SEE THE FULL PICTURE
OpenStays vs. Every Other Way to Take Bookings
Listing sites, other booking software, or doing it yourself by hand. Each has a real cost, just not always the one you notice first.
Numbers below assume a 6-room property doing ₹18L a year.
SAME GUEST MESSAGE AT 11 PM
Four ways to handle it
OpenStays
0%commission
Replies in seconds.
OTAs
15-20%commission
Guest is already on their app.
Other software
Mostly 0%commission
You still answer by hand.
Doing it yourself
0%commission
Your time is the real cost.
WHY BOTHER COMPARING
Most owners never sit down and compare all three
Most properties drift into whichever option they started with, usually an OTA, because it required nothing to begin, and never revisit the decision once the property is busy. The cost of that drift is what this page is about: not which option is “best” in the abstract, but what each one actually costs a specific property in money, time, and control, so switching (or not switching) becomes a decision instead of a default.
FIRST, THE BASICS
What these four options actually mean
OTAs are listing sites and apps where guests search, compare and book; you pay a percentage of the room rate for that introduction. Other booking software covers tools that give you a booking link or calendar without taking a commission, but mostly leave the answering and confirming to you. Doing it yourself means running the whole process, enquiry, quote, confirmation, payment, by phone or WhatsApp with no software at all.
OpenStays is not a listing site. It doesn’t bring you new guests who don’t already know about you. It’s a booking layer for guests who already found you, so the enquiry that used to take a slow back and forth on WhatsApp turns into a confirmed, paid booking in minutes.
THE COMPARISON
OpenStays vs OTAs vs other software vs doing it yourself
| OpenStays | OTAs | Other software | Do it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission per booking | 0% | 15–20% | Mostly 0% | 0% |
| Automation | High | Medium | Low | Almost none |
| Yearly cost (6 rooms, ₹18L revenue) | Flat annual subscription + minimal time & effort | ₹2,70,000+ | ₹50,000+ including some of your time | ₹2,40,000+ worth of your time |
| Payment goes to | Your bank, direct. No TDS, no GST if unregistered | Platform pays (T+X). TDS & GST applicable | Mostly direct | Direct |
| Guest ID storage | Yes | None | Some | Manual |
| Auto bargain | Yes | No | No | Manual bargain |
| Usage-based AI | Coming soon | No | No | Not applicable |
| Proactive features | Yes | No | No | Manual |
| New guest discovery | Relies on your own reach | Built-in marketplace, a genuine strength | Also relies on your own reach | Whatever you can manage yourself |
| Guest relationship after checkout | Yours to keep | Platform owns it until they book again | Yours to keep | Yours, if you kept notes |
| Cost as you grow | Flat subscription | Rises in rupees with every booking | Often flat or tiered | Free, but your own time scales with bookings too |
| If you ever switch away | Guest register stays with you | Guest history stays on the platform | Usually exportable | Already yours |
Current OpenStays pricing is always on the pricing page. Have a question about how any of these figures were worked out? See the FAQ below, or message us on WhatsApp.
WHAT ACTUALLY DIFFERS
Every option here is legitimate. They just ask different things of you
OTAs ask for commission and guest ownership in exchange for discovery traffic. Other booking software mostly removes the commission but keeps the manual effort of running enquiries yourself. Doing it yourself keeps every rupee but spends your own time on every enquiry, bargain, and ID entry. OpenStays’ bet is that AI can now do the enquiry-to-confirmation work well enough that you don’t have to trade money for time, or time for money.
A ROUGH GUIDE
Which one actually fits your situation
None of these four is wrong. Each is the right call for a specific property at a specific stage. A rough guide, honestly stated:
- New property, no reputation yet: lean on OTAs for discovery. You need the marketplace more than you need to save on commission, for now.
- Established property, steady repeat and referral guests: a direct channel like OpenStays usually pays for itself within the first few bookings that would otherwise have paid commission.
- Comfortable spending your own time instead of money: doing it yourself keeps every rupee, as long as you’re honest with yourself about what your time is worth on a busy weekend.
- Already paying for booking software that isn’t OTA-linked: check what it’s actually saving you against the manual effort it still asks for, the comparison table above is built for exactly this check.
Most properties end up running two of these at once rather than picking one for life, and that’s fine. The goal isn’t loyalty to a method. It’s knowing what each one is quietly costing you, in money or in time, so the mix you run is a decision and not a habit.
GO DEEPER
Pick the comparison that matches your situation
Direct Booking vs OTAs
Where the commission really goes, and what T+X settlement costs you that the invoice doesn’t show.
Metasearch vs OTAs
One is a shop window, the other is a shop. Who gets the booking when both show your room.
Free Booking Links vs Hotel Ads
One is earned and one is bought. When paying for Google clicks is worth it, and when it is not.
Instant Book vs Request to Book
Which one to use on ordinary dates, and which on your busiest weekend.
iCal Sync vs a Channel Manager
Which one your property actually needs, and how to tell without waiting for a sales call.
CRS vs PMS
One runs your property, the other sells it. Find out which gap you have before you buy.
Dynamic vs Manual Pricing
The choice is really three ways, and the middle one suits most small properties.
HOW TO EVALUATE ANY BOOKING SETUP
Six questions worth asking any vendor, OpenStays included
- Who actually holds the guest’s payment, and for how long?
- What happens to your guest data if you stop paying?
- Is the commission or fee structure written down anywhere, or only spoken?
- Can you export your guest ID register in the format authorities ask for, today, without a support ticket?
- What does the vendor do automatically, and what still needs you at 11pm?
- What’s the real cost of switching away, if it doesn’t work out?
GOT QUESTIONS?
Answers to frequently asked questions
Is OpenStays really 0% commission?
Yes, the subscription and usage charges are how we make money, not a cut of your bookings. We never touch your money; payments go directly to your bank.
Can I compare OpenStays to a specific OTA or software I already use?
This page compares categories rather than naming specific platforms, so the numbers hold regardless of which OTA or tool you’re currently using. Message us on WhatsApp with your current setup and we’ll walk through the specific comparison.
Do I have to give up my OTA listings to use OpenStays?
No, most hosts run OpenStays alongside their existing OTA listings and use it for direct bookings, not as a replacement.
How was the ₹18L, 6-room example calculated?
It’s an illustrative case used consistently across the site, a mid-size independent property doing roughly ₹18 lakh a year across 6 rooms. Your own numbers will vary with occupancy and rate.
Is doing it myself really more expensive than it feels?
The direct cash costs of doing it yourself are lower, but the comparison above prices your own time at a modest rate to make it comparable to what OTAs and software cost. See “What actually differs” above for the reasoning.
Will my OTA account be affected if I also use OpenStays?
No. OpenStays runs alongside your existing listings, not through them, so your account standing and reviews on those platforms are untouched.
Do I need technical skill to set any of this up?
No. Most of what is compared here needs a WhatsApp number and a booking link at most. Each deep-dive page below covers its own setup steps.
I’m not sure which comparison to read first. Where do I start?
Start with OpenStays vs OTAs if commission is your biggest cost, or Instant Book vs Request to Book if your own time is the bigger strain. Both link back here once you’re done.
See what changes for your property
Every property’s mix of OTA, software, and manual work is different. Fifteen minutes is usually enough to see where yours sits.