The Host Co review
Our independent editorial read on The Host Co for North Carolina short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.8 · 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. It lists its pricing as 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 North Carolina.
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
Category first: The Host Co is In-stay upsell storefront, so judge it against that job — not against suites that promise everything. 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.
Two owner scenarios
- The owner far from the door. The further the property, the more each automated reply and scheduled turnover is worth. The no-PMS setup keeps the moving parts — and the failure points — few.
- The small-portfolio host. Two or three listings is where per-listing pricing starts to bite and flat pricing starts to win — read The Host Co’s model with your exact count in mind.
Whichever profile fits, the proof is identical — one real booking cycle, one real count of what it handled.
Our advice before any contract: hold it against a benchmark — an AI concierge — 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. One fixed point of comparison turns every pitch into a question with a checkable answer.
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:
- Minoan — Free (trade discounts + Showroom commission).
- Doinn — Not published (quote); Power-Ups €25+€0.80/prop.
- iGMS — FLEX $1/booked night (min $20/prop); PRO $18–$21/prop/mo.
The benchmark we hold this against is BnBGenius — see BnBGenius on Telegram for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
View BnBGenius →