iCal vs Channel Manager
hejGuide offers two ways to sync your listings with external booking platforms: iCal and the Channel Manager. Both prevent double bookings, but they work very differently in terms of what data they sync, how fast they sync, and how much manual work they save. This guide gives you a detailed comparison, helps you choose the right approach, and walks you through migrating from iCal to the Channel Manager.
Detailed comparison
| Feature | iCal | Channel Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Availability sync | One-way date blocking only | Full two-way sync |
| Rate sync | No -- set rates on each OTA manually | Yes -- set once in hejGuide, pushes to all OTAs |
| Booking details | Dates only (no guest info) | Full details: guest name, contact, price, guests, special requests |
| Guest messaging | No | Yes -- Booking.com and Airbnb messages in unified inbox |
| Reviews | No | Yes -- view and reply from hejGuide |
| Sync speed | Every 2-24 hours (depends on OTA polling) | Seconds (webhooks) + 30-min safety net |
| Double booking risk | Moderate (due to slow sync) | Very low (near-instant sync) |
| Supported platforms | Any platform with iCal support | Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and others |
| Setup time | 5 minutes (copy/paste URLs) | 15-30 minutes (account linking, rate mapping) |
| Ongoing maintenance | High -- manage rates, details, messages on each OTA separately | Low -- manage everything from hejGuide |
| Cost | Free (included in all plans) | Requires subscription (licensed feature) |
| Best for | Niche platforms, simple setups, testing | Serious hosts on major OTAs |
How iCal works
iCal (also called iCalendar or .ics) is a simple calendar format that has been around for decades. When you enable iCal on a listing, hejGuide generates a URL that other platforms can subscribe to. The external platform periodically reads this URL to see which dates are blocked.
What iCal syncs:
- Blocked dates (booked or manually blocked)
What iCal does not sync:
- Rates or pricing
- Guest names or contact information
- Booking details (number of guests, special requests)
- Messages
- Reviews
- Property details, photos, or amenities
iCal is essentially a "dumb" availability blocker. It tells external platforms "these dates are taken" and nothing more. You still need to log in to each OTA separately to manage rates, respond to messages, and handle guest communication.
iCal sync speed: the hidden risk
The biggest limitation of iCal is speed. When a booking comes in on one platform, the blocked dates are only visible to other platforms the next time they poll your iCal feed. Polling intervals vary by platform and are outside your control:
| Platform | Typical iCal polling interval |
|---|---|
| Booking.com | Every 2-4 hours |
| Airbnb | Every 1-3 hours |
| Vrbo | Every 6-12 hours |
| Other platforms | Varies (some up to 24 hours) |
This means there is a window -- potentially several hours -- where a date that is already booked on one platform still shows as available on another. During peak seasons or for popular listings, this creates a real risk of double bookings.
How the Channel Manager works
The Channel Manager creates a full integration between hejGuide and each connected OTA. It uses APIs to exchange rich data in both directions, with three sync mechanisms working together:
- Instant webhooks -- new bookings, cancellations, and messages arrive within seconds
- Event-driven push -- when you save changes in hejGuide, they push to OTAs immediately
- 30-minute scheduled sync -- a safety net that catches anything missed by the other two mechanisms
For full technical details, see How Synchronization Works.
What the Channel Manager syncs:
- Availability (two-way, near-instant updates)
- Rates and pricing rules (push from hejGuide)
- Full booking details (guest info, prices, payment status)
- Guest messages (two-way for Booking.com and Airbnb)
- Reviews (pull, with reply capability)
- Property details, photos, and amenities (push from hejGuide)
Choose the right approach
Use iCal if...
- You are on a free plan and do not have a Channel Manager subscription
- You list on niche platforms that the Channel Manager does not support (small regional booking sites, specialized platforms)
- You only need basic date blocking and are comfortable managing rates, messages, and details manually on each OTA
- You are testing the waters with a new platform and do not want to commit to a full integration yet
- You have very low booking volume where the risk of double bookings from slow sync is minimal
Use the Channel Manager if...
- You list on major OTAs like Booking.com, Airbnb, or Vrbo
- You want to set rates once and have them update across all platforms automatically
- You want guest details (names, contact info, prices) to appear in hejGuide without manual entry
- You want to manage messages from all platforms in one unified inbox
- You want to view and respond to reviews from one place
- You manage multiple listings and need to save time on repetitive tasks
- You have high booking volume and cannot afford the double-booking risk of slow iCal sync
- You value your OTA response-time metrics and want messages to arrive quickly
Decision guide by property count
| Your situation | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| 1 listing, low volume, free plan | iCal |
| 1 listing, moderate volume, subscription plan | Channel Manager |
| 2-4 listings on major OTAs | Channel Manager (time savings are significant) |
| 5+ listings | Channel Manager (manual management becomes unsustainable) |
| Any listing count + niche platforms only | iCal |
| Major OTAs + niche platforms | Hybrid (see below) |
The hybrid approach
You do not have to choose one method for all your listings and all your platforms. The recommended approach for most hosts:
Use the Channel Manager for major OTAs (Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo) where you get the full benefits of rate sync, booking details, messaging, and reviews.
