Short-term rental (STR) property management companies take over repetitive daily tasks and free you up to focus on growing your portfolio. But knowing which one will give you the best features, the most flexibility, and biggest bang for your buck can be tricky.
Vacasa and Evolve are two big names in property management, but neither company lets you keep ownership of your listings, branding, and reviews. If you’re interested in a partnership that will help you strengthen your own brand while growing your revenue, Jetstream should be on your list.
That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate comparison of Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream with all the pros, cons, and pricing explained.
Table of contents
- Jetstream: best for growth-oriented businesses
- Vacasa: best for cash-rich, time-poor managers
- Evolve: best for small businesses
- How to choose the right vacation rental management service
- Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream: Quick comparison table
- Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream: The bottom line
- Frequently asked questions about Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream
Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream: Quick comparison table
We know you’re busy enough so we put together this quick comparison table for the bottom line when it comes to comparing Vacasa, Evolve, and Jetstream.
Below we break down each of them in more detail.
Jetstream: Best for growth-oriented businesses
Jetstream is a short-term rental (STR) solution that was one of the first companies to be invited to integrate with Airbnb.
Pros
1. We handle the guests
Our 24/7, multilingual guest communications team covers all stages of the guest experience, including inquiry, pre-arrival, in-house, and post-departure, including guest reviews. Check-in is also no longer your concern with our remote, keyless self check-in system, which allows guests to check in automatically using unique access codes.
With all that extra time you’ve saved, you can start growing your portfolio while your guests get the support they need (and leave glowing reviews).
2. We grow your revenue, but you have ownership
Jetstream automates listing distribution on all major players such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, and our team of content writers optimize your listings and imagery to boost Airbnb bookings.
Unlike other PMCs, Jetstream lets you list under your branding and keep ownership of your listings forever. Our shared success model (more on this later) means we’re actually invested in helping you grow your business. But if at some point you decide to move on, you retain the rights, including all the glowing reviews you’ve accumulated over the years.
3. We protect your property
Jetstream has robust asset protection systems to protect your property and maximize your vacation rental income by reducing risks and maintenance costs. We offer
Guest screening. Reduce maintenance costs and deter risky guests using Jetstream’s intelligent guest screening tech integration with Autohost.
Damage protection. Get Host Liability and Damage Protection to protect your property from harm, thanks to our integration with Superhog.
Noise and party monitoring. Track noise levels across all your vacation rentals and get alerts if guests get out of hand, using our integration with Operto.
4. You give us the team, we do the admin
Jetstream automatically syncs your calendars and sends notifications to the cleaning team when a guest checks out. So, once you’ve hired your dream team, hand it over to Jetstream and we’ll manage your cleaning schedules and stay on top of maintenance tasks for you.
5. We build your branded direct booking website
A beautiful direct booking website will communicate your market niche, reduce your reliance on OTAs, and save you paying commission. But you might not have the know-how to make one yourself. Jetstream can help you build an easy-to-use and mobile responsive website, customized with your branding and logos, providing a stronger brand presence for your business. We also use a Stripe integration to handle payments.
From guest communications to cleaning and maintenance scheduling, we take care of the admin.
Cons
1. Not ideal if you want to be involved with the property 24/7
One of the best things about Jetstream is we take almost everything off your hands so you can focus on boosting the efficiency of your business and scaling your portfolio.
So, if you’re not so focused on growth but prefer to be 100% hands-on and manage your property 24/7 we might not be the right fit.
2. Not the right choice for a totally hands-off investor
Jetstream services are entirely remote. We work best with entrepreneurs who already have a “boots on the ground” team to clean and maintain their properties, but need support running things behind the scenes so they can rapidly scale their business.
If you’re an investor who wants to stay totally hands-off, you might prefer a full-service manager that can work on-site at your units.
Pricing
Jetstream charges a flat rate of 15% commission, but our shared-success model means if a property doesn’t get any bookings, then you don’t have to pay. And there are zero upfront costs, so you can jump right in and start scaling up before you spend.
What the customers say
Our customers love how easy it is to use the service and the competitive amount of automations on offer. They especially enjoy how we:
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Manage the cleaning staff. “Now we have Jetstream, we know where everybody is at any given moment. The early check-ins team can tell what’s been cleaned and what hasn’t and they don’t have to call the office on a Saturday.”
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Take care of guest communications. “Before, I’d be on the phone all night. But now I have Jetstream handling guest communications 24/7, that actually lets me have regular office hours. I’m not getting a million phone calls anymore.”
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Handle channel management. “We found it difficult to manage our calendars and pricing across channels and to manage communications with the guest. That’s something that’s very well managed by Jetstream.”
Vacasa: best for cash-rich, time-poor managers
Vacasa is a vacation rental management service that has its own reservations system and specializes in consistent guest experience, regardless of location.
