If you're comparing Dwelly and OurSharedPlace for managing a shared vacation home, here's the short version: OurSharedPlace is a web-based platform with deep scheduling features and a lower annual price. Dwelly works on both mobile and desktop and is built around simplicity, with a cleaner interface and features like photo notes, expiring updates, and tiered family access. Both solve the core problem. Which one fits depends on what your group actually needs.
Two families are looking for a better way to manage their shared lake house. They've outgrown the group text. They need a real calendar, some way to track expenses, and a place to keep house information that everyone can find.
Both Dwelly and OurSharedPlace were built for exactly this situation. Both are purpose-built for shared vacation homes, not general project management tools repurposed for the job. And both are genuinely good options.
This comparison is written by the team at Dwelly, so yes, we have a perspective. But we've also used OurSharedPlace, and we think an honest comparison serves you better than a one-sided pitch. You should pick the tool that's right for your family.
Here's what we found.
What they have in common
Both platforms cover the core needs of a shared vacation home. A shared calendar where co-owners can see who has the property and when. Expense tracking so costs are visible to everyone. A place to store house information like vendor contacts, access codes, and maintenance history. And some form of access control so not everyone needs the same level of visibility.
If your primary need is getting off the group text and into a real system, either one will get you there.
OurSharedPlace: what it does well
OurSharedPlace has been around longer and has a more feature-rich scheduling system. The booking calendar includes approval workflows, so admins can review and approve reservation requests rather than just allowing anyone to book directly. It also tracks usage fairness over time, useful for groups that want to make sure the high-demand weeks are distributed equitably across families.
The platform integrates with Airbnb, VRBO, and Google Calendar via iCal, which is meaningful if your group uses the property for rental income alongside personal use.
It also has some features Dwelly doesn't currently offer, including a property blog for how-to guides and institutional knowledge, an embeddable dashboard for smart home setups, and a photo gallery.
Pricing is $99 per year per property with unlimited members. For a group that wants maximum features, it's a strong option.
Dwelly: what it does differently
Dwelly works on both mobile and desktop and was built with simplicity at the center. The experience is designed to be clean enough that every family member actually uses it, not just the most organized one.
A few things Dwelly does that OurSharedPlace doesn't currently offer:
Photo notes with expiration dates. Any co-owner can leave a photo note documenting the condition of the property when they leave. The fridge, the liquor cabinet, the dock. Notes can be set to expire so time-sensitive updates disappear when they're no longer relevant. This makes the handoff between families cleaner and more accountable.
Tiered family access. Dwelly has a Viewer role below Co-owner that gives extended family members read access to the calendar and house information without seeing expenses or sensitive property details. It's a common real-world need that most tools handle clumsily.
Arrival and departure checklists. Built-in resettable checklists for both arrival and departure, so every family works from the same standard every time. Not a to-do list that requires setup. A ready-to-use system that resets after each stay.
Pricing is $9/month for one property or $19/month for up to three, with a 14-day free trial. Annually that's $108 for one property versus OurSharedPlace's $99. The monthly option gives you flexibility if you're not ready to commit annually.
The honest differences
Interface and experience. Both platforms work on desktop and mobile. OurSharedPlace has a more feature-dense interface built for users who want deep configuration. Dwelly's interface is cleaner and more streamlined, which tends to mean higher adoption across co-owning groups where not everyone is equally tech-comfortable.
Depth vs. simplicity. OurSharedPlace has more features, particularly around scheduling, approval workflows, and rental calendar integration. Dwelly has fewer features but they're more tightly designed around the everyday experience of a co-owning family. For groups that want to go deep on scheduling configuration, OurSharedPlace has an edge. For groups that want something everyone will actually use, Dwelly is easier to get off the ground.
Rental use. If your group rents the property on Airbnb or VRBO, OurSharedPlace's calendar integration is genuinely useful. Dwelly is focused on personal co-ownership rather than rental management.
Handoff and documentation. Dwelly's photo notes, expiring updates, and arrival/departure checklists are more developed than anything OurSharedPlace currently offers in this area. If the handoff between families is a recurring friction point for your group, this is a real differentiator.
Which one should you choose?
Choose OurSharedPlace if:
- You rent the property on Airbnb or VRBO and need calendar sync
- You want approval-based booking rather than open booking
- You prefer an annual pricing model and want to pay once and forget it
- You want maximum feature depth and don't mind more configuration
Choose Dwelly if:
- Simplicity and adoption matter more than feature depth
- The handoff between families is a pain point you want to solve
- You want to include extended family with limited access without giving them full co-owner permissions
- You prefer the flexibility of monthly billing
- You want a cleaner, less configuration-heavy experience
The bottom line
Both are good tools built for the same real problem. The group text is not a vacation home management system. Either of these is a significant upgrade.
If you're a co-owning family looking for something everyone will actually use, with a clean interface that doesn't require a manual, and that makes the handoff between visits smoother, Dwelly is worth trying first. If you need rental calendar integration or an approval-based booking workflow, OurSharedPlace is worth a look.
Dwelly offers a 14-day free trial at dwellyco.com. No complicated setup. You can have it running in an afternoon.