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Category: Pricing & Revenue
By: Chris Nakamura
Reply by David Okafor:
I tested all three over 6 months on the same 2 properties in Nashville. Here are my actual numbers: **Months 1-2: Airbnb Smart Pricing** - Avg nightly rate: $112 - Occupancy: 78% - Monthly revenue (2 properties): $5,264 **Months 3-4: PriceLabs** - Avg nightly rate: $138 - Occupancy: 71% - Monthly revenue (2 properties): $5,898 **Months 5-6: Wheelhouse** - Avg nightly rate: $131 - Occupancy: 73% - Monthly revenue (2 properties): $5,748 **Winner: PriceLabs by a meaningful margin.** $634/month more than Smart Pricing ($317/property). At $20/property/month for PriceLabs, that's a 15x ROI. The main difference: Airbnb Smart Pricing optimizes for THEIR revenue (more bookings = more fees). PriceLabs (https://pricelabs.co) optimizes for YOUR revenue. Their incentives aren't aligned with yours. Wheelhouse was solid too but I found PriceLabs gave me more granular control over min/max rates, last-minute discounts, and orphan day management.
Reply by Priya Nair:
I'll add: Airbnb Smart Pricing is especially bad for events and holidays. It barely reacts to local demand spikes. PriceLabs has event detection that automatically raises prices when there's a concert, festival, or conference in your market. During CMA Fest in Nashville, PriceLabs priced my listing at $340/night. Airbnb Smart Pricing suggested $145. That one weekend difference paid for PriceLabs for the entire year.