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 195 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:
Exely shines when it comes to support and responsiveness — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) , with exclusive features like Automated reporting and Referral Reporting.
RateGain shines , with exclusive features like A/B testing & optimization and Price comparison widget.
Side-by-side ratings based on 195 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | From $400/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 172 | 23 |
After analyzing 195 verified reviews, Exely users most value its support and responsiveness, booking engine effectiveness, direct booking enhancement, while RateGain users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Support and Responsiveness
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Booking Engine Effectiveness
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Direct Booking Enhancement
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Channel Manager Synchronization
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Customization and Flexibility
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Integration and Advanced Features
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Guest Experience Concerns
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How each product ranks among Booking Engine 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) ▾ | #15 34 reviews | #32 2 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #11 64 reviews | #18 17 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #22 5 reviews | #17 2 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #8 6 reviews | #15 2 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 35 reviews | #23 9 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #15 28 reviews | #22 8 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #16 17 reviews | #19 7 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #16 9 reviews | #26 2 reviews |
By Region
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| North America | #24 2 reviews | #38 1 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #25 11 reviews | #47 0 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #4 79 reviews | #9 15 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #2 17 reviews | #5 6 reviews |
Choosing the right booking engine can dramatically influence your hotel's revenue and guest experience. Both Exely Booking Engine and RateGain Hotel Booking Engine aim to elevate direct bookings, but they differ significantly in features, user feedback, and market presence. Your decision should hinge on which platform aligns best with your hotel's size, region, and specific operational needs.
Exely’s more recent and voluminous reviews give it a clear edge in trustworthiness. But which platform truly fits your hotel's profile and goals?
Both products address the core challenge of converting website visitors into direct bookers while reducing dependence on OTAs. Exely’s platform is praised for its user-friendly interface and reliable synchronization, especially appreciated by small to mid-sized hotels seeking simplicity and quick deployment. RateGain, while less reviewed recently, offers a broader global reach with advanced features like real-time pricing and multi-language support.
The main divergence lies in their feature set and regional focus: Exely has a more extensive presence in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, while RateGain's strength is in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. If your hotel targets these regions, your choice may differ.
Does your hotel need a straightforward solution with strong local support, or are you seeking advanced features for a global audience? The answer guides which platform fits better.
If your hotel needs a highly rated, easy-to-use booking engine with proven support and a focus on direct booking growth, go with Exely. Its 144 reviews, most from the last six months, highlight its reliability, quick onboarding, and high likelihood to recommend — 98%.
If your hotel requires a larger partner network, extensive integrations, or advanced features like A/B testing and Google Analytics, RateGain might be appealing. However, note its limited recent reviews and regional presence, which could impact support and customization.
For independent hotels and boutique properties prioritizing ease and support, Exely is the safer choice. Larger or more tech-forward hotels with a global footprint might consider RateGain, but with caution.
Exely’s platform scores a 4.91/5 for ease of use, driven by its intuitive dashboard and straightforward onboarding process, which many reviewers praise as “friendly” and “quick.” Customers frequently mention how easily staff adapt, with comments like “support system, timely problem solving, ease of use, and quick response” highlighting its focus on user experience.
RateGain’s interface is also rated highly at 4.71/5, appreciated for its simplicity and fast updates. Users describe it as “easy to access and very friendly,” but some note occasional glitches in automatic booking updates.
Edge: Exely.
Exely boasts 21 shared features plus 8 exclusive ones, including room substitutions, booking abandonment recapture, and website integration, offering substantial customization options. RateGain shares many core features but adds 7 unique capabilities like A/B testing, price comparison widgets, and gift vouchers, emphasizing marketing and analytics.
While RateGain’s extra features cater to larger hotels seeking detailed optimization tools, Exely’s focus on automation and guest engagement makes it more suitable for independent properties.
Edge: Exely.
Exely’s reviews consistently laud its customer support, with a 4.96/5 rating and comments like “answers all questions promptly” and “friendly negotiations,” indicating a high level of responsiveness. Recent reviews emphasize the support team’s quick problem resolution and proactive communication as key strengths.
