MotoPress Hotel Booking alternative: a free WordPress plugin compared

MotoPress Hotel Booking is one of the best-known hotel booking plugins for WordPress. If you're looking for a MotoPress Hotel Booking alternative, chances are you've hit one of two walls: the features you need, such as Airbnb sync or Stripe payments, are in the premium version, or the add-ons you need add up. This page compares it with Pandao Booking, our free WordPress hotel booking plugin, as fairly as we can, including where MotoPress is the better choice.

MotoPress Hotel Booking vs Pandao Booking at a glance

Sources: the Hotel Booking Lite page on WordPress.org (version 6.4.0, read on 13 October 2026), its documentation on reports and its add-on pages on motopress.com. Plugins change: check each vendor's site before you decide.

How the costs compare

With MotoPress, the free Lite version takes bookings with PayPal, bank transfer or payment on arrival. Stripe, iCal sync and editing bookings from the dashboard come with the premium licence, and reviews, WooCommerce payments, invoices and other features are add-ons, each sold separately. Check their current prices on motopress.com.

With Pandao Booking, the free plugin already covers Stripe, iCal sync and the booking editor. Pandao Booking Pro then adds six modules in one licence: invoices, guest reviews, revenue reports, WooCommerce payments, multi-currency prices and activities, from $99 a year for one site, or $299 once for a lifetime licence.

Where Pandao Booking differs

• More in the free plugin. Stripe card payments, calendar sync with Airbnb and Booking.com, phone bookings and booking changes need no paid licence.
• One Pro licence, every module. No add-ons to collect: the six Pro modules come together.
• Revenue reports in Pro. Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR by room type and booking source, right in your WordPress dashboard (see the reports).
• Built for one property. Every screen is about your rooms, your rates and your guests, from a B&B to a small hotel.

When MotoPress Hotel Booking is the better choice

• You run several properties. MotoPress says Hotel Booking handles unlimited properties, with an add-on for accommodation-based payments. Pandao Booking is built for one property per site; for several, see Panda Multi Resorts, our PHP script.
• You need many languages out of the box. Lite ships in 14 languages; Pandao Booking comes in English and French, ready to translate.
• You want a mobile app to manage bookings: MotoPress has a free one.
• You rely on its integrations, such as PriceLabs dynamic pricing, Elementor and Divi, or automated emails before arrival and after departure, all sold by MotoPress as add-ons.
• You want a plugin with years of history: Lite has been on WordPress.org since 2018 and runs on more than 10,000 sites. Pandao Booking is new to WordPress, although it runs the same booking engine as Panda Resort and Panda Multi Resorts, our PHP hotel booking scripts on CodeCanyon.

Switching from MotoPress

Pandao Booking doesn't import MotoPress data. Try it on a staging copy of your site first, then set up your accommodation types, units and rates again and re-enter your upcoming bookings. On the guest side, Pandao Booking creates its own booking pages, with blocks and shortcodes you place where your old ones were.

Common questions

Is Pandao Booking really free?

Yes. The plugin is free under the GPL, with no time limit, no cap on bookings and no locked features. Pro is optional.

Does either plugin take a commission?

No. Both send guest payments straight to your own payment accounts.

Can I try Pandao Booking before switching?

Yes. The live demo runs the free plugin with Pro, admin panel included (username admin, password admin123).