Channel Manager
A channel manager is software that pushes rate and availability updates out to multiple OTAs at once from a single dashboard, so a host doesn't have to update Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com separately. It typically connects through each platform's official API rather than iCal alone, which is what lets it push changes instead of only reading them.
Because a channel manager writes to each platform (not just reads from it), it can usually update pricing and inventory counts as well as availability - a step beyond one-way iCal sync, which only shares booked or blocked dates.
Channel managers are typically priced per listing or per booking and are aimed at hosts or property managers running several units across many OTAs at once.
Why it matters for hosts
RentalBeam is not a channel manager - it does not push rates or availability changes into Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com. It reads each platform’s iCal feed to display availability on the host’s own website and to power direct booking requests, working alongside a channel manager (or alongside direct OTA listings) rather than replacing one.
Further reading
More detail on how this works with RentalBeam.
Related terms
Other glossary terms that come up alongside this one.
See this in the product.
Compare a PMS, channel manager, and a lighter stack