RateGain scores 4.76/5, also praised for support, but with fewer recent reviews to confirm consistency. Some users mention occasional delays or glitches but overall positive experiences.
Edge: Exely.
RateGain outperforms with 95 verified partners compared to Exely’s 8, including notable integrations like Oracle Hospitality, HotelRaccoon, and Profitroom. Shared partners such as Mews and Booking.com indicate common ground, but RateGain’s extensive partner network offers more flexibility for hotels with complex systems.
Exely’s limited integrations might restrict some operational workflows, but its core features are robust enough for many independent hotels. Larger hotel groups needing advanced third-party connections should lean toward RateGain.
Edge: RateGain.
Exely has a significantly higher review count (144 vs. 21) and recent feedback, making its ratings more reliable. Hoteliers across boutique, city center, and resort segments rate Exely highly for ease of use, support, and value, with 98% likelihood to recommend.
RateGain’s reviews are sparse and less recent, mostly praising ease of use but lacking detailed feedback or high ratings. For hoteliers seeking proven satisfaction, Exely’s score is the stronger indicator.
Edge: Exely.
Exely’s pricing starts at $200 per month with no freemium or trial options, making it an affordable choice for smaller hotels. RateGain charges a $400 base price, also without trial or freemium plans, positioning itself as a more premium option.
Both require annual payments; your choice depends on your budget and how much value you assign to advanced features or broader integrations.
Not ideal if your hotel needs extensive customization, advanced analytics, or integrations with complex enterprise systems.
Not ideal if your hotel is small, boutique, or primarily focused on local markets without needing complex integrations.
Exely excels as a straightforward, well-supported booking engine with recent, high-quality reviews. Its strengths in ease of use, customer support, and direct booking features make it ideal for independent hotels and smaller chains seeking quick results.
RateGain offers a broader set of integrations and advanced marketing features but lags in recent reviews and regional support. It’s better suited for large, multi-property brands or hotels with complex operational needs.
If your priority is a proven, user-friendly platform with strong support, go with Exely. If your hotel needs extensive integrations, detailed analytics, and a global reach, consider RateGain—but verify recent reviews and regional support first.
According to HTR's product database, Exely Booking Engine and RateGain Hotel Booking Engine share 21 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| A/B testing & optimization | ||
| Alternative accommodation recommendations (when no availability) | ||
| Automated reporting | ||
| Booking abandonment recapture | ||
| Gift Vouchers | ||
| Google Analytics tracking | ||
| Google Pay | ||
| PayU | ||
| Price comparison widget | ||
| Room substitutions | ||
| Tariffs | ||
| Website Integration |
Showing top differences. 3 more features differ between these products.
We analyzed 2 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"We took a proactive approach and collaborated with Exely, implementing various strategies, such as a loyalty program. The outcome has been outstanding — not only have we been able..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
"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..."
No published case study for this goal yet.
What hoteliers love
Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a... Exely's support is lauded for its rapid response times and solution-oriented approach, contributing to an improved user experience. This is seen as a considerable strength of the product.
Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus con... Exely's booking engine is frequently praised for its user-friendliness, fast operation, and ability to enhance direct bookings significantly, thus contributing to revenue growth. It is deemed to have a powerful positive impact on the guest experience and conversion rates.
The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party... The software is commended for increasing direct bookings and lowering reliance on OTAs. This positively impacts hotel revenue by lowering third-party fees and providing a return on investment through efficient booking management.
Where hoteliers push back
A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more f... A recurring critical point among users is the limited customization options available, particularly in reporting and website design. Users seek more flexibility to adapt templates and reports to their needs.
Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a do... Users would like to see improvements in integration capabilities with other hotel management systems. Current integration limitations are seen as a downside restricting the platform's full potential.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
It depends on your requirements. Exely Booking Engine and RateGain Hotel Booking Engine share many core Booking Engine features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Booking Engine offers 8 verified integration partners, while RateGain Hotel Booking Engine offers 95. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Exely Booking Engine leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 vs 4.7/5. 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.
Exely Booking Engine: No. RateGain Hotel Booking Engine: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Booking Engine 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. Exely has an HT Score of 93 and RateGain 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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