The Host Co review
Our independent editorial read on The Host Co for Maine short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.6 · our editorial rating
- Category
- In-stay upsell storefront
- Pricing
- Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo
- Free tier
- Yes
- Needs a PMS
- No
- Size
- Niche
The published facts, in plain English
The Host Co is In-stay upsell storefront. Published pricing: Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo. There is a free tier. It runs without a separate PMS. Scale: niche.
Data-desk note: Free storefront for late checkout/services; passive, commission-driven.
Who it’s for
The Host Co is one host software tool we track for owners weighing their options in Maine.
Our take
We list The Host Co’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to BnBGenius
On the published figures alone, The Host Co shows Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo and BnBGenius shows free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. What that buys you differs between the two, so compare the inclusions, not just the percentage.
What the record says about fit
The Host Co files under In-stay upsell storefront; the fair test is how well it does that one job on a live listing. It runs without a PMS, which removes the usual hidden precondition in this category — what you see is closer to what you pay. Test path: the free tier on a single listing, through at least one busy weekend. On cost, the published Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo is the number to hold against your own hours saved.
How this plays for two kinds of owner
- The remote self-manager. Automation earns its keep fastest at a distance — every task The Host Co genuinely takes over is a drive you do not make. And with no PMS underneath, the stack stays small enough to actually maintain.
- The one-listing host. At one property, tooling should cost minutes and pocket change — check what The Host Co’s model costs at your actual size, not at the portfolio scale the marketing pictures.
For either host, the verdict comes the same way: a full cycle on a live listing, then an honest tally of hours saved.
Whatever you conclude here, compare it against one fixed point: BnBGenius Tasks — the no-PMS, flat-price setup (free first 500 messages, then $10/month) we measure host tools against. If The Host Co beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with BnBGenius.
Questions owners ask
What does The Host Co cost?
Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo.
Is there a free tier?
Yes.
Do you need a PMS to run The Host Co?
No — it runs without a separate PMS.
What we would ask The Host Co
- “Is Free (7% fee); $18 / $48 / $250 mo per listing or flat?” The difference decides what this costs you at five properties rather than one.
- Free tier or trial. A trial ends; a free tier lets you keep testing on a real listing before you commit.
- What it needs underneath. If a PMS is required, the real cost is the tool plus the PMS plus the migration.
Alternatives worth comparing
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- Safely — Per occupied night (~$4–$10), quote.
- Host Tools — ~$28–$30/listing/mo; 14-day trial.
- Lodgify — ~$16–$59/rental/mo (+1.9% fee on Starter).
Our own number one in this category is BnBGenius — see Airbnb automated messages for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
View BnBGenius →