Pros
1. In-depth rate optimization
Vacasa determines its nightly rates with billions of data points. Machine learning feeds the algorithm with key data about:
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Weather
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Trends
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Historical booking times and lengths
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Current pricing conditions
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Special events
2. Consistent guest experiences
Vacasa focuses heavily on giving your guests a consistent customer experience across the properties that it partners with. As such it only works with real estate owners that will maintain their well-defined guest standards. It also has a team of local pros who constantly look out for your properties, keeping them safe and well maintained.
3. A strong tech-stack
Vacasa has tech solutions to help you stay connected to your property and track performance.
Features include:
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Dynamic revenue viewer. This tool allows you to access your property’s financial outlook and compare your performance by month and year.
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Instant phone app alerts. Even if you’re out of the office the app will notify you of new guest booking or maintenance issues.
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3D virtual home tours. Allow your guests to get a real feel for the property before arriving, increasing bookings and reducing guest questions.
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In-home noise monitoring. If noise detected by these devices exceeds a certain decibel level, the Vacasa team gets an alert to ensure everything’s above board.
Vacasa has a formidable tech stack, including a mobile app to keep you up to date with bookings.
4. Interior design program
The Vacasa design team can upgrade your vacation homes to improve the guest experience with bespoke design solutions.
Vacasa offers two different design packages called Guided design and Curated design, the former being a less expensive, advisory solution and the latter being the more hands-on, costly choice.
Cons
1. High fees
Vacasa is the most expensive of the three property management companies on this list (more on pricing later).
2. Lack of personalized branding
Vacasa takes care of your listings for you but this comes at a cost: you need to take on the Vacasa brand. There’s no white labeling or direct website dedicated to your rental business, making Vacasa a better fit for those who aren’t interested in building a strong, personalized presence online.
3. You don’t own your listing reviews
Vacasa’s policy means that you don’t have ownership of your listings on any channel. If, for whatever reason, you decide to part ways, all those five-star reviews you’ve amassed over the years will disappear. This means you’ll have to build them up again and lose revenue in the meantime.
Pricing
Vacasa is the costlier option of the three property management companies we’re covering in this article because although it doesn’t offer any fixed pricing on its website:
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Users of the company report up to 35% in commission fees
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There’s a $270 property damage fee
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They charge the guests a 10% booking fee
What the customers say
Vacasa customers love the revenue optimization system but others have taken issue with its pricing model and customer service shortcomings.
Here’s what they had to say:
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The revenue optimization tool is great. “Vacasa’s revenue optimization system is second to none.”
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It allows owners to be hands-off. “We are 3 hours away, and it would be difficult if there was an emergency. To not even have to think about that is very comforting.”
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There’s a lot hidden in the small print. “Anyone thinking of using Vacasa really needs to examine every line of their Agreement to see what you’re signing up for. There is a LOT buried in the fine print.”
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The fees are too high. “I have Vacasa right now and am not happy. They take 30% and on top of that charge fees to the guests.”
Evolve: best for small businesses
Evolve is a vacation rental management company that offers a lighter, flexible, and cheaper alternative for property managers.
Pros
1. Competitive fees
Evolve’s 10% management fee is one of the lowest on the market (more on pricing below).
2. High flexibility
In addition to the fact that you can get back all your management fees in the first six months if you decide to leave, there’s also no term commitment for owners. Using the company’s service is free of charge, and you can cancel at any time.
Evolve also doesn’t limit personal stays, allowing homeowners to use their vacation rental for personal use throughout the year. Guests can also get free booking cancellation within the first 48 hours of confirmation or travel credit if they need to change plans up to 48 hours before check-in.
3. Robust property damage protection
Evolve doesn’t require security deposits for vacation rentals. Instead, it offers Damage Protection insurance backed by the insurance company Assurant, charging guests a set fee of $14.50 a night for protection.
This plan provides coverage for up to $3,000 in unintentional damages caused by travelers, with guests being liable for property damage or destruction that exceeds that amount. Evolve also offers liability insurance coverage of $1 million for property owners.
Cons
1. Evolve doesn’t cover cleaning and maintenance
Evolve covers everything up to check-in—they take care of pricing, listings, reservations, and guest communications—but you need to manage your own cleaning and maintenance teams.
This makes it a bit of an outlier in the vacation rental management industry so it’s worth considering the time commitment involved in running these teams before signing up.
2. You don’t own your listings and reviews
At Evolve you don’t own the rights to your listings or the associated reviews which could catch you by surprise if you decide to part ways with the company. Suddenly you’ve lost all those hard-won positive reviews and you have to re-list, putting you at the bottom of the pile.
3. Only available in the United States
As of writing Evolve unfortunately only operates in the United States, meaning it’s a no-go for property managers living elsewhere.
Pricing
Evolve’s 10% management fee, which is only applied after you’ve secured bookings for your home, is a competitive rate for the vacation rental market.
They also offer a ‘Risk-Free Guarantee’ so if you want to stop working with Evolve within the first six months the company will give you a full refund on all your management fees.
Evolve has one of the lowest commission rates on the market.
