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 137 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:
freetobook shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) and Payment Requests.
planet / Hoist shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 137 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
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| Starting Price | From $200/mo | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 137 | 0 |
After analyzing 137 verified reviews, freetobook users most value its ease of use, pricing/value for money, guest experience enhancements, while planet / Hoist users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
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Ease of Use
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Pricing/Value for Money
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Guest Experience Enhancements
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Channel Management
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Customization
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Self-Catering Focus
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Handling of Single vs. Double Occupancy Rates
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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
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| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #28 26 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) | #53 2 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #25 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
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| Boutique ▾ | #23 24 reviews | — |
| Luxury ▾ | #26 20 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain ▾ | #31 6 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #26 5 reviews | — |
By Region
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| North America ▾ | #28 6 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #8 94 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #22 2 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #14 2 reviews | — |
Your hotel needs a property management system that simplifies operations, enhances guest experiences, and supports growth. Both freetobook and Hoist aim to serve this purpose, but their approaches and maturity differ significantly. While freetobook offers a comprehensive, user-friendly platform backed by recent reviews and a growing feature set, Hoist's product remains less developed with limited review data. So, which product is better suited for your hotel's needs?
Freetobook is a proven solution with over 129 reviews, predominantly positive, and recent feedback from 27 users in the last six months. Its high ratings—87.22 HTR Score, 4.91/5 ease of use, and 4.91/5 customer support—highlight its reputation among independent hotels and B&Bs. Conversely, Hoist's product has zero reviews and no ratings available, making it impossible to assess its current performance or user satisfaction.
Both systems aim to streamline property operations, but freetobook's extensive feature set and recent positive user experiences make it the more reliable and tested choice. Hoist, however, remains a less proven candidate at this time, and your decision should favor the platform with demonstrated success. Are you willing to choose an unreviewed system, or do you prefer a product with proven results?
If your hotel is a small to medium-sized independent property, especially a B&B or inn, freetobook is the clear choice. It offers a full suite of features—channel management, booking engine, guest messaging, payments, and revenue reports—that cater specifically to smaller operators needing simplicity and reliability. If you’re a larger hotel chain or require extensive customization and a broad regional presence, Hoist’s offering remains unclear due to lack of data and reviews.
For hoteliers focused on ease of use, value for money, and tried-and-true operational tools, freetobook’s high customer satisfaction and recent activity make it the recommended option. Hoist, with no publicly available reviews or verified features, cannot be confidently recommended at this stage.
Freetobook’s ease of use is highly rated at 4.91/5, with reviews praising its user-friendly interface and straightforward onboarding process. Customers note that new staff can quickly learn the system, reducing training time. On the contrary, Hoist offers no publicly available user ratings or reviews, leaving its usability uncertain. The lack of recent user feedback makes it difficult to evaluate how intuitive or accessible Hoist’s platform truly is.
Given current data, you can confidently say freetobook provides a smoother initial experience. Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook's platform boasts 38 unique features, including a channel manager, booking engine, guest messaging, integrated payment processing, revenue management, automated reminders, online check-in, and shift planning. These tools support operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. In contrast, Hoist offers no detailed feature list or a comparable set of capabilities, making it impossible to determine its feature breadth or depth.
Freetobook's extensive, integrated feature set—backed by recent reviews—positions it as the more capable system. Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook’s support ratings are outstanding at 4.91/5, with reviewers commending their quick responses, knowledgeable staff, and personalized assistance. Customers say, “Customer support is great with one-to-one help,” reflecting high satisfaction. Hoist provides no support ratings or customer testimonials, leaving its support quality unverified and potentially unreliable.
When support quality influences your operations, relying on a platform with proven, positive feedback is crucial. Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook integrates with four verified partners, including major OTAs, Stripe, and Google Ads, providing broad distribution and payment options. Hoist has only two verified partners and no mention of integrations with OTAs or marketing tools, which could limit its connectivity and automation potential.
