Free Vacation Rental Software: How the iGMS Free Plan Works
Yes, iGMS has a free plan. The iGMS Free Plan is free vacation rental software for short-term rental hosts. It costs $0 a month and puts Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com in one calendar and one inbox, on the web and on iOS and Android. iGMS charges nothing on channel reservations. The only fee is 4% on direct payments through your own Stripe account.
The iGMS Free Plan at a glance
| iGMS Free Plan | |
|---|---|
| Monthly price | $0. No subscription fee, no setup fee |
| The only fee | 4% of each direct payment through the Stripe account you connect to iGMS |
| Never charged | Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com reservations, and payments you take outside iGMS |
| Channels | Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com in one calendar and one inbox |
| Apps | Web, iOS and Android |
| Usage limits | Up to 5 reservations and 10 guest messages in total |
| Who can join | New iGMS customers, through the Free Plan page or with the code FREEPLAN |
| Status | A pilot programme, run under its own Free Plan Terms |
Why is the iGMS Free Plan free?
iGMS earns from the Free Plan only when a guest pays you directly through iGMS. A host with two listings mostly needs the calendars to stop colliding, and a monthly software bill for that is hard to justify. So the Free Plan has no bill. If you never take a direct payment, iGMS earns nothing from your account.
"A host with two listings shouldn't need a software budget to stop double bookings. On the Free Plan we earn nothing until a host is paid directly, so we only grow when our hosts win bookings of their own."
Ivan Levchenko, CEO of iGMS
What do you get for $0?
You get the tools a host with a few short-term rentals uses every day. These are the same screens paying iGMS customers use.
A free channel manager for Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com
A booking on Airbnb blocks the same dates on Vrbo and Booking.com in under a second. That is the work of a channel manager, and on the Free Plan it costs $0. The double booking stops at the calendar.
One inbox, with the reply already drafted
Guest messages from every channel land in one thread per guest, with a suggested answer ready to send. You stop switching between three apps to find one conversation.
Automated guest messages
Check-in instructions and routine replies go out on schedule, within the plan's message limit.
Cleaner and co-host access
Give your cleaner and co-host their own access, so they see the stays they need to see.
A mobile app for iOS and Android
The iGMS app connects Airbnb on its first screen, so you can set up the whole plan from your phone. You can disconnect a channel at any time.
Direct payments through your own Stripe
When a guest books with you directly, they pay through your Stripe account using iGMS's direct booking tools. The money lands in your account, and that payment is the only one the 4% applies to.
The features in your account while it is on the Free Plan are the ones the plan includes. Some paid features and add-ons are not part of it (Free Plan Terms §3.2).
How does the 4% fee work?
The 4% fee applies only to direct payments: money a guest pays you through the Stripe account you connect to iGMS, whichever site the guest found you on. Reservations collected by Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com are never charged.
| Payment | iGMS fee on the Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Reservation collected and paid out by Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com | $0 |
| Payment you collect outside iGMS, by bank transfer or in cash | $0 |
| Direct payment through your connected Stripe account | 4% of the payment, excluding taxes and refundable security deposits |
| Card processing on that direct payment | Stripe's own fee, charged by Stripe |
How the fee behaves in practice:
- What it covers: the stay, the cleaning fee and any extras the guest pays through Stripe.
- When it is taken: automatically, as a Stripe application fee, when the payment is captured. Every fee shows in your Stripe dashboard and in iGMS billing.
- Refunds: if you refund a guest under your own cancellation policy, the fee stays.
- Chargebacks: if a payment is reversed through a chargeback or dispute, iGMS refunds the fee.
- Direct Booking Service: if you turn it on while on the Free Plan, no separate success fee is added on the same payment (Terms §5.4).
- No direct payments: no fee at all.
What does one booking cost on the Free Plan?
Take a four-night December stay at $412 a night plus a $140 cleaning fee. The guest pays $1,788. Here is what iGMS charges, depending on where the guest paid.
| Booked on Airbnb | Booked and paid directly | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 nights × $412 | $1,648.00 | $1,648.00 |
| Cleaning fee | $140.00 | $140.00 |
| Guest pays | $1,788.00 | $1,788.00 |
| iGMS fee | $0.00 | $71.52 (4%) |
| iGMS monthly fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
On the direct booking, Stripe also charges its own processing fee. The figures are an example; the iGMS fee is always 4% of the payment, without taxes or a refundable deposit.
Who is the free plan for?
The Free Plan is built for a few short-term rentals run by the host. It is not for everyone, on purpose.
A good fit if you:
- run one to a handful of short-term rentals yourself, with or without a cleaner;
- list on two or more channels and the calendars have collided at least once;
- would take direct bookings if it did not mean starting a website project.
