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 256 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:
eviivo shines in ease of use and customer support — especially for Vacation Rentals & Villas properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Integrated Payment Processing and Booking Performance and Pace Reporting.
IBS Software shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 256 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $700/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 256 | 0 |
After analyzing 256 verified reviews, eviivo users most value its support and on-boarding experience, ease of use and intuitive interface, comprehensive feature set, while IBS Software users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support and on-boarding experience
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Ease of use and intuitive interface
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Comprehensive feature set
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Time-saving benefits
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Mobile functionality
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Technical and display issues
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Pricing and subscription
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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) ▾ | #7 66 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #14 21 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #13 5 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #14 2 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #9 38 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #8 42 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #9 24 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #6 25 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #6 21 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #3 194 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #25 1 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #20 2 reviews | — |
Deciding between eviivo Suite™ CM by eviivo and iStay Gateway by IBS Software hinges on your hotel's specific needs. Both products aim to simplify distribution and management, but their approaches and strengths differ markedly. eviivo is primarily a channel manager with a proven track record among small to medium properties, while IBS Software’s iStay Gateway emphasizes broad distribution across numerous channels. Which one aligns better with your operational priorities?
eviivo Suite™ excels at connecting small to medium-sized hotels, B&Bs, and vacation rentals to a wide array of OTAs with just one click, reducing overbookings and manual updates. Conversely, iStay Gateway offers a more extensive syndication network, connecting properties to over 144 channels globally, making it ideal for hotels looking to maximize reach across multiple markets. Where your hotel’s scale and distribution strategy differ, so should your choice.
eviivo’s recent reviews highlight a reputation for ease of use, quick onboarding, and high support quality, whereas iStay Gateway has little recent review data, making eviivo’s current customer satisfaction scores more reliable. Would you prioritize proven support and user-friendly features, or are you seeking the largest distribution network regardless of ease of use?
If your hotel operates primarily within Europe, North America, or has a significant B&B or vacation rental segment, eviivo is the more suitable choice. Its robust feature set, including PMS connectivity, multi-lingual support, and real-time updates, makes it well-suited for smaller properties needing integrated management.
If your hotel seeks to reach a wide global audience across many channels and can manage a more complex distribution infrastructure, iStay Gateway’s extensive network of over 144 channels is appealing. However, with zero recent reviews and no recent customer feedback, eviivo’s high satisfaction rate and active user base make it the safer, more reliable fit.
eviivo scores a 4.65/5 in ease of use, with many reviews praising its intuitive, user-friendly interface that simplifies management for non-technical staff. It also offers a smooth onboarding process, backed by a dedicated support team, with a review rating of 4.78/5 for support.
In contrast, iStay Gateway has no recent reviews or ratings, leaving its ease of use unverified. Given eviivo’s high ratings and recent positive feedback, it clearly has a user experience designed for hotels that want straightforward management without steep learning curves.
Edge: eviivo Suite™
eviivo offers 15 unique features, including PMS connectivity, bulk updates, 2-way real-time integrations, channel self-mapping, support for weekly and monthly rates, inventory management, multi-lingual support, and analytics dashboards. These tools address essential hotel management needs and are highly valued by users.
iStay Gateway, by comparison, provides a broad distribution network but lacks specific feature details or a comparable feature set. Its focus is on syndication rather than operational tools, making eviivo’s feature-rich platform the more comprehensive choice for smaller hotels seeking management capabilities.
Edge: eviivo Suite™
eviivo’s customer support is highly rated at 4.78/5, with reviews emphasizing quick, friendly, and effective assistance. Many users mention how support agents like Mohamed have gone above and beyond to help resolve issues promptly, which is crucial during onboarding and daily operations.
There is no recent support or customer experience data for iStay Gateway, making it impossible to compare support quality confidently. Based on available ratings and reviews, eviivo’s support is superior and more dependable.
Edge: eviivo Suite™
eviivo boasts 32 verified partners, including major OTAs and industry tools like Tripadvisor, Hotelchamp, and D-Edge. These integrations enable smoother management and better control over your distribution channels.
iStay Gateway connects to over 144 sales channels, but lacks detailed information about its integration partners or the depth of these connections. Given eviivo’s active partner ecosystem and recent reviews, its integrations appear more tailored and tested for small to medium hotels.
Edge: eviivo Suite™
eviivo’s recent reviews show an average NPS score of 9.72/5, with 97% of users recommending it. Its high satisfaction stems from ease of use, support quality, and features tailored for small and mid-sized properties. Hotels across vacation rentals, B&Bs, and boutique hotels highly praise its management tools.
