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 791 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 in onboarding — especially for brand properties (0.0/5) .
RateGain shines when it comes to customer support — especially for independent properties (5.0/5) , with exclusive features like Guest Feedback Management and Performance Reporting.
Side-by-side ratings based on 791 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Value for Money |
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| Starting Price | From $100/mo | From $900/mo |
| Verified Reviews | 196 | 595 |
After analyzing 791 verified reviews, Exely users most value its ease of use and operational efficiency, support responsiveness and onboarding help, direct bookings and revenue growth, while RateGain users highlight customer support, channel management, real-time updates. Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Ease of use and operational efficiency
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Customer Support
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Support responsiveness and onboarding help
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Channel Management
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Direct bookings and revenue growth
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Real-Time Updates
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Real-time channel synchronization and inventory control
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Reporting and Analytics
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Reporting and analytics limitations
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User Interface
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Customization and branding of the booking engine and interface
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Connectivity Issues
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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) ▾ | #15 26 reviews | #5 96 reviews |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) ▾ | #9 51 reviews | #2 279 reviews |
| Large (75-199 rooms) ▾ | #14 5 reviews | #2 142 reviews |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) ▾ | #7 5 reviews | #2 43 reviews |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #15 29 reviews | #4 225 reviews |
| Luxury ▾ | #13 27 reviews | #3 254 reviews |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #15 14 reviews | #2 216 reviews |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #14 6 reviews | #3 63 reviews |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #18 2 reviews | #11 12 reviews |
| Europe ▾ | #19 10 reviews | #12 27 reviews |
| Asia Pacific ▾ | #5 67 reviews | #3 379 reviews |
| Middle East ▾ | #7 13 reviews | #1 90 reviews |
Choosing between Exely Channel Manager and RateGain Channel Manager hinges on your hotel’s specific needs, budget, and operational complexity. Both products aim to streamline distribution, reduce manual work, and boost revenue, but they approach these goals differently.
Exely offers a straightforward, user-friendly solution with a focus on efficiency for smaller to mid-sized hotels, while RateGain emphasizes comprehensive features, extensive integrations, and global reach suitable for larger chains. Which product aligns best with your hotel’s scale and growth ambitions?
Both Exely and RateGain help manage online distribution, but their core strengths differ. Exely emphasizes ease of use, quick synchronization, and a lower price point, making it ideal for hotels that prioritize operational simplicity and cost-efficiency.
RateGain, on the other hand, provides a broader set of features, including advanced analytics, rate shopping, and extensive channel connections, suited for hotels seeking detailed market insights and expansive distribution. Do your hotel’s needs lean toward streamlined management or data-driven revenue strategies?
If your hotel needs a cost-effective, easy-to-navigate solution with solid synchronization and minimal learning curve, Exely is the ideal choice. It suits independent hotels or boutique properties that want to optimize online bookings without heavy tech investments.
If you operate a large hotel chain or multiple properties requiring deep analytics, extensive integrations, and advanced rate management tools, RateGain is the better fit. Its broad partner network and advanced features support complex distribution strategies and revenue growth. Is your hotel ready to handle more robust analytics and wider distribution channels?
Exely scores a 4.95/5 for ease of use, thanks to its intuitive interface, straightforward onboarding, and minimal staff training needed. Users highlight its simple dashboard, quick setup, and clear navigation, making daily operations smoother across teams.
RateGain also rates highly at 4.72/5, with a user-friendly interface that supports quick onboarding, but some users mention occasional delays and interface modernization opportunities. Overall, Exely’s simplicity gives it an edge for teams prioritizing quick adoption and ease.
Edge: Exely
RateGain offers a significantly larger feature set, with 25 exclusive features like PMS connectivity, guest feedback management, social review tracking, marketing dashboards, metasearch connectivity, analytics dashboards, and open API access. These tools support sophisticated distribution, marketing, and revenue management strategies.
Exely, with no unique features beyond basic channel management, focuses on core functionalities like real-time synchronization, manual rate updates, and automated reporting. For hotels seeking advanced features and integrations, RateGain clearly leads.
Edge: RateGain
Both products boast high customer support ratings—Exely at 4.95/5 and RateGain at 4.71/5—indicating strong service levels. Exely users frequently comment on responsive, helpful support that resolves issues swiftly, which is crucial during setup and troubleshooting.
RateGain is praised for its proactive support, but some users report occasional delays, especially during system updates. Given the recent review momentum and higher overall support ratings, Exely’s support appears slightly more dependable.
Edge: Exely
RateGain vastly outstrips Exely with 95 verified integrations versus Exely’s 8, providing access to a broader network of OTAs, PMS, GDS, and voice channels. Shared partners include major players like Oracle Hospitality and Mews, alongside many exclusive connections.
Exely’s limited integrations may restrict your ability to connect with certain platforms, but its simplicity can make setup faster for small-scale operations. If extensive connectivity is critical, RateGain’s larger partner ecosystem gives it a clear advantage.
Edge: RateGain
RateGain’s overall rating of 4.81/5 is based on 502 reviews, significantly more recent, with a 94% likelihood to recommend. Hotels across all segments, especially brande and independent properties, rate it highly for its comprehensive features and market insights.
Exely’s rating, at 0/5, indicates a lack of recent reviews and limited feedback, which diminishes confidence despite positive anecdotal comments. Given the volume and recency, RateGain’s ratings are more representative of current user satisfaction.
Edge: RateGain
Exely’s pricing is straightforward at $100/month without trial options, making it accessible for smaller hotels. RateGain costs $900/month, reflecting its more extensive feature set and global reach, but offers no trial period.
