hostcare vs Properly
Honest comparison for short-term rental hosts with 1–25 properties. Properly is a photo-checklist-driven cleaning app. Hosts build rich visual checklists; cleaners work through them on their phones.
- ✓ SMS dispatch, no cleaner app
- ✓ Photo-verified checklists
- ✓ iCal sync (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking)
- ✓ CSV payout export
- + Strong photo-checklist workflow — very rich visual instructions
- + Works well for complex properties with specific setups
- + Cleaner-facing mobile app
Properly pricing shown is based on publicly reported figures and host forum discussion in 2025-2026. Your actual quote may vary. hostcare pricing is published at / and included in every plan.
When Properly is the right answer
Properly is a legitimate product — for hosts who prioritise detailed photo checklists. If that's you, book their demo and read no further. Things they actually do well:
- ✓ Strong photo-checklist workflow — very rich visual instructions
- ✓ Works well for complex properties with specific setups
- ✓ Cleaner-facing mobile app
When hostcare is the better fit
hostcare is built for hosts with 1–25 properties, no ops team, who want flat pricing and self-serve setup. Specifically, these are the reasons hosts actually switch from Properly:
- ✗ Properly: Per-property pricing punishes growth — 10 properties = $80/mo, 20 = $160/mo
- ✗ Properly: Checklist setup is more work than Airbnb Tasks ever was
- ✗ Properly: Cleaner app install adds friction for gig-workers
- ✗ Properly: Requires cleaner buy-in to onboard properly
Feature comparison
| Feature | Properly | hostcare |
|---|---|---|
| Target customer size | hosts who prioritise detailed photo checklists | 1–25 properties |
| Pricing | ~$8 per property per month | $19 / $39 / $79 flat |
| Free trial | Varies | 14 days, no card |
| Per-property fees | Yes — ~$8/property | None |
| iCal sync (Airbnb / VRBO / Booking) | Yes | Yes (direct) |
| Cleaner notification | In-app (requires install) | SMS — no install |
| Photo checklists | Yes | Yes |
| Cleaner marketplace | No | No (bring your own) |
| Maintenance / work orders | Limited | No |
| Setup time | Same-day | < 10 minutes |
| Contract | Monthly | Monthly |
Which one should you actually pick?
Three concrete scenarios hostcare users arrive from. Yours is probably one of these.
Properly works, but you'll pay $24/mo and need your cleaners to install an app . hostcare Starter at $19/mo flat gives you iCal sync, SMS dispatch, photo checklists, and a 14-day trial with no credit card.
Trigger is usually hosts leave properly when their property count grows and the per-property math stops working, or when their cleaners refuse to install yet another app. hostcare Growing at $39/mo covers up to 10 properties at flat pricing, and migration is ~10 minutes (paste your iCal URLs, add your cleaner list, done).
Honestly — hostcare isn't the right tool for you, and Properly starts to get expensive at this scale — also evaluate Breezeway or ResortCleaning . If you need route optimization, work-order management, or multi-team permissions, look at ResortCleaning or Operto too. No hard feelings — we built hostcare for the segment those tools don't serve.
What makes hostcare different from Properly
$19 / $39 / $79 — published, no quote call, no per-property fees, no surprise tier jumps. Growing from 3 to 10 properties doesn't punish you.
Cleaners get a text, tap the link, confirm in their browser. Zero install friction — the single biggest reason small hosts burn out on tools that require cleaner buy-in.
1–25 properties is the explicit target. Not 500-unit PMCs, not Airbnb Plus hosts. Every feature is tuned to what a solo host actually does in a week.
Try hostcare for 14 days
No credit card required to start. See if the flat-pricing, SMS-dispatch model fits better than what you've been using. Cancel any time before the trial ends and you'll never be charged.
Start free trial →Or read the full alternatives breakdown first.