a 4.6/5, praised for its simplicity, clarity, and quick staff onboarding. Multiple reviewers highlight how new staff learn the system within days, and the mobile-friendly design allows management from anywhere.
CMSol’s user experience ratings are unavailable, and there’s no mention of onboarding support or user feedback about ease of use. The lack of recent reviews and detailed user insights suggests it may not yet be as refined or widely adopted.
Edge: Counter.
Counter offers 19 unique features such as a channel manager, booking engine, automated night audit, guest CRM, multi-currency support, and cloud-based architecture. These features directly address operational needs across reservations, revenue management, and guest engagement.
CMSol does not list any specific features, focusing instead on AI review summaries and recommendations. The absence of core PMS features makes Counter the more comprehensive choice for property management.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s support is highly rated at 4.96/5, with many reviews praising the responsiveness, especially from staff like Evelyn and Max. Users cite quick problem resolution and helpful assistance, though some note support could be slower during off-hours.
No recent reviews or ratings exist for CMSol’s customer support, leaving its responsiveness and quality uncertain. Given the importance of reliable support in PMS, Counter’s proven high rating makes it the clear leader.
Edge: Counter.
Counter integrates with 7 verified partners, including popular platforms like SiteMinder, Stripe, Goki, and Cloudbeds. These integrations support booking, payments, access control, and channel management, covering most operational touchpoints.
CMSol currently lists no verified integrations, which limits its connectivity options and flexibility. If seamless integration with third-party services is critical, Counter offers a clear advantage.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s hotel users rate it at 4.73/5, with recent reviews emphasizing ease of use, support responsiveness, and feature completeness. Its user base mainly comprises hostels (83%), with consistent positive feedback about operational efficiency.
CMSol has no recent reviews or publicly available ratings, making it impossible to gauge user satisfaction or property segment fit. Without verified feedback, Counter’s trusted reputation remains unmatched.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s pricing details are not publicly listed but involve a flat monthly fee without implementation costs or freemium options, suggesting a predictable investment. CMSol provides no specific pricing information either, leaving potential buyers uncertain about costs.
Given the lack of transparent pricing, your decision should consider the value provided by Counter’s extensive features and support, which are backed by recent reviews.
Not ideal if you require highly specialized revenue management or advanced AI analytics, as Counter focuses more on core operations.
Not ideal if you need a proven, feature-rich PMS with extensive integrations and recent user reviews.
Counter is a well-established PMS tailored for hostels and small hotels, with a high review score, extensive features, and proven support. Its robust integration options and ease of use make it reliable for daily operations and growth.
CMSol, despite offering innovative AI capabilities, lacks recent reviews, verified integrations, and transparent pricing, making it a less dependable choice for now. If your hotel values stability, proven performance, and comprehensive property management, Counter is the better option.
Choose Counter if you prioritize reliability, extensive features, and proven support. Consider CMSol only if you’re exploring AI-driven insights and are prepared to navigate potential uncertainties in support and integration.
According to HTR's product database, Counter and Visual Hotel share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| 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. Counter and Visual Hotel share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Counter offers 7 verified integration partners, while Visual Hotel offers 0. 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.
Counter: No. Visual Hotel: 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. Counter has an HT Score of 17 and CMSol 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 →
Product recommendations advisor