No contract
Month-to-month. Cancel anytime, for any reason.
Comparison
Looking at Boostly? Here’s how we compare.
Both build done-for-you direct booking sites. The price, the timeline, and what you need underneath are different. The figures below come from each company’s public materials.
Side by side
The Direct Studio vs. Boostly
Both build done-for-you direct booking sites. The price, timeline, and stack underneath are different.
| Feature | The Direct Studio | Boostly |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | $0 | $1,500–$4,000 |
| Monthly cost | $59 flat | $97+ per month |
| Separate PMS required | No — included | Yes — OwnerRez or Hostfully (~$40+/mo) |
| Time to launch | 7 days | 8–12 weeks |
| Site built for you | Yes — custom design | Yes — template-based |
| Calendar sync (iCal) | Included, configured before launch | Through your separate PMS |
| Stripe payments | Included, configured before launch | Through your separate PMS |
| Booking fees taken from you | 0% | 0% |
| Content updates | Unlimited, we make the change | Self-serve in their editor |
| Contract | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | Annual contracts common |
| Year-one total | $708 | ~$2,664–$5,164 (setup + 12 × $97) + PMS |
Boostly figures verified May 2026 from Boostly’s public pricing and onboarding materials. Their plans require integration with a separate property management system (OwnerRez, Hostfully, or similar) at additional cost. Timelines reflect the standard 8–12 week build cycle Boostly publishes for new sites.
Why hosts pick us instead
- No setup fee. Boostly charges $1,500–$4,000 before your site ships. We don’t.
- No separate PMS. Calendar sync and Stripe payments are included. You don’t need to buy and configure OwnerRez or Hostfully on top.
- 7 days, not 8–12 weeks. We’re a small team that builds one site at a time, end to end. That’s what makes 7 days possible.
- Month-to-month. Cancel anytime. We’ll export your photos, content, and guest list.
None of this is meant to knock Boostly. They were one of the first companies to build sites for vacation rental hosts, and a lot of hosts are happy customers. We built The Direct Studio for the hosts who want something faster, cheaper, and with fewer moving parts underneath.
Zero risk
If it doesn't work, walk away.
Your data is yours
Cancel anytime. We'll export your photos, content, and guest list. The site is part of your subscription.
First-month refund
If you don't love your site after 30 days, we'll refund the first month.
Common questions
Questions hosts ask about switching
- Is Boostly worth it?
- Boostly is a real product with thousands of customers, and their template-based sites get hosts off Airbnb. The trade-offs are price and time: $1,500–$4,000 upfront plus ~$97/month, on top of a separate property management system (typically OwnerRez or Hostfully at ~$40+/month), with an 8–12 week build cycle. If you want a custom site without the upfront fee, no separate PMS to buy, and a 7-day launch, that's what we built The Direct Studio to do.
- What's the cheaper alternative to Boostly?
- The Direct Studio is $59/month flat, with no setup fee and no separate PMS required. Calendar sync, Stripe, hosting, SSL, and a custom domain are all included. Year-one total is $708 versus roughly $2,664–$5,164 for a Boostly site before adding their required PMS.
- Does Boostly require a separate PMS?
- Yes. Boostly publishes that their sites need to be connected to a property management system (they recommend OwnerRez or Hostfully) for calendar sync, payments, and reservations. That PMS is a separate subscription and account you have to set up and pay for. The Direct Studio handles calendar sync (iCal with Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com) and Stripe payments directly — no separate PMS to buy.
- How long does a Boostly build take?
- Boostly publishes an 8–12 week timeline from kickoff to launch. The Direct Studio delivers a live site in 7 days.
- Will my site look generic compared to Boostly?
- No. Every site we build is custom-designed around your property, your photos, your location, and your voice. No templates, no themes. You can see what we've shipped on our examples page.
- What if I want to switch from Boostly to The Direct Studio?
- Email hello@thedirectstudio.com. We can migrate your content and rebuild your site in 7 days. You'll need to keep your existing Boostly site live until ours launches, then point your domain over and cancel theirs.
Want the same outcome for less?
A custom direct booking site, built for you in 7 days. $59/mo flat. No setup fee, no separate PMS, cancel anytime.
Free consult, no commitment.