AirDNA vs PriceLabs is a common search among professional short-term rental (STR) managers, but often misunderstood. Why?
Because AirDNA and PriceLabs aren’t comparable tools—they solve different problems.
AirDNA provides market insights, while PriceLabs offers automated pricing. But neither one delivers the strategic execution most PMs need to hit revenue targets consistently.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What each tool is designed for
- Where their value ends
- What happens when you need more than charts and automation
- How ListingOK offers a smarter, integrated alternative
Let’s dive in.
🧭 The Real Question: What Are You Trying to Solve?
Before we get into features, it’s essential to understand the core difference between these platforms.
Platform | Category | Solves… |
---|---|---|
AirDNA | Market data analytics | Understanding demand, pricing trends, comps |
PriceLabs | Dynamic pricing tool | Automating pricing across listings |
ListingOK | Revenue management | Maximizing income with pricing + strategy |
The issue? Most STR businesses need all three layers—data, pricing logic, and strategic decision-making. And few have the time or internal team to manage it.
That’s why tools alone often fall short. Let’s see how.
🧪 AirDNA: Great Market Data, No Execution Layer
AirDNA has become the go-to platform for investment analysis and benchmarking in the short-term rental industry.
It provides insights into:
- Occupancy rates by zip code
- Historical and projected ADRs
- Booking windows
- Revenue potential for different bedroom types
- Market saturation levels
- New listing trends
You can:
- Compare multiple cities
- Generate reports for owners or investors
- Estimate ROI for new units
But here’s the problem for operators:
AirDNA stops at insight. It doesn’t tell you what to do with it tomorrow.
You’ll still need to interpret the charts, decide on a strategy, and apply that to each listing manually or via another tool.
⚙️ PriceLabs: Smart Pricing Tool for Operators with Time
PriceLabs offers the most configurable dynamic pricing system on the market. It’s built for detail-oriented managers who want full control.
Top features include:
- Rule-based pricing per listing
- Adjustments based on booking window
- Custom occupancy thresholds
- Minimum/maximum price logic
- Custom season definitions
- Market dashboards
But let’s be honest: to get the most out of PriceLabs, you need time and experience.
If you manage 5–10 listings and love dashboards, PriceLabs is a strong fit.
If you manage 50+ listings and juggle team ops, owner calls, and onboarding new units—it quickly becomes too much.
The software won’t fail. But you will be the bottleneck unless you hire a full-time revenue manager.
🧠 ListingOK: Where Market Data Meets Automation + Human Expertise
ListingOK is built for PMs and STR operators who:
- Have outgrown tools-only models
- Want automation without losing control
- Need support to scale efficiently
- Report to property owners, investors or partners
Here’s how it combines the best of both worlds:
- ✅ Uses a proprietary algorithm (StayProfit) trained with real booking data from Europe and LATAM
- ✅ Monitors local events, pacing, competitor availability, and market compression
- ✅ Assigns a dedicated revenue manager who provides:
- Weekly pricing adjustments
- Strategic calls
- Monthly performance reports
- Ongoing portfolio analysis
- ✅ Includes integration with channel managers or offers one directly
No charts to interpret. No rules to tweak. Just strategy → execution → results.
🧩 Deeper Comparison: What They Really Deliver
Criteria | AirDNA | PriceLabs | ListingOK |
---|---|---|---|
Type | Market data tool | Pricing automation | Full-service revenue management |
Best For | Investors, feasibility | Technical PMs (DIY) | PMs with 15+ listings, scaling ops |
Real-time Pricing Updates | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (with expert oversight) |
Human Strategy Support | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Dedicated manager |
Portfolio Optimization | ❌ | Listing by listing | Strategy by region + segment |
Local Event Sensitivity | ❌ | Manual | ✅ Automatic + strategic |
Integration with PMS/OTAs | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ + internal tools available |
Reporting for Stakeholders | Static exports | None | Custom monthly reports (PDF + metrics) |
Team Training & Escalations | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Included |
🎯 Use Case: 120 Units Across 4 Cities
Sofia is COO of a mid-sized STR operation managing 120 units in Spain and Portugal.
- She used AirDNA to prepare owner presentations and pitch new cities
- PriceLabs helped her set automated pricing across her PMS
- But she still:
- Manually reviewed pricing spikes
- Created her own Excel dashboards
- Couldn’t explain rate drops to partners
Switching to ListingOK, she now:
- Gets reports tailored for each city
- Understands occupancy pacing vs market benchmarks
- Has proactive pricing updates before high-demand weekends
- Outsources strategy—but keeps full visibility
“We grew by 22% YoY in RevPAR after switching to ListingOK. And I finally stopped playing part-time revenue manager.”
🧱 Technology Stack and Support
Only ListingOK includes enterprise-level capabilities out of the box:
- REST API access
- PMS + BI platform integration
- Advanced CSV/Excel exports
- Dedicated revenue analyst
- SLA-based support (24h response)
- Bilingual team (English + Spanish)
This is critical for large PMs who need:
- Traceable results
- Stakeholder reporting
- Global or multi-market coordination
- A partner, not just a panel
🔍 Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between AirDNA and PriceLabs?
AirDNA gives you market-level insights. PriceLabs adjusts your prices dynamically. They are complementary—but not enough on their own.
Is ListingOK more expensive?
ListingOK offers flat or variable pricing based on your portfolio. It replaces the need for both PriceLabs and a revenue manager, offering better ROI for teams managing 15+ listings.
Can I use AirDNA and PriceLabs together?
Yes—but you still need to interpret data and apply decisions manually. ListingOK simplifies this by delivering strategy + automation in one service.
Is this for Airbnb only?
No. ListingOK supports Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, and can integrate via PMS or channel manager. It’s built for professional STR businesses with multi-channel strategies.
💬 Final Take: AirDNA vs PriceLabs vs ListingOK
If you’re asking:
- “How’s the market performing?” → use AirDNA
- “How do I automate price changes?” → try PriceLabs
- “How do I consistently grow revenue across markets?” → go with ListingOK
Goal | Best Platform |
---|---|
Market research | AirDNA |
Basic pricing automation | PriceLabs |
Strategic growth at scale | ListingOK |
Full-stack optimization | ListingOK |
🎯 Looking to combine data, automation, and expert strategy in one solution? Book your free strategy call with ListingOK