Hostel Property Management System Comparison
Choosing a PMS for a hostel isn’t the same as choosing one for a hotel. You need bed-level control, easy group workflows, and rock-solid sync with hostel-heavy OTAs like Hostelworld—plus a booking engine that actually understands dorms. This guide compares leading options, shows what to look for, and helps you decide fast.
Need hostel-first workflows? Hostel Mate (built specifically for hostels; PMS + channel manager + booking engine).
Want a broad ecosystem? Cloudbeds (integrated platform with a dedicated hostels page).
Complex dorm setup? Mews (documented bed/dorm configuration).
Keep it simple & transparent? Sirvoy (hostel page + dorm room how-to).
DIY power-users? Beds24 (hostel/dorm wiki, APIs, and deep configurability).
What actually matters for hostels
Bed-level inventory. Assign, move, and price per bed (and support mixed/female/male dorms). Examples: Mews and Sirvoy document dorm/bed setup; WebRezPro supports individual bed sales.
Group bookings without chaos. Split invoices, hold multiple beds, and check in groups quickly.
Channel manager that understands hostels. Sync rates/availability across Hostelworld, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc., from one place. Hostel Mate highlights direct connections; Beds24 documents channel/OTA setups.
Direct booking engine that supports dorms. Avoid paying commission on beds you could have filled yourself. Cloudbeds, FrontDesk Master, Beds24, RoomRaccoon, and others bundle booking engines.
Payments, deposits, and automation. Take payments securely (e.g., Stripe), handle pre-auths, and automate reminders. Hostel Mate highlights Stripe and WhatsApp flows; Beds24 lists payment collection and messaging.
Reporting & revenue. See occupancy by bed, revenue per available bed, and set smart rules (length-of-stay, min/max, events).
Side-by-side snapshot
This table is a quick orientation. Vendors change packaging over time—confirm details in a demo.
| PMS | Best for | Booking Engine | Channel Manager | Dorm/Bed docs or emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostel Mate | Hostel-first operations | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Emphasizes bed management & unlimited beds. |
| Cloudbeds | One-platform stack | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostels page (dorm specifics not detailed there). |
| Mews | Structured dorm setups | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Dorm/bed configuration guide. |
| Sirvoy | Simplicity & clarity | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Create dorm rooms help article. |
| Beds24 | Power users & tinkerers | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostel & Retreat setup wiki. |
| FrontDesk Master | Hostel veterans | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostel-centric platform. |
| WebRezPro | Clear dorm bed selling | ✔︎ | Integrations | Dorm bed inventory support. |
| RoomRaccoon | All-in-one for shared rooms | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostel solution pages call out dorm/shared rooms. |
| eZee (Absolute/FrontDesk) | Choice of cloud/on-prem | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostel solution available; verify dorm detail. |
| RMS Cloud | Multi-property ops | ✔︎ | ✔︎ | Hostel fit depends on configuration. |
Short vendor snapshots (1–2 lines each)
Hostel Mate — Built for hostels only: PMS + channel manager (100+ integrations incl. Booking.com, Hostelworld, Airbnb) + booking engine, plus WhatsApp and Stripe.
Cloudbeds — Integrated platform with a hostels page; unifies reservations, channels, and operations.
Mews — Modern PMS with documented dorm/bed setups and automation; popular with hybrid lodging.
Sirvoy — Straightforward HMS with transparent pricing approach and a clear dorm setup guide.
Beds24 — Flexible PMS/CM/BE with deep wiki docs and APIs; great for hands-on configuration.
FrontDesk Master — All-in-one cloud PMS, channel manager, booking engine; long history in hostels.
WebRezPro — PMS with explicit dorm bed inventory support and integrations.
RoomRaccoon — All-in-one for independent properties with hostel pages (shared rooms/dorms).
eZee — Mature suite (cloud and on-prem options); hostel solution page available.
RMS Cloud — Broad PMS with multi-property features; used across accommodation types.
How to choose in 10 minutes
- 01
Map inventory: number of beds, room types, dorm rules (mixed/female/male), seasonality.
- 02
List must-haves: per-bed pricing, group billing, Hostelworld + Booking.com + Airbnb, direct bookings.
- 03
Decide your stack: all-in-one vs. PMS + external channel manager; check integrations you need.
- 04
Payments & policies: deposits, pre-auths, local tax, ID capture, no-show handling.
- 05
Ops & automations: housekeeping by bed, digital check-in, WhatsApp/SMS, staff permissions.
- 06
Run two demos: bring a real group booking scenario and a dorm shuffle; ask them to do it live.
- 07
Total cost of ownership: base fee + add-ons (channel manager/booking engine) + payment costs + onboarding.
- 08
Migration plan: imports, training, go-live checklist, support hours & languages.
Why many hostels pick Hostel Mate
Hostel-only focus. Built around beds, dorms, and group bookings—not retrofitted hotel logic.
One login for everything. PMS + channel manager (100+ channels incl. Hostelworld, Booking.com, Airbnb) + booking engine.
Less admin, more beds sold. WhatsApp messaging, automated payments (Stripe), and front-desk tools to cut check-in time.
No nickel-and-diming. Clear pricing and “unlimited beds and rooms” positioning to let you scale.
See it in action: Try the live PMS demo or talk to our team.
FAQs
Hostel PMS platforms handle per-bed inventory, dorm rules, and group flows by default. Some hotel PMS can be configured for dorms, but you’ll want to confirm bed-level control and group billing. Mews and Sirvoy document dorm setups; Beds24 and WebRezPro explicitly support beds.
Most hostel-ready PMSs bundle or integrate a channel manager. What matters is reliable two-way sync with Hostelworld, Booking.com, Airbnb, etc. Hostel Mate highlights direct connections; Beds24 details OTA/API hookups.
Yes—choose a booking engine that supports bed-level availability and pricing. Cloudbeds, FrontDesk Master, Beds24, RoomRaccoon, and others include booking engines; confirm how dorms are shown on your site.
Bring a real two-night group booking that straddles a full dorm, move two guests mid-stay, split three different payments, and push all changes to OTAs. If a vendor can do that smoothly, they’re likely a fit.
Ready to ManageIf you’re serious about a hostel-first workflow, book a demo of Hostel Mate and compare it side-by-side using the checklist above.
Sources used to validate vendor positioning and hostel-specific features: Hostel Mate site (features & integrations), Cloudbeds hostels page, Mews hostel page + dorm help doc, Sirvoy hostel page + dorm help doc, Beds24 PMS page + hostel wiki, FrontDesk Master site, WebRezPro hostel page, RoomRaccoon hostel pages, eZee PMS pages, RMS Cloud overview, plus category overviews from Hotel Tech Report/Capterra/SoftwareWorld.