Tool Comparison

Beyond Pricing vs Wheelhouse

Two popular STR pricing tools with different philosophies. Beyond Pricing prioritizes occupancy with simplicity. Wheelhouse uses machine learning for complexity. But which one delivers better revenue? Here's an honest, data-driven comparison.

Quick Overview

Beyond Pricing

Cost: 1% of revenue

Annual (on $500K revenue): ~$5,000

Best For: Operators who prioritize occupancy over rate

Optimization Goal: Fill your calendar first, optimize price second

Setup Time: 30-60 minutes (simple configuration)

Wheelhouse

Cost: $23.90/listing/month

Annual (10 listings): $2,868

Best For: Operators who trust machine learning algorithms

Optimization Goal: ML-powered calendar optimization

Setup Time: 1-2 hours (algorithmic configuration)

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Both tools optimize your calendar with different philosophies. Here's how they stack up.

FeatureBeyond PricingWheelhouse
Pricing Model1% of revenuePer listing ($23.90)
Cost (10 listings, $500K revenue)~$5,000/year$2,868/year
Optimization PhilosophyOccupancy-firstRevenue-first (ML)
Setup ComplexityLow (30-60 min)Medium (1-2 hours)
Customization OptionsLimitedLimited
Pricing AlgorithmRules-basedMachine learning
Market Data QualityGood (aggregated)Excellent (proprietary)
Minimum Stay Rules
Last-Minute Discounts
Event-Based Pricing
Portfolio Management
Learning CurveEasy (set & forget)Moderate (trust algo)
PMS Integrations30+ platforms35+ platforms
Revenue Increase Claimed15-40%20-40%

But Here's What Neither Tool Can Answer

Both Beyond Pricing and Wheelhouse optimize your calendar—one for occupancy, one with ML. But they both miss the same critical insight.

A

The High-Intent Guest

  • Device: iPhone 16 Pro Max
  • Location: Manhattan, NY (luxury district)
  • Traffic: Direct (typed your URL)
  • Time: 10:47 PM (after-hours urgency)
  • Dates: This weekend (high urgency)
  • Session: 9 minutes, viewed 6 pages
B

The Budget Browser

  • Device: Android (mid-tier)
  • Location: Suburban area
  • Traffic: Google Ads (price shopping)
  • Time: 2:00 PM (casual browsing)
  • Dates: 3 months out (flexible)
  • Session: 45 seconds, saw pricing, left

The problem: Both Beyond Pricing and Wheelhouse show these fundamentally different guests the exact same price for the same date.

This is the question calendar pricing can't answer: What is this specific guest worth?

The Complete Picture

When you include behavioral pricing, the comparison changes completely.

CapabilityBeyond PricingWheelhouseApexAlpha
Pricing GranularityBy dateBy dateBy guest
Guest Intelligence
Device-Tier Detection
Traffic Source Optimization
Session Behavior Analysis
Geographic Wealth Intelligence
Setup Time30-60 min1-2 hours2 minutes
Base Monthly Cost (10 listings)~$417 (1%)$239$0
Revenue Impact vs Base Rate+15-40%+20-40%+185% per booking*

* Based on NYC case study: High-intent guest worth 2.85x vs calendar-based pricing

Real Example: NYC Executive Booking

Neither Beyond Pricing nor Wheelhouse can see these behavioral signals

Calendar Price (Beyond/Wheelhouse)
$1,056
Based on dates + occupancy/ML
Behavioral Price (ApexAlpha)
$3,010
2.85x guest-specific multiplier

6 Behavioral Signals Neither Tool Can See:

Device Affluence: 1.69x
iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199 device)
Location Wealth: 2.43x
Manhattan luxury district visitor
Traffic Quality: 1.43x
Direct visit (not price shopping)
Time Intent: 1.08x
10:47 PM (urgency signal)
Booking Urgency: 1.28x
Same-week booking window
Engagement: 1.15x
9-minute deep exploration

Result: $1,954 in additional revenue Beyond Pricing and Wheelhouse would have missed—because they're optimizing the wrong thing. They optimize your calendar. ApexAlpha reads your guests.

When to Use Each Tool

Choose Beyond Pricing If:

  • You prioritize occupancy over rate optimization
  • You want a set-and-forget solution
  • You prefer revenue-aligned pricing (1% model)
  • You're new to dynamic pricing

Choose Wheelhouse If:

  • You trust machine learning algorithms
  • You want revenue-first optimization
  • You prefer fixed monthly costs
  • You value algorithmic insights

Choose ApexAlpha If:

  • You want to price per guest, not per date
  • You have direct booking traffic to optimize
  • You want $0 base cost (pay only on uplift)
  • You need 2-minute setup, not 2-hour config

The Real Question Isn't Beyond Pricing vs Wheelhouse

It's whether you want to optimize your calendar (what both legacy tools do) or read your guests (what behavioral pricing does).

"Choosing between Beyond Pricing and Wheelhouse is like choosing between filling your calendar faster or filling it smarter. The real question is whether you're ready to fill it with the right guests at the right price."

— ApexAlpha Pricing Intelligence