Tokay vs Hostex

Tokay and Hostex both answer guest messages with AI. Tokay is the complete front desk: six agents, the host in control, one flat price with no cap on replies. Hostex is a channel manager with an AI reply feature called HostGPT, metered at 10 free auto-replies per property per month, popular in Asia for its Agoda and Trip.com connections. Here is how they compare.

Side by side

Hostex figures are as of October 2026; check their site for the current figure.

The Tokay edge

Six agents, not one metered feature

Hostex is a channel manager first; HostGPT is a feature on the side with a meter of 10 free auto-replies per property per month. A busy condo in high season uses that in a few days. Tokay answers every message, every night, with no cap, and then runs the rest of the desk: Ivo reviews prices each morning, Sam writes tomorrow's cleaning brief, Angela records expenses from slip photos and flags a late bill, Andy drafts review replies, Leo sends one morning summary.

You stay in charge of every decision

Tokay starts supervised. For two weeks every reply comes to you to approve, edit or deny with a tap. Then you switch on what Pam may send alone, one kind of question at a time. Anything unusual, upset, sensitive or uncertain always comes to you. Price changes can be undone for two days. If a fact is not on file, Pam asks you instead of guessing.

Guests answered in their language, not just translated

Pam answers in more than ten languages, including Thai, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, French and Spanish. For a host in Bangkok, Phuket or Da Nang, where guests from China, Japan, Korea and Russia write in their own language, every one of them gets a real answer at 2 AM.

One price with nothing variable

$29 per listing monthly or $24 yearly, all six agents included, no per-message fees, no share of bookings, no meter. From 10 listings $24 / $20, from 25 $19 / $16. Hostex is cheaper on paper because the AI is a metered extra on top of a channel manager; what you pay once the 10 free replies run out is on their site.

No PMS, no setup project

Tokay connects to Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo directly, in about ten minutes, with nothing to install. Most hosts under 25 listings on those platforms never need a channel manager. Built in Bangkok by a host who still runs short-term rentals and was Tokay's first customer; on our own apartments the Airbnb communication rating went from 4.81 to 4.97 and about two taps a day of guest work are left.

Where Hostex stops

Hostex keeps the calendars in sync and leaves the guest conversation and the back office largely to the host. With Hostex you still:

• Answer most guest messages yourself once the 10 free HostGPT replies per property are used. Tokay's Pam answers every one, unlimited.
• Set prices by hand. Tokay's Ivo recommends changes every morning; you approve, with a two-day undo.
• Write the cleaner's instructions and update them when a late checkout lands. Tokay's Sam does it nightly and on every change, and reaches cleaners on LINE.
• Keep the books in a spreadsheet and notice late bills yourself. Tokay's Angela records slips from a photo and flags a missing bill.
• Reply to reviews and work out each morning what needs you. Tokay's Andy drafts the reply and Leo sends the morning summary.

Pricing side by side

Tokay's launch price is kept for life if you join before 31 March 2027, and every plan has a full refund within 30 days. Hostex's price buys a channel manager; the AI front desk is the part that is metered, and that is the part Tokay includes without limit.

How you start

1. Connect your Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo listings in about ten minutes. Nothing to install, nothing changes for the guest.
2. One short call to tell Tokay your rules in plain sentences: wifi, check-in, house rules, price floors.
3. Two supervised weeks where every reply comes to you first. Then switch on what Pam may send on her own, one kind of question at a time.

Questions hosts ask