HotelRunner Alternative for Independent Hotels
FrontDesko is a HotelRunner alternative with a free PMS and booking engine, plus a channel manager at $35, $42 or $54 a month by room band. HotelRunner charges a percentage of booking revenue above a monthly minimum, and lists a wider product range.
By the Frontdesko team · Last updated: November 9, 2026
How does HotelRunner price its plans?
HotelRunner describes its Essential plans as a hybrid model: a monthly minimum plus a percentage of booking revenue. We read its pricing page on 9 November 2026:
The page's own example: Sell's minimum is $29.95 a month, and "if the monthly realized booking revenue from all channels exceeds $2,396 USD, 1.25% of this amount is charged." It does not define "realized booking revenue". Yearly billing exists at a flat fee, onboarding is assisted, and no setup fee is listed.
What does that cost next to FrontDesko for a typical month?
Arithmetic on published rates, applied to a made-up revenue figure. It is not a quote from either company.
Take an illustrative 10-room hotel with $10,000 of monthly booking revenue across all channels. Using HotelRunner's published percentages, Manage would be 0.75% = $75, Sell 1.25% = $125 and Complete 1% = $100, each above its minimum. On FrontDesko the same hotel pays $35 for the Mint plan (0 to 10 rooms), which includes the channel manager, with the PMS, booking engine, guest app and POS free.
At $3,000 of monthly revenue the minimums apply instead: $39.95 for Complete versus $35. The gap narrows in a quiet month and widens in a busy one, because a percentage grows with revenue and a banded price does not. Compare with your own revenue and confirm HotelRunner's definition of billable revenue with them. Full hotel plan detail is on our pricing page.
Where is HotelRunner the better choice?
HotelRunner's homepage lists a far wider product range than FrontDesko does today:
- More modules. Metasearch, a promotion engine, a review center, competition analysis, group hotel management, a mobile app and Autopilot-style autonomous actions.
- Hotel website. A hotel website product is part of the Sell plan; FrontDesko provides a direct booking engine you embed on your own site.
- Language and reach. Its site is available in English, Spanish, French and Turkish. If your team works in Turkish, check FrontDesko's coverage on our Turkey page.
- Consultancy. Elite offers dedicated consultancy, which FrontDesko does not.
Choose HotelRunner if those extras are in daily use and worth a share of revenue. Choose FrontDesko if you mainly need PMS, a commission-free booking engine and channel sync at a flat price, and want to stay free on the first two. For the three-way split of tools, read PMS vs channel manager vs booking engine.
What does FrontDesko include?
The PMS, direct booking engine, guest app and POS are free with unlimited rooms. The channel manager and AI assistant are paid: $35 a month for 0 to 10 rooms, $42 for 11 to 30 and $54 for 31 to 50. No setup fee. The honest limits: we are newer, have fewer directory reviews and a shorter module list.
How do you switch from HotelRunner to FrontDesko?
- Inventory your modules. Write down which HotelRunner products you actually use, and check each has an equivalent.
- Export reservations, guests and rates. Keep room types, rate plans and restrictions in a spreadsheet.
- Build the property in FrontDesko. Rooms, room types and rate plans first; the PMS is free, so this costs nothing.
- Swap the booking engine link. Update your website and social profiles to the FrontDesko booking page.
- Move channels one by one. Disconnect a channel from the old system, connect it in FrontDesko and compare availability before the next. Never let two systems push rates to one channel.
- Check your cancellation terms. HotelRunner says they vary by plan, so confirm yours before giving notice.
Other comparisons: Beds24, Cloudbeds and the best channel managers for small hotels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does HotelRunner cost?
HotelRunner's pricing page lists Essential plans as a percentage of booking revenue with a monthly minimum: Manage at 0.75% with a $19.95 minimum, Sell at 1.25% with $29.95 and Complete at 1% with $39.95. Advanced plans and Elite are quote-only. FrontDesko's PMS and booking engine are free, and the channel manager is $35, $42 or $54 a month by room band.
Does HotelRunner charge a commission on bookings?
Effectively yes, in the form of a percentage fee. Its FAQ says the percentage applies once monthly booking revenue passes the level where it exceeds the minimum, for example 1.25% of revenue above $2,396 on Sell. FrontDesko charges no commission and no percentage of revenue on any plan.
Which HotelRunner plan includes the channel manager and booking engine?
Per its pricing page, Sell lists the channel manager, central reservation system, booking engine and hotel website, while Manage lists front desk features. Complete combines both, including the property management system. The page does not list PMS features under Sell.
What does FrontDesko include that is free?
The property management system, direct booking engine, guest app and point of sale are free forever with unlimited rooms. Only the channel manager and AI assistant are paid, at $35 a month for 0 to 10 rooms, $42 for 11 to 30 rooms and $54 for 31 to 50 rooms.
Where is HotelRunner stronger than FrontDesko?
HotelRunner lists a much wider product range: metasearch, a promotion engine, review center, competition analysis, group hotel management, a mobile app and autonomous pricing actions, plus a Turkish-language site. FrontDesko is newer and focuses on the essentials, so if you need those extras today, HotelRunner covers more.
Can I try HotelRunner before paying?
Its pricing page shows a Start free trial button but gives no trial length or terms, so ask before you rely on it. FrontDesko does not run a trial clock: the PMS and booking engine are free, and you can start with a live demo.
How do I switch from HotelRunner to FrontDesko?
Export reservations and rates, set up room types and rate plans in FrontDesko, then move your booking engine link and connect channels one at a time. HotelRunner says cancellation terms vary by plan, so read yours before giving notice and avoid two systems pushing rates to the same channel.
Sources
- HotelRunner: pricing page (read 9 November 2026)
- HotelRunner: homepage product list (read 9 November 2026)
HotelRunner figures were read from HotelRunner's own pages on 9 November 2026. Advanced plans and Elite are quote-based and no prices are stated here. The homepage property count did not render when we read it, so no customer numbers are quoted. Anything we could not verify is left out.
Start free, add the channel manager when you need it
PMS, booking engine, guest app and POS are free with unlimited rooms. Channel manager from $35 a month, banded by room count.
Start Live DemoRelated reading
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