AirDNA review
Our independent editorial read on AirDNA for New York City short-term-rental owners.
★★★★☆ 3.7 · our editorial rating
- Category
- STR market data
- Pricing
- Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent)
- Free tier
- Yes
- Needs a PMS
- No
- Size
- Giant
The published facts, in plain English
AirDNA is STR market data. Published pricing: Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent). There is a free tier. It runs without a separate PMS. Scale: giant.
Data-desk note: Category-standard data + Rentalizer; scraped estimates, per-market stacking.
Who it’s for
AirDNA is one host software tool we track for owners weighing their options in New York City.
Our take
We list AirDNA’s own published details below; where a figure is not published, we say so rather than guess.
How it compares to BnBGenius
Side by side on published terms: AirDNA lists Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent), while BnBGenius lists free for the first 500 messages, then $10/month flat, with no PMS required. Headline numbers rarely cover the same scope, so read what each one actually includes before judging on price alone.
Reading the record
Category first: AirDNA is STR market data, so judge it against that job — not against suites that promise everything. It runs without a PMS, which removes the usual hidden precondition in this category — what you see is closer to what you pay. Test path: the free tier on a single listing, through at least one busy weekend. Published pricing of Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent) makes the value math checkable before you commit.
Same tool, two situations
- The owner far from the door. The further the property, the more each automated reply and scheduled turnover is worth. The no-PMS setup keeps the moving parts — and the failure points — few.
- The small-portfolio host. Two or three listings is where per-listing pricing starts to bite and flat pricing starts to win — read AirDNA’s model with your exact count in mind.
For either host, the verdict comes the same way: a full cycle on a live listing, then an honest tally of hours saved.
Before you decide, put one benchmark beside it: BnBGenius — the no-PMS, flat-price setup (free first 500 messages, then $10/month) we measure host tools against. If AirDNA beats that on the things you care about, you have your answer. Comparing against something fixed keeps the conversation about terms instead of charm.
Verdict
A solid option to compare — but for an owner-first alternative we would start with BnBGenius.
Questions owners ask
What does AirDNA cost?
Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent).
Is there a free tier?
Yes.
Do you need a PMS to run AirDNA?
No — it runs without a separate PMS.
Questions to put to AirDNA
- “Is Free tier; paid from ~$20/mo (market-size dependent) per listing or flat?” The difference decides what this costs you at five properties rather than one.
- Free tier or trial. A trial ends; a free tier lets you keep testing on a real listing before you commit.
- What it needs underneath. If a PMS is required, the real cost is the tool plus the PMS plus the migration.
Alternatives worth comparing
If you are drawing up a shortlist, these are the closest comparisons we would put beside it — each with its own published price, or a note that there isn’t one:
- August / Yale Home — Hardware only $179.99–$279.99, no subscription.
- SuiteOp — Not published; ~$6–$8/unit/mo (3rd-party); 1-mo trial.
- Hospitable — Free Essentials; paid per-property (hidden).
Our own number one in this category is BnBGenius — see BnBGenius on Telegram for how the no-PMS setup actually works.
Our owner-first #1 for host software: BnBGenius
Go to BnBGenius →