What the customers say
Evolve is generally well received by its customers, with several highlighting its fast payouts and effective communication. On the other hand, some have been disappointed by their lack of cleaning and maintenance services.
Here’s what customers are saying:
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The customer service is top-notch. “From the beginning, Evolve has been great. From the onboarding to the marketing and implementation of the reservations. They have multiple ways to communicate with them, such as messaging through the app, email or telephone.”
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The content team knows their stuff. “All of the professionals I spoke with were knowledgeable and patient with explaining everything that would occur. The photographer was wonderful. The write-up on the property sounds like they have been to the property and the area.”
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It doesn’t cover enough operations. “You are left at the mercy of the local cleaning and maintenance company they recommend. This can be tricky because the very reason why you want a full service property management is to avoid the hassle of dealing with scheduling of guests and other maintenance items.”
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The user policies aren’t great. “Evolve has definitely helped me get more rentals, however some of their policies are cumbersome.”
How to choose the right vacation rental management service
If you’re looking for someone to take over a large part of your STR business operations it makes sense to choose very carefully. Here are the key factors in deciding which vacation rental management service is right for you.
Estimate the cost
First, determine your budget and how much you want to spend. Vacation rental property business models can vary between states and areas, so research the best fee structure for your services before signing up.
Depending on a variety of factors, a vacation rental company’s commission can range from 10% to 50% of your rental income. For example, your property’s location, how many rentals you want them to manage, the services they offer, and the specifics of their fee structure.
There are three main fee structures:
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Fixed-rate model. The rental management company charges you a flat rate for all standard services, regardless of the number of bookings per month.
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Guaranteed model. This model offers you a fixed income each month, regardless of how many bookings you have, but any additional income made goes directly to the vacation property management company.
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Commission-based income model. With this model, you pay the company commission based on the number of bookings you have.
Be aware that there can be extra fees on top of the above such as administrative details and booking fees or the cleaning of your property’s hot tub. Get a detailed list of the full price breakdown, and carefully read the fine print.
Evaluate the features
You’ve got enough on your plate, so look for the management company that offers to take the most off it. The more features they offer that solve your specific needs, the better. Keep an eye out for these features in particular:
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Integrations with tools you already use
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Guest communications
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Task automation
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Cleaning and maintenance scheduling
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Channel management
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Auto-syncing booking calendars
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Task management
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Performance reports and analytics
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White label website design
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Payment processing
Check out the testimonials
Customer testimonials and case studies will give you a good idea of what customers consider valuable about the service and can help you decide if it’s the right company for your particular needs.
Likewise, it’s a telling sign if the company hasn’t posted any testimonials on their website, suggesting that it’s either untested or couldn’t find anyone willing to share their experiences with the company.
Book a demo
Slick landing pages can only tell you so much. If you really want to understand what you’re being offered and how the platform works, you need to book a demo.
Most reputable management companies offer a free demo, so book one before you sign up to get a better feel for the business and ask a bunch of questions.
Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream: The bottom line
Whichever management company you choose, you need to consider the costs involved and how much involvement you want with the day-to-day running of your business.
Jetstream is your best option if you want almost all day-to-day operations taken care of for a competitive price and want to keep your personal brand and listings for future investment. With Jetstream, you get a partnership not just a tech stack, so our time and expertise is dedicated to increasing your efficiency and revenue.
That said, Vacasa is a good choice if you’re not concerned about personal branding, want day-to-day operations taken off your hands, and cost isn’t a factor for you. And if you’re looking for a cheaper solution to alleviate some management pressures and you’re still willing to take care of cleaning and maintenance teams, try Evolve.
Frequently asked questions about Vacasa vs Evolve vs Jetstream
What is the difference between Evolve, Vacasa, and Jetstream?
The difference between Evolve, Vacasa, and Jetstream is that:
- Vacasa hires and manages cleaning and maintenance teams for you, but Evolve doesn’t. Jetstream won’t hire your team, but it will help you efficiently manage them using cleaning and maintenance scheduling software.
- Jetstream lets you keep your listings and reviews, but Vacasa and Evolve don’t.
- Jetstream is the only tool that allows entrepreneurs and investors to create and scale their own white labelled brand with Jetstream behind the scenes.
- Vacasa charges around 35% in commission fees, Jetstream charges 15%, and Evolve charges 10%.
- Jetstream and Vacasa operate outside the US, but Evolve doesn’t.
Who are Vacasa’s competitors?
Vacasa’s competitors are Jetstream, Evolve, and VTrips.
Is Vacasa a good management company?
Vacasa is a good management company that has a robust feature set but it charges higher commission fees and provides less flexibility compared to competitors such as Jetstream.
What is the rating for Evolve?
The rating for Evolve is:
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3.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot
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2.8 out of 5 on Better Business Bureau
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1.4 out of 5 on Sitejabber
How is Evolve different from Airbnb?
Evolve is different from Airbnb because Evolve is a short-term rental management company, whereas Airbnb is an online travel agent. Evolve handles aspects of the management of properties and Airbnb is an application for listing and booking properties.
