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Save 87% — $9/mo vs $70+/mo

CraftedStays alternative for
vacation rental hosts

CraftedStays charges $70+/month. DirectBookings gives you the same core features — booking website, Stripe payments, calendar sync, and pre-signed guest agreements — for $9/month. 87% less cost.

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Cost comparison

1 property
Compare
DirectBookings
$9/mo
CraftedStays
$70+/mo

Save $700-1,000+ per year with DirectBookings

Why hosts are switching from CraftedStays

CraftedStays has great templates but costs 87% more

87% cost savings

CraftedStays starts at $70+/month. DirectBookings is $9/month for 1 property, $29 for up to 5. Same booking website, same Stripe payments, same calendar sync — fraction of the price.

Pre-signed agreements included

DirectBookings includes rental agreements with No Tenancy Rights clause, custom waivers with e-signatures, and overstay fee enforcement. CraftedStays doesn't offer these host agreement features.

Simpler setup

CraftedStays has a learning curve with its template customization. DirectBookings takes 15 minutes — add your property, connect Stripe, publish. No design decisions needed.

Automated check-in

Full check-in automation: waivers, rental agreement, door codes — all sent automatically. CraftedStays focuses on the website but leaves check-in to you.

DirectBookings vs CraftedStays

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature
DirectBookings
CraftedStays
Monthly cost (1 property)
$9 flat
$70+/month
Monthly cost (5 properties)
$29 flat
$70+/month
Booking commissions
✓ $0 forever
✓ $0
Direct booking website
✓ Included
✓ Included
Stripe payments
✓ Integrated
✓ Integrated
Calendar sync
✓ iCal hourly sync
✓ PMS integration
Custom domain
✓ Included
✓ Included
Legal waivers & e-signatures
✓ Unlimited custom waivers
✗ Not available
Rental agreement with No Tenancy Rights
✓ Auto-generated
✗ Not available
Automated check-in flow
✓ Fully automated
✗ Not available
Automated messaging
✓ Templates & triggers
✗ Not available
Template customization
Standard templates
✓ Advanced templates
PMS integrations
iCal sync
✓ OwnerRez, Hospitable, HostAway, Guesty
Setup time
15 minutes
30-60 minutes
Best for
1-10 properties, budget-conscious
5-20+ properties, design-focused

Everything vacation rental hosts need

No overpaying — just the essentials

Direct booking website

Professional booking site with your branding and custom domain. SEO-optimized for Google and AI search engines.

Stripe payments

Accept credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Money goes straight to your Stripe account. No platform commission.

Calendar sync

Hourly iCal sync with Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com. No double bookings. Keep all your existing listings.

Custom waivers

Create legal waivers guests must sign before check-in. Property damage, pool, pet — fully customizable with e-signatures.

Rental agreement

Auto-generated agreement with No Tenancy Rights clause, overstay fees, and trespass protection. IP-logged for legal compliance.

Automated check-in

Guests sign waivers, accept terms, and receive access credentials automatically. No manual work from you.

