Two sophisticated STR pricing tools. PriceLabs focuses on granular control with rule-based forecasting. Wheelhouse uses machine learning for complexity. But which one delivers better revenue? Here's an honest, data-driven comparison.
Cost: $19.99/listing/month
Annual (10 listings): $2,399
Best For: Operators who want granular control over pricing rules
Optimization Goal: Rule-based forecasting with market data
Setup Time: 2-4 hours (complex rule configuration)
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)
Both tools optimize your calendar with different approaches. Here's how they stack up.
| Feature | PriceLabs | Wheelhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost (10 listings) | $199.90 | $239 |
| Pricing Model | Per listing | Per listing |
| Optimization Approach | Rule-based forecasting | Machine learning |
| Setup Complexity | High (2-4 hours) | Medium (1-2 hours) |
| Customization Options | Limited | |
| Market Data Quality | Excellent (AirDNA) | Excellent (proprietary) |
| Minimum Stay Rules | ||
| Last-Minute Discounts | ||
| Event-Based Pricing | ||
| Portfolio Management | ||
| Learning Curve | Steep (many rules) | Moderate (trust algo) |
| PMS Integrations | 40+ platforms | 35+ platforms |
| Revenue Increase Claimed | 15-25% | 20-40% |
Both PriceLabs and Wheelhouse optimize your calendar—one with rules, one with ML. But they both miss the same critical insight.
The problem: Both PriceLabs 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?
When you include behavioral pricing, the comparison changes completely.
| Capability | PriceLabs | Wheelhouse | ApexAlpha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Granularity | By date | By date | By guest |
| Guest Intelligence | |||
| Device-Tier Detection | |||
| Traffic Source Optimization | |||
| Session Behavior Analysis | |||
| Geographic Wealth Intelligence | |||
| Setup Time | 2-4 hours | 1-2 hours | 2 minutes |
| Base Monthly Cost (10 listings) | $199.90 | $239 | $0 |
| Revenue Impact vs Base Rate | +15-25% | +20-40% | +185% per booking* |
* Based on NYC case study: High-intent guest worth 2.85x vs calendar-based pricing
Neither PriceLabs nor Wheelhouse can see these behavioral signals
Result: $1,954 in additional revenue PriceLabs and Wheelhouse would have missed—because they're optimizing the wrong thing. They optimize your calendar. ApexAlpha reads your guests.
It's whether you want to optimize your calendar (what both legacy tools do) or read your guests (what behavioral pricing does).
"Choosing between PriceLabs and Wheelhouse is like choosing whether to use a faster abacus or a more sophisticated calculator. The real question is whether you're ready for a computer."
— ApexAlpha Pricing Intelligence