CaptiFi vs StayFi - Honest Comparison (2026)

Quick verdict: CaptiFi or StayFi?

StayFi is an excellent, focused choice if your entire portfolio is US vacation rentals. CaptiFi covers short-term rentals too, and works just as well for pubs, restaurants, gyms and retail, at lower cost, with UK GDPR-native data handling, a starter device included (refundable hold), and a self-serve 30-day trial.

About StayFi

What is StayFi?

StayFi is a US-first guest-WiFi and email-capture platform built specifically for short-term and vacation-rental operators. It is strong in its niche: branded WiFi splash pages across a portfolio of rental properties, guest email capture, and upsell tooling aimed at direct bookings. Because it is purpose-built for short-term rentals, it is less suited to pubs, restaurants, gyms, salons and other on-premise venue types, and it leans toward premium US pricing.

www.stayfi.com

Side by side

Feature comparison

Feature
Starter device included (refundable hold)	Yes	No
Short-term rental coverage	Yes	Yes
Pubs / restaurants / gyms / retail coverage	Yes	No
UK / EU GDPR-native data handling	Yes	US-focused
Self-serve sign-up	Yes	Yes
30-day free trial	Yes	trial varies
Multi-venue dashboard	Yes	Yes
Built-in email marketing automation	Yes	Yes
Automated Google review requests	Yes	No
Toast POS / spend-based segmentation	Yes	No
Leat / loyalty integration	Yes	No
Twilio SMS welcome messages	Yes	limited
Public pricing in GBP for UK	Yes	No

Last reviewed 2026-06-13. Pricing and features change - check StayFi's site for the most current information.

StayFi strengths

Purpose-built for short-term and vacation-rental hosts
Branded WiFi splash pages and guest email capture tuned for rental portfolios
Upsell and direct-booking tooling aimed at reducing OTA dependence
Strong, focused fit for a US STR portfolio

Where CaptiFi differs

Built for vacation rentals, so it is not designed for pubs, restaurants, gyms, salons or retail
US-first: less aligned with UK and EU GDPR-native data handling
Premium pricing relative to a single-purpose WiFi marketing layer
No advertised hardware-included option
Narrow venue coverage if you run a mixed estate of property types

Who should pick what

Honest recommendations

Pick StayFi if

US vacation-rental and short-term-rental hosts who only manage rental properties and want a platform purpose-built for that single use case.

Pick CaptiFi if

Operators who run short-term rentals alongside other venue types, or who want UK GDPR-native guest WiFi, review and email automation, a starter device included (refundable hold), and lower cost across a mixed estate.

Pricing

Pricing side by side

CaptiFi

£39/month billed annually

or £49/month month-to-month

Hardware included (refundable hold)
Every integration included on every plan
30-day free trial. £0 today.

See full CaptiFi pricing

StayFi

US-first, premium pricing aimed at vacation-rental portfolios. CaptiFi covers short-term rentals as well as every other venue type at lower cost, with GBP/USD/EUR pricing, a starter device included (refundable hold), and a self-serve 30-day trial.

Last reviewed 2026-06-13. Check StayFi's site for current pricing.

Proof

A real venue on CaptiFi

Case Study

PytchAir

hospitality

How Johnny Palmer turned guest WiFi on his Boeing 727 Airbnb into a direct marketing channel: 400+ guest emails captured monthly and a 35% return booking rate.

400+

Emails Per Month

35%

Return Booking Rate

Read the case study

The switch

How switching from StayFi works

1

Start your free trial

Sign up in minutes. 30-day free trial. £0 today. Hardware included (refundable hold), and nothing is billed during the trial.

2

Connect your WiFi

Point your existing access points at CaptiFi (UniFi, TP-Link Omada, Cisco Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik, Ruckus and more) or plug in the starter device we ship.

3

Switch off StayFi

Rebuild your splash page, turn on email and review automation, and cancel your StayFi subscription once you're confident.

Start Free Trial Book a Demo

Weighing up a move? Read the StayFi alternative guide or see all comparisons.

Common questions

CaptiFi vs StayFi FAQs

Is CaptiFi cheaper than StayFi?

US-first, premium pricing aimed at vacation-rental portfolios. CaptiFi covers short-term rentals as well as every other venue type at lower cost, with GBP/USD/EUR pricing, a starter device included (refundable hold), and a self-serve 30-day trial.

When should I pick StayFi over CaptiFi?

US vacation-rental and short-term-rental hosts who only manage rental properties and want a platform purpose-built for that single use case.

When is CaptiFi the better choice?

Operators who run short-term rentals alongside other venue types, or who want UK GDPR-native guest WiFi, review and email automation, a starter device included (refundable hold), and lower cost across a mixed estate.