# BrightSide Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is BrightSide the right Hospitality Property Management solution for you? Explore 28 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/168870/BrightSide/reviews --- BrightSide 4.9 (28) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of BrightSide Ease of use 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews CK Carey K Office ManagerHospitality, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Also allowed us to integrate 3rd party bookings into our calendars. “ July 12, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 28 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use KB Kelly B. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fantastic Company and Product" February 18, 2026 5.0 Absolutely love this software and the people who created it as well as service us on a day to day need when we have questions. Pros The company is a small family company that gives personal service. I truly love the ease of use for this product and all the new features that have been added over the years. This is a great value for your Airbnb, VRBO and other hotel management businesses. I also love the additional feature of texting with the guests as a form of communication through this software. Cons Unfortunately, they don't have an app for this software which makes working out in the field difficult. Alternatives considered [Salesforce Sales Cloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/61368/Salesforce/)[Guesty](https://www.capterra.com/p/159377/Guesty/) Reason for choosing BrightSide The customer service of this company is exceptional. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services February 23, 2026 We really appreciate you taking the time to share such a detailed review. It’s great to hear that the guest texting and the general ease of use have been so helpful for your business, that’s exactly what we aim for. I also wanted to mention that we do have a solution for working in the field. We use a Progressive Web App (PWA), which functions just like a standard app but doesn't require a download from the App Store. You can simply 'Add to Home Screen' from your mobile browser to get a dedicated icon and a full-screen mobile experience. While not every screen is fully mobile yet, we are working on it daily. We have a step-by-step guide on our website (Knowledge Base) that walks you through the setup. It should make managing things on the go much easier for you. Thanks again for the support and for being a part of the BrightSide community! We value your feedback. AJ Amanda J. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Highly Recommend!" February 25, 2025 5.0 We have enjoyed our time using BrightSide. The team is fast and friendly and the software is easy to use! Pros Easy to work with! Local-personable. Excellent team-easy to use software! Cons Not really much to say here. There are a few features that we are hoping to have, and they are working on implementing if it's possible. Alternatives considered [Guesty](https://www.capterra.com/p/159377/Guesty/) Reason for choosing BrightSide Local and easy to access customer service. Switched from [OwnerRez](https://www.capterra.com/p/100831/OwnerRez/) Brightside was highly recommended by others in our area. The other software seemed antiquated and customer service was terrible. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services February 26, 2025 Amanda, thank you for the positive review. Our team has enjoyed working with you and your team for the past couple of years. We are grateful you allow us to be a part of growing your business; and what an amazing business it is! Of course we think our client support team is second to none, so reading your testimonial makes us happy. We are here to help any way we can. We love it when our clients send us feature requests and we are able to make it happen. That keeps us growing and getting better. Keep sending them in and we will continue to add what we can. We are blessed to have great clients, and we appreciate you. GW Gina W. Front Office Hospitality Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "achievable " May 1, 2024 4.0 Overall this is a very user friendly and pretty easy to figure out if you just work with the system. Pros It is so easy to use and very user friendly. I think it is easier than some other systems I have used. Cons Sometimes it takes time to come up and little hard at changing numbers in payments screen Switched from [TCS iON Manufacturing ERP](https://www.capterra.com/p/204303/TCS-iON-Manufacturing-ERP/) This one seemed to better priced and also easier to use in all areas . Review Source SK Shaun K. Owner/ President Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Reservation Software with real, active, and available support for any issues" August 9, 2021 5.0 Absolutely love the product and their people Pros The software is so simple to understand. Transitioning from another software was an absolute breeze. The Brightside team are very thorough and easy to talk to. They are always willing to help and take suggestions that will help your business. Cons If there is anything I disliked about the software it was because of my own lack of understanding. A quick phone call explaining my situation always yields a perfect solution. When you have a software company that is available there isn't any reason to dislike it. Alternatives considered [RNS Vacation Rental Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/29088/RNS-Vacation-Rental-Software/)[Barefoot](https://www.capterra.com/p/87349/Barefoot-Agent/)[Escapia](https://www.capterra.com/p/134081/Escapia/)[RDPWin](https://www.capterra.com/p/2443/RDPWin/) Reason for choosing BrightSide Hands down the most least complicated reservation software. The flow and details of this product not to mention the cost make it perfect for me and my business. Review Source AG Amy G. owner/manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Brightside makes our business shine!" January 17, 2020 5.0 With Brightside I'm more in touch with my business. I've had to manage rentals from halfway around the world for a couple weeks at a time. Never had a worry--Brightside has outstanding uptime. Great customer service--the team listens to your concerns and helps you find solutions or answers. And the value is solid--we're a small rental business and feel fortunate to have found