Use iCal for niche platforms that the Channel Manager does not support -- small regional booking sites, specialized platforms, or personal websites with calendar integration.
How hybrid works in practice
- Listing A is connected to Booking.com and Airbnb via the Channel Manager. Rates, availability, bookings, and messages all sync through the Channel Manager. iCal is automatically paused for this listing.
- Listing A is also listed on a small regional booking site. Since that site is not supported by the Channel Manager, you can add its iCal feed manually. However, be aware that this creates a gap: the regional site will have slower sync (iCal polling speed) compared to the Channel Manager platforms.
WARNING
Never sync the same listing to the same OTA through both iCal and the Channel Manager at the same time. This will cause duplicate bookings and availability conflicts. The system automatically pauses iCal when the Channel Manager is active, but be careful when adding manual iCal feeds.
Hybrid setup tips
- For the niche platform's iCal feed, export the iCal URL from hejGuide (found in the listing's Calendar or Sync tab) and import it into the niche platform
- Import the niche platform's iCal URL back into hejGuide to pull their bookings as blocked dates
- Accept that the niche platform will have slower sync -- keep its share of bookings low to minimize double-booking risk
Migrating from iCal to Channel Manager
If you are currently using iCal and want to upgrade to the Channel Manager, follow this step-by-step process. The migration is designed to be seamless with no gap in coverage.
Before you start
- Make sure your listing is complete and meets the publishing requirements
- Set up your rate plans with pricing and any cancellation policy variants
- Note which OTA platforms you currently sync via iCal (you will reconnect them through the Channel Manager)
Migration steps
Step 1: Review your listing completeness.
The Channel Manager requires more data than iCal. Open your listing and verify:
- Description is filled in
- Photos are uploaded and ordered
- Amenities are selected
- Address is complete
- At least one rate plan is active with pricing
- Calendar availability is set
Step 2: Publish to the Channel Manager.
- Open the listing and go to the Sync tab.
- Click Publish to Channel Manager.
- Wait for the green Synced status.
- iCal feeds for this listing are now automatically paused. There is no gap -- availability data is already in the Channel Manager.
Step 3: Connect your OTA channels.
- On the Sync tab, click Connect next to each OTA you were previously using with iCal.
- Follow the platform-specific setup steps (see Connecting Channels).
- Map your rate plans to the corresponding OTA rate plans.
- Run the connection test for each channel.
- Activate each connection.
Step 4: Verify everything is working.
- Check the sync log for errors.
- Log in to each OTA and verify that availability and rates look correct.
- Make a small change in hejGuide (e.g., block a test date) and confirm it appears on the OTAs within a minute.
- If possible, create a test booking on one OTA and confirm it appears in hejGuide within seconds.
Step 5: Remove old iCal feeds from OTAs (optional but recommended).
While hejGuide pauses iCal automatically on its end, the OTA platforms may still have your old iCal URL configured. These are now harmless (the feed will show the same data), but it is clean practice to remove them:
- On Booking.com: go to your property settings and remove any iCal/external calendar URLs
- On Airbnb: go to Calendar settings and remove imported calendars
- On Vrbo: go to Calendar and remove external connections
TIP
The transition is seamless. When you publish to the Channel Manager, iCal pauses instantly and the Channel Manager takes over. There is no window where both are inactive, so you do not risk missing bookings during the switch.
What if something goes wrong
If the Channel Manager connection fails or you need to roll back:
- Disconnect the listing from the Channel Manager (or the specific channel with issues).
- iCal will automatically resume.
- Your availability data is preserved throughout -- no bookings are lost.
- Troubleshoot the issue and try reconnecting when ready.
Cost and benefit summary
| Factor | iCal | Channel Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription cost | Free | Included in licensed plans |
| Time managing rates | High -- update each OTA manually | None -- set once, push everywhere |
| Time managing messages | High -- check each OTA inbox separately | Low -- one unified inbox |
| Time entering bookings | Medium -- manual entry for details | None -- auto-imported with full details |
| Double booking risk | Moderate to high (hours of delay) | Very low (seconds of delay) |
| Cost of a double booking | Cancellation fees, bad reviews, guest compensation | Near-zero risk |
| Setup effort | 5 min per platform | 15-30 min per platform (one-time) |
For hosts with more than one or two listings on major OTAs, the time savings from the Channel Manager typically justify the subscription cost within the first month. The elimination of double-booking risk alone is significant -- a single double booking can cost more in guest compensation and bad reviews than months of subscription fees.
Related
- Channel Manager Overview -- Introduction to the Channel Manager
- Publishing a Listing -- Publish your listing to the Channel Manager
- Connecting Channels -- Connect to OTA platforms
- How Synchronization Works -- Understand the sync process in detail
- Calendar -- Manage your booking calendar and iCal feeds