Side-by-Side Comparison

Q: Is Cloudbeds affordable for small hostels?

Cloudbeds looks inexpensive at first, but add-on modules and per-booking channel fees can double costs for dorm-heavy properties. Hostel Mate charges flat rate, no surprise up-charges—so pricing do not scales with occupancy.

Q: Do both systems connect to the same OTAs?

Yes. Hostel Mate and Cloudbeds both integrate with Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb, Expedia and dozens more.

Q: How painful is migrating from Cloudbeds?

Our onboarding squad handles a full data export/import overnight. You keep accepting bookings the whole time and wake up 100 % live on Hostel Mate—typically in under three hours, with zero downtime.

Q: Does Hostel Mate include dynamic dorm-bed pricing?

Yep. we’ll nudge rates up or down every hour based on demand, day-of-week trends and local events. Think airline-style pricing but for bunkbeds.

Q: What about group bookings and split payments?

Group leaders can reserve an entire 12-bed dorm in two clicks, then each guest settles their share individually online—no more calculator marathons at reception.

We've compared key features, pricing and setup times to help you make an informed choice.

Cloudbeds

Hostel Mate

Cloudbeds

Hostel Mate

$176+

Price (Monthly)

$37

Price (Monthly)

Cloudbeds

$176+

Hostel Mate

$37

Hidden fees + add-ons

Pricing Transparency

Transparent

Pricing Transparency

Cloudbeds

Hidden fees + add-ons

Hostel Mate

Transparent

≈1 month

Setup Time

Live in under 4 h

Setup Time

Cloudbeds

≈1 month

Hostel Mate

Live in under 4 h

$160

Setup Fee

Cloudbeds

$160

Hostel Mate

Hotel-centric

Hostel-Native Design

Yes

Hostel-Native Design

Cloudbeds

Hotel-centric

Hostel Mate

Yes

Tier + extras

Pricing Model

Flat subscription

Pricing Model

Cloudbeds

Tier + extras

Hostel Mate

Flat subscription

5-7 days

Staff Training Time

<30 min

Staff Training Time

Cloudbeds

5-7 days

Hostel Mate

<30 min

Why Hostels Aren’t Mini-Hotels

Dorms flip faster, guests arrive in clumps, and your “lobby” might be a bean-bag zone doubling as tomorrow’s yoga studio. Treating that like Room 204 at the Marriott? Recipe for reception tears.

8x average check-ins per hour vs hotels
Beds not rooms—40 beds = 1,820 nightly SKUs per year
Last-minute walk-ins surge after 9 p.m.
High-velocity OTA inventory changes
Guests share payment links, so split bills must be painless
Events board is mission-critical (surf trip at 6 a.m.)

Built by backpackers, not boardrooms

Hostel Mate was sketched on a surf-wax box in Bali when two hostel managers couldn’t find software that treated bunks like first-class citizens.

Cloudbeds deserves credit for popularising all-in-one hospitality software. But when your reception desk doubles as a tiki-bar, you need muscle-memory-friendly layouts.

12 Ways Hostel Mate Saves You Hours Every Week

Bulk-edit dorm prices for an entire season—18-second revenue hack right in your PMS
Automatic pre-arrival WhatsApps with door codes, Wi-Fi, and digital house rules—zero inbox chaos
Rock-solid staff permissions: night guard ≠ manager, front-desk ≠ owner (goodbye ‘oops’ edits)
Rolling 24-hour operational reports—because hostel life never clocks out at midnight
Smart overbooking guardrails squeeze last-minute revenue without the dreaded Walk of Shame
One-click inventory sync to Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb & 50+ OTAs—no more double-bookings
Self-service guest check-in nukes reception queues and auto-captures e-signatures
App-powered smart lockers unlock via Bluetooth or backup PIN—no lost keys, ever
Friendly deposit nudges slash no-show rates during peak season (fill every bed)
Granular audit logs track who changed what, when, and why—perfect for accountability
Auto-managed waitlist: uncertain bookings jump to confirmed beds the second a spot opens
Return-guest recognition: CRM remembers profiles, perks, and favorite dorms—hello loyalty

Real-World Hostel Problems We Fix

No hype, just everyday headaches our hostel PMS removes—so you can focus on good vibes, not admin.

Last-Bed Scramble

Auto-close OTAs when you’re down to a single bunk. No more 3 a.m. walk-ins fighting over it.

Split Bills Chaos

Guests pay their slice via one-tap links. Accounting stays clean; friendships stay intact.

Dorm Map Guesswork

Drag-and-drop bunks on a colour-coded plan. You’ll spot double bookings before they happen.

Slow Channel Manager

60-second inventory pushes keep Booking.com, Hostelworld and Airbnb synced in near-real-time.

Overbooking Roulette

Smart Buffer shields you with data-driven limits, not wishful thinking.

Seasonal Price Blindness

Hostel Mate raises rates for Friday festivals, lowers for rainy Tuesdays—all automatic.

Frequently asked questions

Cloudbeds looks inexpensive at first, but add-on modules and per-booking channel fees can double costs for dorm-heavy properties. Hostel Mate charges flat rate, no surprise up-charges—so pricing do not scales with occupancy.

Yes. Hostel Mate and Cloudbeds both integrate with Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb, Expedia and dozens more.

Our onboarding squad handles a full data export/import overnight. You keep accepting bookings the whole time and wake up 100 % live on Hostel Mate—typically in under three hours, with zero downtime.

Yep. we’ll nudge rates up or down every hour based on demand, day-of-week trends and local events. Think airline-style pricing but for bunkbeds.

Group leaders can reserve an entire 12-bed dorm in two clicks, then each guest settles their share individually online—no more calculator marathons at reception.

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All competitor information was gathered from publicly available sources as of July 16 2025. Pricing, features and trademarks belong to their respective owners and may change without notice. Hostel Mate is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cloudbeds.