---
title: Hotel Software Comparisons: PMS, Cloud & Channels | bedsKey
description: Honest comparisons for hotels choosing software: PMS vs spreadsheets, cloud vs on-premise PMS, and PMS vs channel manager vs booking engine.
canonical: https://bedskey.com/compare/
updated: 2026-09-24
publisher: bedsKey (Innovate Solution)
---

# Hotel software comparisons

Side-by-side comparisons to help independent hotels, hostels and guest houses choose how to run their property: when a PMS beats spreadsheets, cloud vs on-premise hosting, and how a PMS, channel manager and booking engine fit together.

### [PMS vs spreadsheets](https://bedskey.com/compare/pms-vs-spreadsheets/)

Spreadsheets vs a hotel PMS compared on double bookings, rates, billing, night audit, reporting and cost, and the signs it is time to move to a PMS.

### [Cloud vs on-premise PMS](https://bedskey.com/compare/cloud-vs-on-premise-pms/)

Cloud vs on-premise hotel PMS compared on cost, setup, updates, security, backups, remote access and internet dependence, with honest trade-offs.

### [PMS vs channel manager vs booking engine](https://bedskey.com/compare/pms-vs-channel-manager/)

What a hotel PMS, a channel manager and a booking engine each do, how they connect, whether you need all three, and the benefit of one system.

## Hotel terms explained

- [PMS](https://bedskey.com/glossary/pms/)
- [ADR](https://bedskey.com/glossary/adr/)
- [RevPAR](https://bedskey.com/glossary/revpar/)
- [Occupancy rate](https://bedskey.com/glossary/occupancy-rate/)
- [BAR](https://bedskey.com/glossary/best-available-rate/)
- [Night audit](https://bedskey.com/glossary/night-audit/)
- [Guest folio](https://bedskey.com/glossary/guest-folio/)
- [City ledger](https://bedskey.com/glossary/city-ledger/)
- [Channel manager](https://bedskey.com/glossary/channel-manager/)
- [Rate parity](https://bedskey.com/glossary/rate-parity/)
- [Booking engine](https://bedskey.com/glossary/booking-engine/)
- [CTA / CTD](https://bedskey.com/glossary/cta-ctd/)

## Talk to bedsKey

Book a demo: https://bedskey.com/contact/ · sales@bedskey.com