1 – Biloki or Avantio: Which One Really Costs Less Over 12 Months?
The listed price of a PMS tells you almost nothing about what it will actually cost you by the end of the year. Modules, setup fees, commissions on direct bookings, and commitment terms can turn an attractive rate into a very different invoice. This is the first criterion to break down.
1.1: The Base Price Trap Without the Modules
When comparing two software tools, you look at the monthly price. That's normal. But in short-term rentals, the real cost hides elsewhere: is the channel manager included or an add-on? Does the direct booking engine take a commission? Is the owner portal reserved for the higher-tier plan? Are setup fees waived or charged at several hundred euros?
Avantio operates on feature tiers. The entry-level price does not include all modules. Certain components (integrated website, advanced channel manager, owner extranet) are only accessible on higher-tier plans. Prices are not publicly displayed on their website: you need to request a personalized quote. The minimum commitment is 12 months.
On the other side, you have tools like Biloki that display a single all-inclusive price. No modules to unlock, no booking commissions. If you're choosing between several PMS options, start by asking for the total 12-month cost, modules included. That's where the gaps become apparent.
1.2: A €400 Annual Difference Is One Extra Cleaning Shift Per Month
A failed cleaning means a negative review. A negative review on Airbnb means lower visibility in the algorithm, fewer bookings the following month, and an owner demanding explanations. On a property at €120 per night, losing two bookings per month due to a degraded ranking means €240 in lost revenue. Repeated across 5 properties, that's €1,200 per month.
The cost of not automating field operations is invisible until the day it shows up in reviews. And by then, it's already too late for the current month.
1.3: Marc, 22 Properties in Montpellier, Compares His Quotes
Marc manages 22 apartments on behalf of owners in central Montpellier. He requested a quote from Avantio and received a proposal with an annual commitment, setup fees, and a monthly rate that did not include the owner extranet. On the other side, he tested Biloki with a free trial, one month, no credit card required. He imported his properties, connected his Airbnb and Booking listings, and verified everything was working before committing.
What mattered to him: pricing transparency. No quote to negotiate, no module to activate along the way. The same tool for everyone, at the same price per property.
2 – Who Really Handles Field Operations: Cleaning Tasks, Contractors, and Proof of Execution?
A PMS that syncs calendars but leaves you texting your cleaners only solves half the problem. The real question for a concierge service: does the tool manage your field operations, or are you still the switchboard between contractors and guests?
2.1: The Forgotten Cleaning on a Saturday Turnover Day — The Real Emergency
It's always a Saturday. Three checkouts in the morning, three check-ins in the afternoon. Your cleaning contractor didn't see the message, or they saw it but didn't confirm. The guest arrives at 4pm to an uncleaned apartment. You find out when they call you, furious.
This scenario doesn't come from a lack of professionalism. It comes from a lack of tools. When tasks are managed via WhatsApp or a shared spreadsheet, no one knows in real time whether the cleaning is done, in progress, or forgotten. This is the point where PMS tools split into two categories: those that manage distribution, and those that also manage field operations. Avantio has historically been in the first category. Biloki was built for both.
2.2: A 2-Star Review Costs More Than Any Subscription
A failed cleaning means a negative review. A negative review on Airbnb means lower visibility in the algorithm, fewer bookings the following month, and an owner demanding explanations. On a property at €120 per night, losing two bookings per month due to a degraded ranking means €240 in lost revenue. Repeated across 5 properties, that's €1,200 per month.
The cost of not automating field operations is invisible until the day it shows up in reviews. And by then, it's already too late for the current month.
2.3: Émilie, 14 Properties in Biarritz, a Weekend on August 15th
Émilie manages 14 properties. On the August 15th weekend, she had 11 turnovers. Before switching to a tool with integrated field management, she sent schedules by email on Wednesday, then followed up by text on Friday. She spent Saturday morning calling to confirm each cleaning was underway. Twice that summer, a contractor hadn't seen the message. Twice, she had to step in herself.
What she was looking for: a system where a booking automatically creates the cleaning task, assigns it to the right contractor, and sends them a notification. And above all: a confirmation with a photo before the guest arrives, without her needing to make a single call.
3 – Owner Portal: Who Provides Accountability Without Spending Their Evenings on It?
Your owners want to know how much they earned this month. They want to see bookings, reviews, commissions. If you do this manually in a spreadsheet, each owner costs you between 30 minutes and one hour per month. Across 20 owners, that's one week of work every month, just for transparency.
3.1: The Owner Who Calls on the 5th of the Month for Their Statement
You know this call. The owner asks for their previous month's earnings. You haven't consolidated the numbers yet. You say you'll send it by end of the week. You forget. They call again. Multiply that by 15 or 20 owners and you spend your Mondays compiling data instead of managing guests.
The problem isn't the owner. The problem is not having a portal where they can check their own data in real time. Without that portal, you are the dashboard. And a manager who spends their time reporting has no time left to grow their business.
3.2: A Poorly Informed Owner Ends Up With Your Competitor
The number one reason an owner leaves a concierge service isn't performance. It's lack of visibility. They don't know how much they're earning, they can't see reviews, they get the impression their property is being poorly managed. Even when your results are strong.
Losing an owner with 2 properties means losing commissions on those properties, the time invested in onboarding, and the business relationship. The replacement cost (prospecting, visits, listing setup) often exceeds several months of commissions. A real-time owner portal doesn't guarantee retention, but its absence puts it at risk.
3.3: Nathalie, 30 Properties Between Bordeaux and the Arcachon Basin
Nathalie manages 30 properties for 22 different owners. Every month, she spent a day and a half preparing statements: exporting bookings, calculating commissions, formatting in a spreadsheet, sending by email. Some owners asked for corrections. Others didn't read the email and called anyway.
What she was looking for: a portal where the owner logs in, sees their bookings, their revenue, their guests' reviews, without her needing to produce anything manually. And the ability to configure permissions: some owners just want to view, others want to adjust their rates within the framework she sets.
A PMS should keep up with your property, not hold you back with a minimum requirement.
Avantio is primarily aimed at established agencies, with a monthly minimum, a recommended annual contract, and a demo required to get started. For a French concierge service growing one property at a time, Biloki gets the job done from the very first listing.
Waiting for the right moment to get set up just means another season spent dropping off keys, chasing up cleaners, and putting together statements by hand. You can't make up for lost time during the off-season.
Connect three properties, invite a service provider, and open an owner portal. The Biloki free trial lasts 30 days, no credit card required, with onboarding included. And if you’d prefer us to show you around,book a demo.