Consider your budget and required features carefully: Exely suits hotels seeking basic, affordable channel management, while RateGain justifies its higher price through advanced capabilities and integrations.
Not ideal if your hotel needs detailed performance analytics, multi-property management, or marketing tools.
Not ideal if you operate a small property with limited distribution needs or if budget constraints prevent investing in a high-end platform.
The core difference lies in scope: Exely offers a streamlined, affordable solution for small to mid-sized hotels, while RateGain provides a broad, feature-rich platform suited for larger, growth-oriented properties.
If your hotel values ease of use, quick setup, and basic distribution, Exely is the clear choice due to its simplicity and recent stellar reviews. Its lower price point and high support rating make it an excellent fit for smaller hotels.
Conversely, if your hotel needs extensive integrations, advanced analytics, and global distribution with the capacity to handle complex operations, RateGain stands out. Its comprehensive features and larger partner network justify its higher cost.
Choose Exely if you want a reliable, budget-friendly channel manager that enhances operational efficiency with minimal fuss. Opt for RateGain if your hotel’s growth depends on advanced tools, market insights, and broad channel connectivity to maximize revenue streams.
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 5 verified case studies to compare what hotels actually achieve with each platform across four key business objectives.
"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..."
"There is no comparison between RateGain and other vendors in the market. We were getting a lot of ARI discrepancies with our previous vendors, on the other hand, RateGain provide..."
"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..."
"RateGain enabled us to tap into markets like China, which was previously challenging. Integration with RateGain PMS and channel distribution expanded our reach"
What hoteliers love
Users often describe Exely as intuitive, simple, and efficient for daily hotel work. The platform is credited with reducing manual tasks, speeding up... Users often describe Exely as intuitive, simple, and efficient for daily hotel work. The platform is credited with reducing manual tasks, speeding up reservation handling, and making rate and availability management easier for teams with limited time or technical capacity.
Exely’s support team is repeatedly praised for fast, helpful, and solution-oriented assistance, often cited as a major reason hotels trust the platfor... Exely’s support team is repeatedly praised for fast, helpful, and solution-oriented assistance, often cited as a major reason hotels trust the platform. Reviewers highlight quick responses during setup, technical troubleshooting, and day-to-day operations, though a few also ask for more training materials and proactive guidance on complex features.
Many users say Exely helps grow direct website sales and overall revenue by improving the booking flow and giving hotels more control over pricing and... Many users say Exely helps grow direct website sales and overall revenue by improving the booking flow and giving hotels more control over pricing and offers. Reviewers link the platform to higher conversion, reduced OTA dependence, and better ability to turn website traffic into profitable direct reservations.
Where hoteliers push back
A recurring theme is that Exely’s reporting is useful for daily operations but not yet deep or flexible enough for revenue analysis. Reviewers want mo... A recurring theme is that Exely’s reporting is useful for daily operations but not yet deep or flexible enough for revenue analysis. Reviewers want more customizable dashboards, better channel and promotion comparisons, real-time data, OTA/B2B-specific reporting, and richer revenue KPIs such as ADR, room nights, and booking trends.
A common product request is for more customization in the booking engine, extranet, reports, and templates so hotels can match their brand and workflo... A common product request is for more customization in the booking engine, extranet, reports, and templates so hotels can match their brand and workflow. Reviewers specifically mention color contrast and brand-color issues, more modern website templates, better invoice/confirmation formats, and more intuitive navigation for advanced settings.
Ranks higher for
What hoteliers love
RateGain's customer support receives positive mentions for being responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful. Users appreciate the availability of support... RateGain's customer support receives positive mentions for being responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful. Users appreciate the availability of support and the willingness of the team to assist with any issues. However, there are occasional criticisms about response times, indicating an area for potential enhancement.
RateGain's channel management system is praised for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive connectivity with numerous OTAs, allowing hoteliers... RateGain's channel management system is praised for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive connectivity with numerous OTAs, allowing hoteliers to efficiently distribute rates and manage inventory across platforms. Despite some reports of delays in bulk updates, users appreciate the seamless integration and centralized control offered by the system.
Real-time updates are a key feature of RateGain, allowing for immediate synchronization of inventory and rates across channels. This feature is valued... Real-time updates are a key feature of RateGain, allowing for immediate synchronization of inventory and rates across channels. This feature is valued for reducing manual errors and minimizing the risk of overbookings. However, certain users note occasional delays in the updates, suggesting that enhancements in this area could improve overall efficiency.
Where hoteliers push back
RateGain's user interface is generally described as intuitive and easy to navigate, contributing to the system's overall user-friendliness. Users valu... RateGain's user interface is generally described as intuitive and easy to navigate, contributing to the system's overall user-friendliness. Users value the straightforward design, though some recommend updates to modernize the interface and improve ease of use, especially for new users.
While RateGain offers comprehensive connectivity options, some users report occasional issues with maintaining stable connections, particularly during... While RateGain offers comprehensive connectivity options, some users report occasional issues with maintaining stable connections, particularly during high-traffic periods. These interruptions can impact the consistency of rates and availability across platforms, indicating a need for improvements in system stability.
Ranks higher for
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Exely Channel Manager and RateGain Channel Manager share many core Channel Managers features, but each has unique capabilities. Exely Channel Manager offers 8 verified integration partners, while RateGain Channel Manager offers 96. 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 4.7/5. 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 Channel Manager: No. RateGain 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. Exely has an HT Score of 91 and RateGain has 45. 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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