HostelMate vs Beds24 for hostels
Beds24 is cheap, flexible and well documented, and you set most of it up yourself. HostelMate is built only for hostels, with the channel manager and booking engine in one published price. If you like configuring things and run a small place, Beds24 is hard to beat on price; if you'd rather it worked for dorms out of the box, HostelMate is the easier fit.
| What we compared | HostelMate | Beds24 |
|---|---|---|
| Price a month | $19 up to 30 beds, $45 with no bed limit, per property | From €15.50, by calculator |
| Fees per booking or channel | None | €0.55 a month per channel link, €2 per extra login |
| Sells single dorm beds | Yes | Yes, each dorm set up by bed count |
| Channel manager | Included in both plans | Paid per channel link |
| Price published | Yes, on our pricing page | Through a calculator on its site |
| Built for | Hostels, from one small hostel to a small group | Owners who like to configure things themselves |
HostelMate prices are from our pricing page. Beds24 figures are from its own pricing calculator and wiki, read 5 October 2026.
Where Beds24 is the better choice
Beds24 is the cheaper option for a very small property, it has deep documentation and an open API, and nothing stops you building exactly the setup you want.
- You run a small place and want the lowest monthly bill.
- You enjoy configuring software and don't mind doing it yourself.
- You want an API to build your own tools around.
Built by people who ran hostels
HostelMate was sketched on a surf-wax box in Bali by two hostel managers who couldn't find software that treated a bunk as something you sell.
That's still the brief: the bed is the unit, and the price is on the website.
What HostelMate does day to day
- Change dorm prices for a whole season at once, by date range, weekend or event.
- Let prices move with demand through the day, if you switch it on.
- Send pre-arrival messages by email or WhatsApp with directions, check-in times and house rules.
- Give staff their own permissions, so the night shift and the owner see different things.
- Keep Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb and the rest on one calendar, with each bed sold once.
- Let guests check in online before they arrive.
- Open smart lockers by Bluetooth from an app, with a PIN as backup.
- Hold unpaid bookings on a waitlist for your OK, while the bed stays on sale.
- Put a group on one booking, with each guest able to pay their own share.
Where HostelMate is the better choice
If most of what you sell is dorm beds and you want one published price, these are the cases where we fit better.
Mostly dorms
Every bed is its own unit for selling, pricing and assignment, so mixed, female and male dorms stay apart.
You want the price first
Both plans are on the pricing page. No call, no quote and no setup fee.
Hostelworld matters
HostelMate is on Hostelworld's list of connected channel managers, and its bookings land bed by bed.
Direct bookings
The booking engine on your own website takes no commission and shares one calendar with every OTA.
Moving over
Send us your export as it is. It's usually loaded within the day, often within the hour.
Volunteers on the desk
Give each person their own permissions, so a two-week volunteer sees what they need and nothing else.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to Manageyour dream Hostel?
Competitor information comes from public sources, checked on 5 and 6 October 2026. Prices, features and trademarks belong to their owners and may change. HostelMate is not affiliated with or endorsed by Beds24.