Nearly 90% of short-term rental (STR) software vendors have been forced to delay or abandon key product launches due to excessive integration fees charged by property management systems (PMSs).
The findings come from a new report by Hospitable, which exposes the cost of the revenue-sharing model used across the STR ecosystem.
Vendors are required to hand over upfront payments or a percentage of revenue simply to access PMS platforms, often before signing a single customer.
Some reported fees as high as $10,000 for basic access, with others spending up to 20% of their revenue every quarter just to stay integrated.
Software vendors are incentivised to connect with PMSs to access their larger audiences, but the report shows this promise rarely delivers.
Despite paying thousands, most surveyed vendors said the exposure did not justify the cost. Visibility was often conditional, inconsistent, or absent altogether. Only one vendor reported seeing a valid return on investment.
The report not only highlights the financial pressure, but also who gains from it. Eighty-one per cent of surveyed vendors say the revenue-sharing model disproportionately benefits the largest platforms. Smaller vendors are charged the same fees despite having fewer resources and less reach, creating a system that rewards scale and shuts out innovation.
Many vendors said these costs had already delayed planned integrations or forced them to drop valuable features. Asked how they would use that money instead, the answer was consistent: product development was the top priority, followed by improving support, lowering prices, expanding integrations, and growing awareness. For hosts, that would mean faster innovation, better service, and more choice, all of which is currently being held back by pay-to-play access fees.
The report also reveals a clear appetite for reform, with 78% of surveyed vendors saying they would publicly support a movement to end revenue share. In an ecosystem often marked by competing interests, this level of consensus stands out. On this issue, vendors are broadly aligned.
In response, property management software Hospitable has launched the No Rev Share Pledge, inviting software vendors to take a stand against revenue share. Hospitable has never charged vendors to integrate, and operates with a public API and a free, open marketplace.
Software vendors who are already integrated with Hospitable can sign the pledge to publicly confirm that they support an open, pay-to-play-free model, and do not pay revenue share to Hospitable.
To ensure the value of fair integration is passed directly to hosts, pledged vendors also commit to provide a tangible benefit, such as a discount, extended trial, or feature upgrade, to Hospitable customers. In recognition of their support, these vendors will be featured on the official No Rev Share website and highlighted as trusted partners who are helping to drive greater innovation, accessibility, and choice for the industry.
Hospitable also warmly invites PMS platforms to join the pledge by ending revenue share for their integration partners. PMSs that take this step will be recognized on the No Rev Share website as fellow no-rev-share advocates, and Hospitable will be happy to spotlight their commitment.
Pierre-Camille Hamana, CEO and Founder of Hospitable, said: “This is not just a vendor issue. When platforms charge steep integration fees, it’s hosts and property managers who pay the price. They get fewer tools, slower product updates, and higher software costs. New ideas struggle to break through, and smaller companies are blocked before they begin.
“The gatekeeping has to stop. Access should be earned by building value, not by writing cheques. Hosts deserve better, and vendors deserve a level playing field. What we’re seeing is a closed ecosystem controlled by those protecting their position. This model is broken, outdated, and every day it continues, it holds the industry back.”