such an affordable software solution. Pros How much it helped organize and streamline our day-to-day business and data. Our software before Brightside was good for property ownership but not management. Now we can manage our business, create reports, look ahead and plan for changes. Cons I'll be honest, Brightside is not as intuitive as I'd like. Once you learn the system, it's all good. But a few times I've had to call or email for support because I couldn't figure something out. \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] and \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] have always been prompt to respond. Knowing that I can reach out to them for guidance is a huge benefit. Reason for choosing BrightSide BrightSide was recommended by our web site developer. But after meeting with \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] and \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\], I felt confident their team would be there to help me navigate the backend-building process. Upgrading our software was a big undertaking for our small rental business. Brightside met our budget needs and gave us the confidence to move forward. Switched from [Ivon](https://www.capterra.com/p/104437/ivacationonline/) Our previous software didn't have the functionality we needed as we added more properties. It was a good value but it didn't have the potential to grow with our business. Review Source CK Carey K. Office Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Highly recommend" July 12, 2023 5.0 We have used Brightside for almost 10 yrs and love how they will do updates to their software to stay with the market for overnight rentals Pros Super easy to use and set up. Also allowed us to integrate 3rd party bookings into our calendars. Cons At this time, I can not think of anything to report on Review Source CH Collin H. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "First rate " January 17, 2020 5.0 Pros Well thought out, user friendly, prompt customer support. Cons None noted so far. It’s hard to find anything not to like. Reason for choosing BrightSide They gave us personal service and worked hard to understand our needs. Switched from [Vacation Rental Desk](https://www.capterra.com/p/104510/Vacation-Rental-Desk/) This is a far superior product that is priced fairly. Review Source JS Jeanie S. Mgr Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Software has worked well for years with useful updates often" August 21, 2021 5.0 The relationship has been wonderful and I enjoy working with their team. Pros Works well with 'real people' you can reach when you have issues. Cons Would appreciate having ability to upload pics of maintenance issues, multiple guest ID's etc into guest files; ability to include multiple signed contracts when reservation has multiple cardholders; better way to send and receive guest text messages. Reason for choosing BrightSide Wanted to work with 'real people' in our local area that were available by email or phone. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 23, 2024 Hi Jeanie, we are so grateful to have you as a user of BrightSide. Our team took your recommendations to heart and decided to make them a reality for you and all our users. You may now upload images to maintenance issues so you can have a visual record as you requested. Great suggestion! Recently, we added the ability to have multiple contracts instead of just one. You can have a separate contract for large units, or units with pools, or however you want to use them. In the past year, we improved our text messaging so you can send and receive automated text messages more easily. BrightSide will notify you on your home screen of any unread messages. You can even start a messaging thread from within the reservation. We are still working on allowing guests to upload multiple IDs. But I am sure we will make that happen too. Thanks again for helping us make BrightSide better for everyone! JH Jennifer H. Admin Assistant Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: 2+ years ### ""Simply" the Best" March 2, 2020 5.0 AMAZING! Easiest Software to use. Brightside Team came to the office, set everything up, did the training which is great but unnecessary because the system is very user friendly and simple. Simple in a great way, like "Simply" the Best. Pros I like how User Friendly it is. Takes no time to figure out how to work it. I have used several different Reservation Softwares and I can say none of them can compare to Brightside/RM4. I work mostly in Accounting & Owner Statements of the software and it is a breeze. Other softwares require negative to cancel positive, all you do on Brightside is delete it. Couldn't be easier. The Hawkins support team is amazing and will answer any question or issue immediately, there is no waiting. If you find an issue with how it works, they will find a way to fix it and improve it. I would recommend The Hawkins Group & Brightside Software to company and stand behind my suggestion. It's Simply the Best! Cons Only 2 things come to mind... but still would not consider them "Cons". 1. Pictures: Need a more simple way to input into the system, maybe a number system. 2. Guidebook / Diagram of system would be great, it would allow you to find what you need without searching or asking for assistance. A Diagram with each TAB broken down to show what it contains would be great. Contacting Brightside for assistance has NEVER been an issue, there is always an immediate response. That being said, the majority of users will never be adding or editing the system so my Cons only apply to a few and I truly I would not call them Cons, maybe just time savers. Reason for choosing BrightSide The presentation the Brightside Group did was an easy sale. Using the system is a breeze compared to the other three Rental Software's I have used. No fuss, Reasonable Rates, No Complications....the whole system is smooth to use. I do believe anyone who gives Brightside Rental Management a test will switch. It even has a BONUS, the creators/engineers are amazing. They will help you in anyway you need. Plus, they always take ideas from their users to improve on the software and are able to answer any question you may have. Brightside Rental Management is the best and I would definitely recommend it to any company who is looking for a new Rental Software and to the ones who aren't. Try it, all you have to do is try it...SOLD! Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 23, 2024 Hi Jennifer, thank you for giving us great feedback! You are kind to say we are "Simply the Best!" We think so too, and we work hard to provide personal customer service and listen to our users. We heard you, and went to work to improve our unit photo features. Now you can upload photos in bulk, view them in a grid or list view, drag and drop to reorder them, and elect to show specific photos on OTAs, your website, or both. You can also add descriptions and ALT text for SEO. In addition, we went to work and created a new Knowledge Base and FAQ on our website. You can get information, watch a video, or get step by step instructions for many tasks in BrightSide. Thank you for helping us improve BrightSide! JM John M. President /CEO Real Estate Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Software for the money" October 10, 2023 5.0 I have evaluated and tried several different platforms. What set's them apart is the ease of use, the fact that is full of features and the price is just right. Pros Ease of implementation, ease of use and incredibly easy to train people. Cons Could use a little work on rate management. Alternatives considered [Escapia](https://www.capterra.com/p/134081/Escapia/) Reason for choosing BrightSide Value, ease of use and implementation. Review Source PH Paula H. Reservationist Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Program" February 8, 2024 5.0 The ease of this program far outweighs the ease of TCS (no ease at all) Pros It's very user friendly. Easy to use and understand. Cons Sometimes adjusting prices in reservation can be a bit cumbersome. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 24, 2024 Hi Paula, thank you for providing us with your feedback! We put a lot of thought into how to make our software easy to use and remain a powerful tool at the same time. Our development team is always listening to everyday users, so your opinion matters. Improvements have been made to the Extend Stay tool, making it easier to add days at the beginning or end of reservation without impacting the current rates. Please reach out to our support team with any specifics that you find cumbersome so we can improve it. ED Empliny D. Virtual Profession Consumer Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "BrightSide Rental Management Review" July 17, 2023 5.0 In my less than 6 months of experience with BS, I can confidently say that it has been a fantastic and user-friendly application. The features provided are easy to navigate, ensuring that users don't get confused. It has significantly helped streamline the online booking process, making it more accessible for potential guests. Pros BrighSide Rental Management (BS) offers a convenient all-in-one application where you can effortlessly reach guests, process payments, engage in chat conversations, and easily manage bookings. The user-friendly interface of BS makes it accessible for newcomers like myself to navigate through its various functions seamlessly. Cons As of now, I don't have any specific comments to make about BS. However, I believe that BS holds great potential and I eagerly anticipate future updates that will enhance its convenience as an all-in-one application. It would be beneficial to have features like calling, ticket creation, or even email capabilities for efficient follow-up. Review Source TT Todd T. CMO Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Customer Support is Second to None" January 27, 2023 5.0 At the end of the day many of the software solutions on the market today serve the technical needs of a VRM company, but the customer support and follow through is the what REALLY sets BrightSide apart. Pros Being able to see the all our units, availability, rates, and most importantly; holes in occupancy is so easy to see with one click. Additionally, the multitude of reporting options is extremely valuable for helping owners to see the value of digital marketing strategies as well as maintenance and housekeeping expenses. Cons I think the software could be a bit more modern looking in terms of the user interface that front desk and other users see. I also would like to see it become optimized for all browser sizes (mobile). Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 21, 2025 Hi Todd, thank you for sharing your experience with BrightSide. We appreciate hearing how we succeed and how we need to improve. We have been working on the user interface to make it look much more modern and attractive. And it works great too, as you kindly said. Since you submitted your review, our developers have been working to make BrightSide work on screens of any size utilizing Progressive Web App technology. This technology allows our software to work on your mobile device almost imperceptible from a native app. Thanks for the feedback, it is helping is make our software even better. BL Bryce L. Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product and customer service!" August 16, 2021 5.0 Excellent! Pros Brightside Rental Management is the perfect fit for our company with just about every feature we could ask for! Cons The only feature that could be better is a mobile app component for our cleaners and maintenance techs. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 24, 2024 Thanks for leaving such a glowing review, Bryce! We are thankful to have you as a BrightSide user. Since you left this review, we have been working on the mobile responsiveness and are making regular improvements. While BrightSide is not completely mobile responsive, we are working toward that end. CT Catie T. Reservationist Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to Use with Great Features!! " February 1, 2020 5.0 We have used BrightSide for years and it is so wonderful to see all the new additions to the software. They are constantly updating and making improvements. Making reservations is very easy and there are so many different options for running reports. They have also integrated with many other booking sites that has been great for our business. The Hawkins team is always available to help, answer any questions, and offer advice. They are always quick to fix anything we need. Pros The software is very user friendly with just about everything you would need for managing and renting properties. Cons Arranging the unit pictures takes time and would be easier if it were in a grid layout. Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services August 15, 2024 Hi Catie, thank your for leaving us a review with all those five stars! We are very grateful. You mentioned that we are constantly updating and making improvements, and I wanted to say that since you left your review, we have made significant improvements to the unit photos. You may now upload photos in bulk, view them in a grid or list layout, drag and drop them into order, add ALT text and descriptions for SEO, and designate which images show up on your website and online travel agencies, or both. Our development team put a lot of thought into how the photo feature needed to work and came up with a great solution. Thank you! WL William L. Property Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Management Software!" August 13, 2021 4.0 Pros Very easy and intuitive to use. Developers always looking for suggestions to improve and are very helpful. Cons Better texting set up would be nice but overall it's very easy to use Review Source Response from Hawkins Computer Services July 21, 2025 Thanks for the review, William! Since you left your review back in 2021, we have changed our texting service and upgraded it significantly. We appreciate you letting us know that it was something you thought needed improvement. Our team listened. You can set up automated text messages, send texts from the communications tab in the reservation, and receive notifications on your BrightSide home screen when you receive a new message. And in early 2025 we added an amazing unified inbox and messaging screen so you can text with reservation details at your immediate displosal. CM Cathy M. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Just do it!!" February 17, 2023 5.0 Pros Brightside vacation management software is easy to use and is extremely reliable. Their customer service is excellent and they really care about their clients. Cons Housekeeping management is very limited as is customer integration. Review Source RC Renee C. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Long Time User" January 17, 2020 5.0 I have used several different software programs over the years, and BrightSide Rental Management is by far the best! I have been with BrightSide for many years (even before it was BrightSide) and have saw the growth and progress first hand as a user! Pros The ease of use! The BrightSide Rental Management support. Cons No cons! The support team is top notch! They are quick to respond to any issue I have ever had, which was typically and error on my end! Reason for choosing BrightSide I used this software with a prior company I worked with and when this company was established, there was no debating,nor considering another product, BrightSide Rental Management was the only program I wanted to use! Review Source JW Jimbo W. General Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Brightside" May 24, 2019 5.0 Working with the company that developed this software is the real reason we use Brightside. Been in the business a long time and never got the personal attention that we get from Hawkins Computer. I would recommend this product and especially their company to anyone. Pros It is very user friendly. Training new employees is a piece of cake. Also being able to access from mobile devices makes it easy to work on the move. Cons With any software you can always find that "I wish I could do...." with this. We have had those in the past, asked the developers about it and always found a way to get the information we want. Review Source KH Kristina H. Media and Marketing coordinator Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wonderful" January 17, 2020 5.0 Pros I love the ease of use. I have never worked with this software until about 3 years ago when I started at Bear Camp and from all of the other software, I have used in different places this was the easiest to learn and keep up with. If I ever run into a jam \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] are right there to walk any of us through the problem. Cons To be honest I can't think of anything that stands out. Most of the problems in the software are operator error. Review Source CH Cody H. Owner Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "LOVE Brightside!" January 17, 2020 5.0 We benefit greatly from using Brightside as we are able to adjust our rates, availability, run specials everything within minutes! This gives us the freedom to maximize the use of our time during each day which in turn will maximize our profits. Pros The software is very easy to use and has everything you could think of! We will never use another software as long as we are in business. Cons Honestly, I have not found anything that I dislike about the software. I can do everything I need to...and more! Review Source pH pam H. President Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My whole team and I love Brightside" May 28, 2019 5.0 We love the reservation software and how it ties in to our website. Pros These ease of use and training a new user . I also like being able to contact \[SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN\] and ask for special functions or adjustments in the software. It does literally everything we need it to do. Cons A bit of a challenge trying to keep up with new offerings. Sometimes we just happen to "find" something we've been waiting for. Review Source JG JOHN G. CEO Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Makes Renting Properties Fun Again" January 17, 2020 5.0 Pros Ease of use. Keeps great statistics.Never have double bookings. Cons I cant think of anything that I would consider a problem with the software. Review Source CH Cheryl H. Front Desk Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very effective and user friendly program" May 17, 2019 5.0 Pros It has an exceptionally user friendly interface. Options you need are right there at your fingertips. Cons Nothing. This program gets our job done very efficiently. Review Source TH Tamee H. Front desk manager Hospitality Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best system ever" January 17, 2020 5.0 Pros I love the fact that we can customize it for the way we need it to work best for the front desk and our guests. Cons I cannot think of one thing that I don't think is wonderful. Review Source Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.