HomeRunner Reviews, Pricing, and Live Demos: Is the Independent Booking Engine Right for You?

Managing a vacation rental business today means balancing the desire for independence with the need for professional tools that don’t tie your hands. We know the frustration: relying on listing platforms with high commissions, feeling limited by your PMS’s direct booking features, or worrying that customizing your website will mean endless rebuilds and headaches. That’s the landscape that motivated us to build HomeRunner—and from countless conversations with property managers and web agencies, we hear similar themes echoed over and over.

What Makes HomeRunner Different?

At the core, HomeRunner is not just a booking engine. It’s your tool for gaining full control over your direct booking experience—all without having to leave your trusted PMS or rebuild your website. Here’s what makes our approach stand out:

• Seamless PMS Integration: HomeRunner works alongside your PMS, bringing property data, rates, and bookings into perfect sync. Supported PMSs include Hostfully, Guesty Pro, Hostaway, Hospitable, OwnerRez, and Lodgify. This means your back office and direct booking website always match in real time.
• WordPress-Native: We believe operators deserve to own their brand and data. HomeRunner turns any WordPress site into a professional booking platform—no plugin headaches, no demanding theme changes. Your site, your look, your way.
• Independence with Scale: Whether you’re managing five cozy cabins or overseeing hundreds of urban apartments, you get enterprise-grade capabilities—without being stuck in one vendor’s walled garden.
• No Rebuilds, No Lock-In: Already have a WordPress site and a PMS you like? Add HomeRunner with a simple integration. Need to switch PMSs in the future? No problem—the booking layer stays stable through the transition.

The Experience in Practice: Real User Feedback

We take pride in the direct feedback from our partners and clients. Many mention how HomeRunner has empowered them to reduce marketplace dependency and increase revenue through commission-free direct bookings. For instance, Nice Stay NYC credits their HomeRunner-powered site for enabling a partial break from online marketplaces. We hear time and again from operators who appreciate:

• Fast, guided onboarding—many are live in about 30 minutes
• Stable integration and real-time updates, avoiding double bookings or outdated pricing
• Support that feels personal—not just a ticket system
• Easy scalability as their businesses grow, including support for multi-unit and hospitality setups

Our own experience mirrors these benefits: as demand surges and operators expand their presence, having a reliable, customizable booking engine that sits comfortably alongside their PMS makes all the difference.

Who is HomeRunner Built For?

We see HomeRunner serving four main audiences:

• Independent hosts aiming for more professional direct bookings
• Growing property managers with 15-50+ listings
• Multi-location operators running hundreds of homes, often across brands or geographies
• Web agencies building modern booking sites for clients

If you’re seeking to grow direct business without sacrificing flexibility or undergoing a website overhaul, HomeRunner fits right in. Conversely, if you want an all-in-one solution that replaces your PMS, we may not be the best fit. We believe in doing one thing masterfully: making your direct channel as powerful as your biggest OTA but built for your unique approach.

Transparent Pricing: Plans that Actually Make Sense

Pricing shouldn’t feel complicated. That’s why all plans are based on property count—no commissions, no hidden setup fees, and no contracts. Here’s how it breaks down:

Starter Plan (Up to 15 Listings)

• Up to 5 properties: $45/month
• Up to 15 properties: $95/month

Perfect for small portfolios and operators just starting with direct booking.

Pro Plan (Professional Control for Larger Operators)

• Up to 25 listings: $175/month
• Up to 50 listings: $295/month
• Up to 100 properties: $425/month
• Up to 150 properties: $575/month
• Up to 250 properties: $795/month
• Up to 300 properties: $895/month
• 300+ properties: Custom quote

Included are advanced customization, business intelligence dashboards, property grouping, and real-time PMS integration across the board.

Hospitality Plan (Room-Based Operations)

• Up to 10 listings + 100 rooms: $295/month
• Up to 25 listings + 250 rooms: $495/month
• Each extra 25 rooms: +$25/month

This plan is ideal for hotels, lodges, or resorts where a single listing might represent many bookable rooms of the same type.

All Plans Include:

• No fees until you’re live
• Unlimited onboarding help
• Real-time PMS sync
• Professional checkout and secure payments (through PMS or external gateway)
• Business intelligence dashboards
• Flexible property collections and advanced search filters

What Features Actually Matter?

As operators ourselves, we’ve been relentless about building only features that truly drive conversion, reduce admin headaches, and offer real control. Here’s what you can expect in depth:

1. Advanced Multi-Property Search & Filtering

• Guests search by property type, bedrooms, bathrooms, amenities, price, location, and more—customizable down to your business’s needs.
• Create your own collections: luxury, pet-friendly, market-specific, or seasonal specials. This flexibility is core if you run multiple brands or want to highlight certain segments (see more in how custom property collections increase bookings).

