If you list your vacation rental property on several different online travel agencies, like Airbnb and VRBO, it’s important to ensure that reservations from one site are reflected in availability on other sites to avoid double-booking. If you’re using a property management system (PMS), it might already include the functionality to do this; if not, you may want to purchase a channel manager.

The Difference Between a PMS and a Channel Manager

A channel manager is a tool that syncs your vacation rental bookings across multiple platforms. For example, if you accept bookings from Airbnb, VRBO, and your own direct booking site, a channel manager makes sure that availability stays synced between different platforms so that you don’t get double booked for the same dates. When you receive a booking on one site, the channel manager makes sure your calendars on other sites show no availability for that date.

Channel managers also make it easier to update pricing and other details. Since a channel manager communicates with all your different listings, you can make the change in one place and have it applied across the board, instead of changing each listing individually.

Property management systems (PMSs) are a popular option for managing vacation rental properties because they include everything needed to handle daily operations in one convenient software. Many PMS softwares include the functionality of a channel manager, but hosts who don’t need the full services of a PMS may choose to purchase a channel manager separately.

Do I need a PMS or a Channel Manager?

While many PMS softwares include channel management capabilities, this is included as one feature out of many. A PMS is a comprehensive tool that is built to provide everything you need to run the operational side of your vacation rental business. That includes the tools to process payments, take reservations, communicate with guests, and create and promote your website.

Deciding if a PMS is the right solution for you depends on your approach to vacation rental management. If you want an easy way to get all your functionality in one place, it might be worth the cost to purchase a PMS with channel management capabilities included. This way, you’ll get everything that you need in one package.

For those that prefer a more “do-it-yourself” approach, the tools needed to run your business can be sourced individually. Selecting a channel manager or iCal integration to sync your calendars and avoid double booking allows you to get the needed functionality without purchasing an entire PMS.