RentalBeam vs AvailCalendar: free availability, with one big catch
AvailCalendar is genuinely free, funded by voluntary donations, and it has quietly done one job for over a decade: show a simple availability calendar on your website. The catch is sync. By its own FAQ, AvailCalendar can export a calendar but cannot import one, so it will not pull in your Airbnb or VRBO bookings; you mark dates by hand. RentalBeam imports those feeds automatically and adds bookings and a map. If you want free and simple, AvailCalendar delivers; if you want it to keep itself up to date, read on.
How RentalBeam compares to AvailCalendar
RentalBeam next to AvailCalendar - publicly available information as of 2026.
What it is
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Cost
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Imports Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com over iCal
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Exports an iCal feed
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Keeps availability current automatically
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Direct booking form and guest payments
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Location map widget
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Calendar styling
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Multiple rentals
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
Best suited for
RentalBeam
(Us)
AvailCalendar
| Feature | RentalBeam(Us) | AvailCalendar |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Availability calendar + booking and map widgets | Simple availability calendar, display only |
| Cost | Free plan + paid tiers | Free (donation-supported) |
| Imports Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com over iCal | Included | Not included |
| Exports an iCal feed | Included | Included |
| Keeps availability current automatically | Included | Manual updates |
| Direct booking form and guest payments | Yes, on Pro | Not included |
| Location map widget | Included | Not included |
| Calendar styling | Included | Language selection |
| Multiple rentals | Included | Included |
| Best suited for | Auto-synced availability and direct bookings | A basic, manually-updated free calendar |
RentalBeam or AvailCalendar?
AvailCalendar is a simple, donation-supported availability calendar you embed on a rental website. Here is the honest split.
Pick AvailCalendar
Choose AvailCalendar if you want the simplest possible free calendar and you are happy to mark booked dates by hand. It is genuinely free, it has run for years, and long-time users with a property or two like it for exactly that simplicity.
Pick RentalBeam
Choose RentalBeam if you list on Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com and do not want to update dates by hand. RentalBeam imports those iCal feeds automatically so a booking on any channel blocks the date on your site, and it adds a direct booking form, guest payments, styling, and a location map. It also has a permanent free plan.
Where RentalBeam differs
It imports your channels
RentalBeam pulls in Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com over iCal automatically. AvailCalendar exports a calendar but cannot import one, so you update booked dates by hand.
It can take bookings
RentalBeam adds a direct booking form and guest payments on Pro. AvailCalendar displays availability only.
Styling and a map
RentalBeam lets you match the calendar to your site and add a single-property location map. AvailCalendar offers language selection but little styling.
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AvailCalendar is a trademark of its respective owner and is not affiliated with RentalBeam. This comparison reflects publicly available information as of 2026.