Freetobook’s richer integration ecosystem supports smoother operations and increased reach. Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook’s recent reviews indicate a 99% likelihood to recommend, with a high satisfaction score reflected in the 87.22 HTR Score. Its primary users are small hotels, B&Bs, and inns, with ratings consistently high across these segments. Hoist lacks any reviews or ratings, so it's impossible to gauge user sentiment or hotel segment preferences.
Given the volume and recency of positive reviews, freetobook is clearly favored. Edge: freetobook.
Freetobook charges a flat fee of $200, with no freemium or monthly per-room charges. Pricing details for Hoist are unavailable, which raises questions about its affordability and value proposition.
Since freetobook provides transparent pricing and strong value, it becomes the more attractive option for small to mid-sized hotels. Without clear pricing data, Hoist’s value remains uncertain.
Not ideal if your hotel requires highly specialized features for large, complex properties or extensive customization needs not covered by freetobook.
Not ideal if your hotel is a small to medium independent property, especially given the lack of reviews and detailed feature information for Hoist.
Freetobook delivers a comprehensive, well-reviewed property management system tailored for small to medium-sized independent hotels, B&Bs, and inns. Its extensive feature set, ease of use, and high customer satisfaction make it a reliable choice for hoteliers seeking operational efficiency and growth. In contrast, Hoist’s product remains unproven with no reviews or transparent features, making it a risky option at present.
If you want a tried-and-true platform with proven success, freetobook is the clear winner. It supports your operational needs, enhances guest experiences, and offers excellent support—making it the best fit for most independent hotels.
Choose freetobook if you prioritize reliability, ease of use, and proven results. Consider Hoist only if you have specific, advanced needs that the current product can demonstrate to meet, and you are willing to accept the risk of unverified performance.
Property Management Systems 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 $200/mo | — |
According to HTR's product database, freetobook and hotsoft by planet share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
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| Automated Space Optimization | ||
| Booking Engine | ||
| Centralized Messaging | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Payment Requests | ||
| Transactional Emails (booking, folios, etc) |
Showing top differences. 26 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
The software’s user-friendly nature is a major highlight, enabling even less tech-savvy users to manage their properties efficiently. This simplicity... The software’s user-friendly nature is a major highlight, enabling even less tech-savvy users to manage their properties efficiently. This simplicity allows property owners and managers to easily navigate the system, reducing the time required for administrative tasks and thereby increasing focus on improving guest services.
Freetobook is perceived as excellent value for money, offering advanced features at competitive pricing. Users recognize its affordability in comparis... Freetobook is perceived as excellent value for money, offering advanced features at competitive pricing. Users recognize its affordability in comparison to other systems, which is particularly attractive to small accommodation businesses looking to maintain professional operations without significant outlays.
Freetobook enables hotels to enhance the guest experience through features like the GuestAppy system, which provides personalized booking confirmation... Freetobook enables hotels to enhance the guest experience through features like the GuestAppy system, which provides personalized booking confirmations and tailored options. Users note these additions positively impact guest satisfaction and help in delivering a more professional service.
Where hoteliers push back
Although generally praised for its flexibility, some users feel there's room for improvement regarding customization options, particularly for invoice... Although generally praised for its flexibility, some users feel there's room for improvement regarding customization options, particularly for invoices and booking summaries. Enhanced options would allow users to better tailor the system to specific operational needs, improving overall satisfaction.
The system is primarily designed for hotels, and some reviewers have indicated a need for more self-catering features, suggesting potential for expans... The system is primarily designed for hotels, and some reviewers have indicated a need for more self-catering features, suggesting potential for expansion in this area. Addressing this could make Freetobook more attractive to a wider variety of accommodation providers.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. freetobook and hotsoft by planet share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. freetobook offers 4 verified integration partners, while hotsoft by planet offers 2. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. freetobook leads in ease of use at 4.9/5 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.
freetobook: No. hotsoft by planet: 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. freetobook has an HT Score of 87 and planet / Hoist 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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