2. Real-Time Availability and Pricing Synchronization

• Your website reflects availability, rates, and restrictions in real time, straight from your PMS. No manual updates or double bookings.

3. Professional, Mobile-First Booking UX

• Streamlined checkout and guest journey boost trust and reduce friction (we’ve published an in-depth playbook on conversion-boosting UX tweaks if you want to go deeper).

4. Payment Processing Flexibility

• Process payments through your PMS’s gateway for maximum efficiency, compliance, and streamlined reconciliation. If you prefer or need external gateways like Stripe, PayPal, Square, or region-specific options, HomeRunner supports dozens, including crypto and BNPL solutions (learn more in our secure payments guide).

5. Business Intelligence & Reporting

• Built-in dashboards show live performance, revenue, guest search trends, and booking behavior with actionable insights—no more guessing why guests aren’t converting.
• AI-driven suggestions help you take quick action when opportunity knocks.

6. Scalability (from 5 to 500+ properties)

• Whether you’re branching into new markets, merging brands, or just growing, your booking platform scales with you. You can organize properties by brand, location, or theme—all managed centrally from one PMS connection.
• Operators running hotel-style, multi-unit inventory will find support for automatic unit assignments and room-type pricing, as long as your PMS allows.

7. Customization Without Code

• Tweak search filters, highlight specific features, set up custom pricing displays, and adjust the guest journey—all without needing expensive web development.
• For agencies, deliver professional-grade booking solutions to clients without custom builds.

Setup: From Zero to Bookings in 30 Minutes

Getting started is refreshingly simple:

1. Sign Up and Connect PMS—Authorize your PMS securely and instantly share your inventory, rates, and booking rules. No passwords stored or shared.
2. Add HomeRunner to Your Site—Just drop our code snippet into your WordPress site. No plugins, no theme locks.
3. Go Live—Customize your display, set your booking preferences, and flip the switch. Our support takes you from test to live, with help for any unique scenarios.

If you want more advanced customization, we’re happy to guide you step-by-step, but in most cases, you’ll be ready in less than an hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does HomeRunner replace my PMS? No. It sits alongside your PMS, relying on its features for all operations, communications, and reporting. You keep your familiar workflows and staff tools.
• Do I need to rebuild my website? No. As long as you’re on WordPress, add HomeRunner to your existing site, keep your branding, SEO, and page structure intact.
• What if I switch PMSs? Your direct booking website remains stable during the transition. Just update the PMS credentials, and you’re back in business—no guest disruption, no lost bookings.
• What about property markets, themes, or brands? HomeRunner lets you operate multiple booking sites, each with unique branding, collection, and pricing rules, all syncing with a single PMS. Perfect for market expansion or niche branding.
• Is there an all-in-one solution? If you’re looking for a PMS plus booking engine combined, HomeRunner isn’t that. We’re purposely focused on direct booking excellence for those who want to keep PMS choice open.

How We Use HomeRunner (and What We’ve Learned)

As a team that operates in the vacation rental space and collaborates with agencies, we use HomeRunner ourselves. Here’s what makes us confident in this approach:

• We’ve migrated operators of all sizes onto our platform, and the most common “aha moment” is seeing bookings come in faster and with less friction—without needing lengthy training or complex migrations.
• Property managers mention the reliability of integrations as a game-changer, especially during busy seasons or when expanding into new locations.
• Having true control over collections and display drives higher conversion—something our analytics confirm time after time.

Getting More Value From Your Direct Booking Website

Your website is your most important asset outside your inventory. Optimize its performance with:

• A strong, mobile-first experience (learn why mobile-first matters),
• Clear and inviting collections,
• Trust-building checkout flows,
• And integrated analytics to identify what’s working.

If you want ideas on going deeper, check out our resources on key trends and proven tactics for direct booking growth.

Next Steps: Should You Book a Demo?

If independence, scalability, and a professional guest experience are priorities, we believe HomeRunner offers unmatched value—without locking you in or demanding technical overhauls. Booking a live demo is the fastest way to see if this is right for your business. We’ll review your needs, discuss compatibility with your PMS, show you exactly how the booking flow works, and answer your technical and business questions.

If you’re ready to take the next step or just want to see how it feels in action, visit https://homerunner.io—no strings, no high-pressure sales, just a chance to explore, test, and start building your direct booking independence with confidence.