Channel manager or iCal sync: which one do you need?
What each actually does, what it costs, and the point at which a channel manager becomes necessary.
iCal sync is enough as long as your need is to avoid double bookings. A channel manager becomes useful when you also have to drive rates and inventory from a single place.
What iCal sync does
It exchanges availability: busy dates travel between your platforms. That is all, and it is often all a host needs. Its advantages: set-up in minutes, no approval to request from the platforms, and a low cost.
What a channel manager does
It connects to platforms through their official interfaces and also drives rates, restrictions such as minimum stay, and inventory. Updates are faster because they no longer depend on a link being re-read. In exchange: a far higher subscription, a connection request to open with each platform, and more technical setup.
How to decide
- 1 to 15 units, rates managed by hand: iCal sync is plenty.
- Lots of last-minute, frequently changing rates: a channel manager earns its cost.
- Hotel running a PMS: channel manager, to connect the hotel software to the platforms.
The real test
Ask yourself one question: how much time do you spend each week copying rates from one platform to another? If the answer is “almost none”, a channel manager will charge you a lot to solve a problem you do not have.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start with iCal and move to a channel manager later?
Yes, and that is the usual path. When you switch, remove the iCal links from the platforms so two systems are not writing the same calendar.
Is iCal sync reliable?
Yes for availability, provided you accept the platforms' re-read delay, often one to three hours, and keep conflict alerts on.
What does each cost?
iCal sync runs to a few euros per month per property. A channel manager is usually billed per unit per month at several times that, sometimes with a set-up fee.
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