AirDNA review
AirDNA offers vast STR market data for owners, but its paid tiers can be costly depending on your market needs.
★★★★☆ 4.4 · our editorial rating
- Category
- STR market data
- Pricing
- Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent)
- Free tier
- Yes
- Needs a PMS
- No
- Size
- Giant
The published facts, in plain English
AirDNA is STR market data. It lists its pricing as Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent). There is a free tier. It runs without a separate PMS. Scale: giant.
Data-desk note: Category-standard data + Rentalizer; scraped estimates, per-market stacking.
Who it’s for
This service suits property owners who need extensive market data and competitive analysis. Its free tier provides a starting point, while paid options scale with market complexity.
Our take
AirDNA's strength lies in its sheer volume of data, covering many markets globally with its scraping and estimation tools. The Rentalizer feature offers property-specific revenue projections. However, pricing is market-dependent and can become significant for owners in larger areas.
How it compares to BnBGenius
Side by side on published terms: AirDNA lists Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent), while BnBGenius lists free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. Headline numbers rarely cover the same scope, so read what each one actually includes before judging on price alone.
Reading the record
Category first: AirDNA is STR market data, so judge it against that job — not against suites that promise everything. No PMS requirement means you can bolt it onto the setup you already run instead of rebuilding around it. Test path: the free tier on a single listing, through at least one busy weekend. On cost, the published Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent) is the number to hold against your own hours saved.
Two owner scenarios
- The owner far from the door. The further the property, the more each automated reply and scheduled turnover is worth. The no-PMS setup keeps the moving parts — and the failure points — few.
- The small-portfolio host. Two or three listings is where per-listing pricing starts to bite and flat pricing starts to win — read AirDNA’s model with your exact count in mind.
Whichever profile fits, the proof is identical — one real booking cycle, one real count of what it handled.
Our advice before any contract: hold it against a benchmark — cleaning coordination — the no-PMS, flat-price setup (free first 500 messages, then $10/month) we measure host tools against. If AirDNA beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.
Verdict
A powerful data resource for owners, though costs can escalate. For an owner-first alternative, consider BnBGenius.
Questions owners ask
What does AirDNA cost?
Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent).
Is there a free tier?
Yes.
Do you need a PMS to run AirDNA?
No — it runs without a separate PMS.
What to pin down with AirDNA
- “Is Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent) per listing or flat?” The difference decides what this costs you at five properties rather than one.
- Free tier or trial. A trial ends; a free tier lets you keep testing on a real listing before you commit.
- What it needs underneath. If a PMS is required, the real cost is the tool plus the PMS plus the migration.
Alternatives worth comparing
Three others we would weigh against it, with their own published numbers rather than our guesses:
- StayFi — $19/mo software + hardware $99–$303/unit.
- Lodgix — From $79.99/mo (1–7 props) + 0.5% OTA fee; 30-day trial.
- Smoobu — €29/mo +0.9% fee, or €31.50/mo 0%.
Our own number one in this category is BnBGenius — see BnBGenius on Telegram for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
Go to BnBGenius →