hejGuide vs Smoobu — Which is right for you?
Both hejGuide and Smoobu help vacation rental hosts manage their properties. But they take very different approaches to pricing, features, and the guest experience.
More features, lower price, better app.
Quick comparison
Pricing comparison
What you actually pay per month
hejGuide prices: Starter plan. All prices excl. VAT.
Where hejGuide wins
Significantly cheaper
hejGuide Starter at €9/mo includes more features than Smoobu at ~€29/mo. For 3 properties, you save €24-30 per month. That's €288-360 per year.
Digital guidebooks included
hejGuide includes beautiful, mobile-first digital guidebooks on all plans. Smoobu doesn't offer guidebooks — you'd need a separate tool like Touch Stay or Hostfully.
Task automation & housekeeping
Automated tasks triggered by booking events, cleaning checklists with photo uploads, team assignments. Smoobu doesn't include task management or housekeeping features.
Review management
Monitor and reply to Airbnb and Booking.com reviews from your dashboard. Collect private feedback after checkout. Not available in Smoobu.
Products & upselling
Let guests order extras (late checkout, breakfast, bike rental) from their phone. Charges auto-bill to the folio. Not available in Smoobu.
No booking fees
hejGuide never charges booking fees or commissions. Smoobu charges 0-0.9% on certain plans.
Where Smoobu might be better
We believe in being honest about our competitors
Longer track record
Smoobu has been around since 2016 and has a larger user base. If you value an established brand with extensive documentation, Smoobu has the edge.
Website builder
Smoobu includes a basic direct booking website builder. hejGuide focuses on the guest portal and guidebooks instead.
More API channels
Smoobu connects to 7+ booking platforms directly. hejGuide uses Channex for channel management, which supports a broad range of platforms but the connection is indirect.
The verdict
If you're looking for the most features at the lowest price, hejGuide is the clear winner. You get digital guidebooks, task automation, review management, products & upselling, and a native mobile app — all for less than half the price of Smoobu. If you need a direct booking website or prefer a longer-established platform, Smoobu might be worth considering. But for most independent hosts with 1-5 properties, hejGuide delivers more value for less money.
Frequently asked questions
Is hejGuide really cheaper than Smoobu?
Yes. hejGuide Starter costs €9/mo vs Smoobu starting at ~€29/mo. For 3 properties, hejGuide is €17/mo vs Smoobu at ~€41-47/mo. Plus, hejGuide includes features like guidebooks and task automation that Smoobu doesn't offer at any price.
Can I switch from Smoobu to hejGuide?
Yes. You can import your existing bookings from CSV/Excel and set up iCal or channel manager sync for your listings. Most hosts are up and running within a day.
Does hejGuide have a channel manager like Smoobu?
Yes. hejGuide includes a channel manager (powered by Channex) on the Starter plan and above. It connects to Airbnb, Booking.com, VRBO, Expedia, and more.
Does hejGuide charge booking fees?
No. hejGuide never charges booking fees or commissions. You pay a flat monthly subscription — that's it.
Ready to try hejGuide?
Start free and see how hejGuide compares to Smoobu — no credit card required.