Over the past year we ran parallel and sequential tests across sixteen of our properties using the three most established dynamic pricing tools: Pricelabs, Beyond (formerly Beyond Pricing), and Wheelhouse. The goal wasn't to crown a single winner — but to understand which tool delivers the most for which type of portfolio, and how much daily attention each one demands from the operator.
What does a dynamic pricing tool actually do?
In simple terms: it suggests a unique price for each upcoming night, refreshed several times a day, based on factors such as seasonality, local events (conferences, festivals, sports events), competitor pricing, the share of bookings already received for that date, lead time (how far away the stay still is), and historical occupancy on that same calendar week.
You can't track these manually — too much data, too much change. Since 2024, dynamic pricing has stopped being a competitive advantage and become a baseline. Without it, you underprice in peak windows and overprice in dead ones.
"An owner using a static price list loses money every single month — either as missed revenue or as missed occupancy. The only question is which one."
The three contenders
Pricelabs (USA, 2014)
Probably the most extensive control panel in the category. Detailed rule sets (min price, weekend premium, last-minute discount, etc.), strong calendar visualization, comprehensive analytics. Its biggest advantage on the Hungarian market: a sophisticated "Market Dashboard" that shows competing nearby properties' ADR and occupancy data in anonymous aggregated form. Price (2025): USD 19.99 per property per month.
Beyond (USA, 2013)
Simpler, visually cleaner. With its autopilot logic, requires fewer manual settings — the user sets the min/max price and desired aggressiveness, the rest is handled by the system. Built on a large data set, but less granular than Pricelabs. Price: 1% commission of booking revenue, or fixed USD 19/month/property as alternative.
Wheelhouse (USA, 2014)
The most modern-feeling UI, and the most sophisticated machine learning model. Strong in the small-portfolio premium segment — but less developed for portfolio-wide strategies than Pricelabs. Price: 1% commission or fixed tiers (from USD 39/month).
The actual results
The RevPAR delta below is the 12-month average (August 2024 – August 2025) on the same properties, rotated through each tool (3 months per tool, plus 3 months manual control).
| Tool | RevPAR vs. manual | Setup time | Weekly maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricelabs | +12.4% | 4–6 hours / property | 30–45 min |
| Beyond | +9.7% | 1–2 hours / property | 10–15 min |
| Wheelhouse | +8.2% | 2–3 hours / property | 20 min |
Source: ST Management internal A/B test, 16 properties, 2024-2025. RevPAR = Revenue per Available Night. The "manual" baseline was a weekly-reviewed, hand-tuned price list.
Which one fits when
Pricelabs fits if…
- you have more than 3 properties and are willing to invest time in optimisation
- a professional operator or property manager handles the portfolio
- market benchmarking matters — the Market Dashboard alone is worth the price
- you want to run different strategies on different property types (family villa vs. business apartment)
Beyond fits if…
- you have 1–2 properties and don't want to deal with this daily
- "set and forget" appeals to you
- you prefer the commission-based pricing model (success-aligned)
Wheelhouse fits if…
- you have a single, premium-category property
- you value an intuitive, modern interface
- you're comfortable letting the AI make most decisions
"The choice isn't really about the tool — it's about how much time you're willing to spend on pricing every day. Pricelabs gives you full control, but it costs you half an hour daily. Beyond takes the control, but gives you the time back."
Hungarian market specifics
All three tools are US-focused, so a few local quirks need attention:
- HUF/EUR pricing — it's worth pricing in EUR on the platforms (most guests aren't Hungarian) and letting the dynamic pricing tool work in EUR. The HUF exchange rate volatility otherwise eats up the optimisation gains.
- Local events — Pricelabs knows the Sziget Festival, Formula 1, Valley of Arts. Beyond and Wheelhouse have patchy coverage of smaller domestic events; you'll need to add them manually.
- Booking horizon — Hungarian and Eastern European guests book with shorter lead times (avg. 18 days), while the US-tuned algorithms expect a 30–60 day average. The "last minute discount" setting needs to be calibrated to this.
The choice, in one sentence
If you're starting now: Beyond for the first six months (simple, fast payback). Then, as the portfolio grows, switch to Pricelabs. Wheelhouse is worth considering for a single premium property.
If you'd rather not deal with this at all, dynamic pricing setup and ongoing maintenance is included in our operating package — we run Pricelabs across every property under management.