Not a fit if you run:
- long-term rentals with leases, tenant screening or rent collection;
- a hotel or hostel with a front desk;
- twenty or more listings for owners. That needs a conversation with our team, not a free plan.
What are the limits of the free plan?
The Free Plan includes up to 5 reservations and up to 10 guest messages in total while the account is on the plan (Free Plan Terms §4.3). When a limit is reached, iGMS may pause the affected feature until you move to a paid plan. Reservations and messages already in the account stay visible.
The Free Plan is also a pilot. iGMS runs it to learn how hosts use the software at no monthly cost, and the terms say plainly what that means:
- Changes come with notice. iGMS gives at least 14 days' notice in the app or by email before it changes the limits, the features or the fee.
- When the free period or the pilot ends, the app asks you to choose a paid plan or close the account. You are never moved to a paid plan, or charged for one, without your agreement.
- Your data stays yours. You can export it at any time while the account is active. If you leave, iGMS keeps it for 30 days so you can export it or move to a paid plan.
- One account per host business. Extra accounts opened to get extra limits are not allowed.
How do you sign up for the iGMS Free Plan?
- Open the Free Plan page and click Create a free account. The link applies the code FREEPLAN for you.
- Connect Airbnb. It is the first screen in the app, on the web or on your phone.
- Add Vrbo and Booking.com, then Stripe if you take direct bookings.
The Free Plan is applied only through the Free Plan page or the code FREEPLAN. The regular sign-up page starts the standard 14-day trial of a paid plan instead.
How do you compare free vacation rental software?
«Free» means different things in vacation rental software. Some tools charge a fee on bookings, some cap usage, and some free plans end after a set period. Ask any tool these five questions before you move your listings. Here is how the iGMS Free Plan answers them.
| Question to ask | iGMS Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Where does the company make its money? | 4% on direct payments through your Stripe. Nothing else |
| Is there a fee on Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com bookings? | No, never |
| What are the limits? | 5 reservations and 10 guest messages in total |
| What happens when the plan changes or ends? | 14 days' notice for changes. You choose a paid plan or leave; nothing is charged without your agreement |
| Can you take your data with you? | Yes. Export while the account is active, plus a 30-day window after you leave |
To weigh paid tools side by side, see how iGMS and others compare vacation rental software (prices shown).
When does a paid plan make sense?
A paid plan makes sense once you outgrow the limits, need features outside the Free Plan, or want live chat, phone support and onboarding sessions, which come with paid plans. You can switch from the app at any time, and your settings, listings and data move with you. From that day the usage limits and the 4% Free Plan fee stop applying. Paid plans are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is iGMS really free?
Yes. The iGMS Free Plan has no monthly fee and no setup fee. iGMS charges 4% only on direct payments through the Stripe account you connect, and nothing on Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com reservations.
Does iGMS charge a fee on Airbnb bookings on the Free Plan?
No. Reservations that Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or any other channel collects and pays out to you are never charged on the iGMS Free Plan.
Is there a free channel manager for Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com?
Yes. The iGMS Free Plan syncs Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com calendars for $0 a month, so a booking on one channel blocks the same dates on the others in under a second.
What are the iGMS Free Plan's usage limits?
Up to 5 reservations and up to 10 guest messages in total while the account is on the Free Plan, under Free Plan Terms §4.3. When a limit is reached, the affected feature may pause until you move to a paid plan.
How long does the iGMS Free Plan last?
The Free Plan is a pilot. When the free period or the pilot ends, the app asks you to choose a paid plan or close the account. You are never moved to a paid plan or charged without your agreement, and your data stays exportable.
Is Stripe's fee included in the 4%?
No. Stripe charges its own processing fee under your agreement with Stripe. The 4% is the only fee iGMS charges on the Free Plan.
Can I use the iGMS Free Plan for long-term rentals?
No. The Free Plan is built for short-term rentals listed on channels such as Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com. It does not handle leases, tenant screening or rent collection.
I already started a regular iGMS trial. Can I move to the Free Plan?
Write to support@igms.com and the team will check whether your account can move. Accounts that had a paid iGMS subscription in the last 12 months are not eligible.
What happens to my data if I leave?
Your listings, photos, rates and guest records stay yours, and you can export them at any time while the account is active. After an account closes, iGMS keeps the data for 30 days so you can export it or move to a paid plan.
One calendar. One inbox. $0 a month.
Rated 4.8 by 3,000+ hosts. Airbnb Preferred Partner, Booking.com Advanced Partner, Vrbo Connected Partner and Google Vacation Rentals Official Partner.
4% only on direct payments. Limits apply. The iGMS Free Plan is provided by AirGMS Technologies Inc. under the Free Plan Terms, in addition to the Terms of Service.