Frequently asked questions

How is DirectBookings different from CraftedStays?
CraftedStays focuses on beautiful, customizable website templates with deep PMS integrations. DirectBookings focuses on affordability and pre-signed guest agreements. DirectBookings costs $9/month vs $70+/month and includes rental agreements, custom waivers, and automated check-in that CraftedStays doesn't offer.
What does DirectBookings cost compared to CraftedStays?
DirectBookings costs $9/month for 1 property, $29/month for up to 5, or $79/month for up to 10. CraftedStays starts at $70+/month. For a host with 1-3 properties, that's $9-29/month vs $70+/month — saving $500-700+ per year.
Does CraftedStays have legal waivers?
No. CraftedStays focuses on website building and PMS integration. DirectBookings includes rental agreements with No Tenancy Rights clause, custom waivers with e-signatures, overstay fee enforcement, and IP-logged signatures. These pre-signed agreement features are unique to DirectBookings.
Can I switch from CraftedStays to DirectBookings?
Yes. Set up your DirectBookings site in 15 minutes — add your property details, connect Stripe, sync your calendar, and publish. Your existing Airbnb and VRBO listings stay active. Many hosts switch because the cost savings are significant.
What features does CraftedStays have that DirectBookings doesn't?
CraftedStays offers more advanced template customization, deeper PMS integrations (native API connections with OwnerRez, Hospitable, HostAway, Guesty), and more design flexibility. If you need pixel-perfect design control or manage 20+ properties with a PMS, CraftedStays may be worth the higher cost.
Is DirectBookings good enough for a professional rental website?
Yes. DirectBookings creates professional, SEO-optimized booking websites with custom domains. While CraftedStays offers more design customization, DirectBookings' templates are clean and professional. Most guests care about clear photos, pricing, and a smooth booking flow — not template design.
Do I need coding or design skills to use DirectBookings?
No. Add your property details, upload photos, connect Stripe, choose colors, and publish. Live in 15 minutes. CraftedStays offers more design flexibility but requires more time investment to customize. DirectBookings prioritizes speed and simplicity.
Will my DirectBookings site rank on Google?
Yes. Every site includes automatic SEO: VacationRental schema, meta tags, sitemaps, IndexNow instant indexing, and AI-crawler access for ChatGPT and Perplexity. Your Area Guide and FAQ pages rank for local queries like 'vacation rental near [your area]'.
Can I accept bookings and payments directly on my website?
Yes. DirectBookings includes a full booking engine with real-time availability, instant pricing, and Stripe checkout. Guests book and pay on your site without redirects. Zero platform commissions — only Stripe's standard 2.9% + 30¢ processing fee.
Does DirectBookings work alongside Airbnb and VRBO?
Yes. Hourly iCal sync keeps all calendars in sync. Keep your OTA listings for discovery and use DirectBookings for commission-free repeat guests. Zero double bookings across platforms.

Explore DirectBookings

Website Builder

Purpose-built for vacation rental hosts. Booking engine, payments, calendar sync — $9/mo.

Dynamic Pricing

PriceLabs integration — 10-40% more revenue with automatic rate optimization.

How Travelers Find You

Google SEO, AI assistants, and local content — zero ad spend required.

Turn one-time guests into repeat direct bookings

Most hosts never see their guests again. Every OTA stay should become your next direct booking — your website accepts commission-free reservations, your WiFi keeps your brand in front of guests long after checkout.

The repeat booking engine
1

Guest books on Airbnb

You pay the OTA commission

2

Stays at your property

Their only visit — for now

3

Connects to your WiFi

Branded splash page

4

Email captured

Added to your guest CRM

5

Automated follow-up

Offers & seasonal discounts

Books directly next trip

Zero OTA commission

Step 1

Direct Booking Website

Accept commission-free reservations from day one. Your own branded site with payments, calendar sync, and automated check-in — live in 15 minutes.

  • Branded booking website with custom domain
  • Stripe payments — zero booking fees
  • Calendar sync with Airbnb & VRBO
  • Pre-signed rental agreements & waivers
Start accepting direct bookings →
Step 2

Guest WiFi Marketing

Stop letting guests disappear after checkout. Capture their email when they log on to WiFi, then automatically invite them back to book direct next time.

  • Branded WiFi splash page & guest email capture
  • Automated rebooking campaigns & seasonal offers
  • Repeat-guest discounts to win the direct booking
  • Guest CRM across all your properties — any router
See WiFi Marketing →

One repeat booking often pays for your subscription many times over — there's no OTA commission the second time around. Bundle subscribers save 30% on Guest WiFi Marketing.

Browse our free Airbnb alternative →

Switch from CraftedStays and save 87%.

$9/month for 1 property. No booking fees. Pre-signed agreements included. 5-day free trial.

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CraftedStays Alternative — $9/mo vs $70+/mo | DirectBookings