No recent ratings or reviews are available for iStay Gateway, making eviivo’s customer feedback more reliable. Considering the active review base and recent positive feedback, eviivo is clearly the more highly-rated platform.
Edge: eviivo Suite™
eviivo charges a $700 monthly fee, with no freemium or trial options, but includes a comprehensive feature set suitable for small to medium hotels. Pricing for iStay Gateway is unspecified, with no published rates or trial information, leaving cost clarity unavailable.
Given the transparent pricing and detailed features of eviivo, your team can better evaluate its value. Without pricing data for iStay Gateway, eviivo’s offering provides a clearer cost-benefit picture.
eviivo’s core strength lies in its ease of use, support, and feature-rich management tools tailored for small to medium properties. It is a proven solution with recent reviews emphasizing high customer satisfaction, making it a reliable choice for properties prioritizing operational efficiency and support.
iStay Gateway offers extensive distribution capabilities across 144 channels, which makes it suitable for larger or more globally oriented hotels. However, with minimal recent data and no review-backed support ratings, its actual usability and customer satisfaction remain uncertain.
Choose eviivo if you seek a user-friendly, well-supported platform with proven success among similar properties. Opt for iStay Gateway only if your distribution needs outweigh concerns about ease of use and customer support, and you have resources to manage a complex syndication network.
In conclusion, eviivo Suite™ CM is the recommended solution for most small and mid-sized hotels aiming for ease, support, and integrated management. iStay Gateway may be appropriate for large hotels with extensive distribution needs, but the lack of recent customer feedback makes it a less reliable choice today.
Channel Managers 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.
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| Starting Price | From $700/mo | — |
According to HTR's product database, eviivo Suite™ CM and iStay Gateway (by IBS Software) share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| 2-way real time integrations | ||
| Bulk Updates & Multiple Restrictions | ||
| Channel Self-Mapping | ||
| PMS connectivity | ||
| Support for Weekly & Monthly Rates | ||
| Yield Rules |
Showing top differences. 3 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 8 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"Because of the automation from the eviivo Suite, it saves me a huge amount of time. This time I can use on growing the business; working on the business instead of in the business...."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Auf eviivo könnte ich heut gar nicht mehr drauf verzichten. Das Hotel ohne dieses Programm zu führen, scheint mir fast unmöglich, weil die Zeit, die ich jetzt erspart habe, die ich..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"Aujourd’hui on a la possibilité de gérer l’ensemble de notre parc, que ce soit la tarification, le calendrier, la communication en un seul clic pour gérer plus de 50 appartements,..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
Many reviews highlight the excellent support and onboarding experience provided by Eviivo, especially the role played by agents in easing the transiti... Many reviews highlight the excellent support and onboarding experience provided by Eviivo, especially the role played by agents in easing the transition and setup process. The support team is noted for its quick, clear assistance, essential for smooth operations.
Users repeatedly praised Eviivo for its intuitive platform that simplifies booking and channel management, making it ideal even for non-tech-savvy use... Users repeatedly praised Eviivo for its intuitive platform that simplifies booking and channel management, making it ideal even for non-tech-savvy users. The ease of navigation across reservations, channels, and settings has significantly reduced administrative tasks.
The diverse capabilities of Eviivo, such as multi-property management and centralized control over operations, are highly valued. Users mention that t... The diverse capabilities of Eviivo, such as multi-property management and centralized control over operations, are highly valued. Users mention that these features save time and optimize daily management, although some call for more customization options.
Where hoteliers push back
While the platform is praised for desktop use, several reviews criticize the mobile site's cumbersome nature and the app's lack of intuitiveness, lead... While the platform is praised for desktop use, several reviews criticize the mobile site's cumbersome nature and the app's lack of intuitiveness, leading to challenges in managing bookings on the go.
Some users experienced initial technical issues, such as display bugs, but noted these were resolved quickly with support. Users feel ongoing technica... Some users experienced initial technical issues, such as display bugs, but noted these were resolved quickly with support. Users feel ongoing technical improvements could benefit the overall platform.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. eviivo Suite™ CM and iStay Gateway (by IBS Software) share many core Channel Managers features, but each has unique capabilities. eviivo Suite™ CM offers 32 verified integration partners, while iStay Gateway (by IBS Software) offers 1. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. eviivo Suite™ CM leads in ease of use at 4.7/5 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.
eviivo Suite™ CM: No. iStay Gateway (by IBS Software): 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. eviivo has an HT Score of 85 and IBS Software has 0. 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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