Why pay $10-20 per property for StayFi when BetterSTR offers the same WiFi marketing features starting at just $7/month? Plus, our captive portal integrates directly into your guidebook for a seamless guest experience.
StayFi: $10-20/property/month
BetterSTR: $2/property
First property $7/month, then just $2/month per additional property
BetterSTR offers everything StayFi does at a fraction of the cost. While StayFi charges $10-20 per property per month, BetterSTR provides the same WiFi captive portal features starting at just $7/month for your first property, then $2/month for each additional. Better yet, our captive portal integrates directly into your digital guidebook – one platform for everything.
Airbnb and other OTAs are increasingly blocking guest contact information from hosts. This makes it harder than ever to build direct relationships with guests for repeat bookings.
The solution? A WiFi captive portal captures guest emails directly when they connect to your network – information the OTAs can't block.
Read our full article on why Airbnb is blocking guest contact information →
A WiFi captive portal is a web page that guests see when they first connect to your vacation rental's WiFi network. Before accessing the internet, guests enter their email address (and optionally other information), which is automatically saved to your marketing database.
This is the same technology used by hotels, coffee shops, and airports – now available for vacation rental hosts.
| Feature | BetterSTR Much Cheaper | StayFi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $7 first property, $2 each additional | $10-20/property |
| Email Capture | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Custom Branding | ✓ Full customization | ✓ Full customization |
| Guidebook Integration | ✓ Built-in (same platform) | ✗ Separate system |
| Guest Upsells | ✓ Integrated upsell shop | ✗ Not available |
| Party Prevention | ✓ Device monitoring | ✓ Device monitoring |
| Email Verification | ✓ Domain validation + optional verification | ✓ Available |
| Smart Whitelisting | ✓ IoT devices auto-connect | ✓ Available |
| Safety Information | ✓ Via integrated guidebook | ✗ Separate system needed |
| Hardware Options | ✓ Better Gateway ($89) or DIY | StayFi Router ($149+) |
| Annual Cost (10 properties) | $300 ($7 + 9×$2 = $25/mo) | $1,200-2,400 |
With StayFi, you need a separate platform for your captive portal, another for your digital guidebook, and yet another for guest upsells. That's three different systems to manage, three different logins, and three different bills.
When guests connect to WiFi, they land directly on your guidebook – not a generic splash page. They get instant access to property information while you capture their email for future marketing.
Guests connect to WiFi and immediately see your guidebook with:
One dashboard to manage everything:
Our Better Gateway is a pre-configured device that works with your existing WiFi system (UniFi, Omada, etc.):
Technical users can install our gateway software on their own Raspberry Pi:
StayFi requires their proprietary router ($149+) and charges higher monthly fees. With BetterSTR, you have options.
$1,200-2,400/year
+ $1,490+ for hardware
$300/year
$7 first property + $2 each additional
+ $890 for hardware (or DIY free)
Save $900-2,100 per year – that's money back in your pocket.
"We switched from StayFi to BetterSTR for our 15 properties and immediately saw the benefits. The integrated guidebook means guests actually read our house rules, and we're capturing just as many emails at a fraction of the cost."
- Ready Set Stay, Property Management Company
Sign up for BetterSTR and create your digital guidebook. The guidebook is 100% free.
Enable the WiFi captive portal feature for just $2/month. Get a Better Gateway or use DIY.
Guests connect to WiFi, enter their email, and land on your guidebook. You start building your marketing list.
Yes! You can export your email list from StayFi and continue building it with BetterSTR. Setup takes just minutes, and you can run both systems during transition if needed.
You'll need either our Better Gateway device ($89) or a Raspberry Pi running our software. The gateway works with most professional WiFi systems like UniFi or Omada.
BetterSTR monitors connected devices just like StayFi. You can set occupancy limits and receive alerts when too many devices connect to your network.
Your first property with WiFi captive portal is $7/month, then each additional property is just $2/month. This gets you the captive portal, email capture, device monitoring, and guidebook integration. The digital guidebook itself is free – you only pay for the WiFi features.
Join thousands of hosts who've discovered there's a better (and cheaper) way to capture guest emails.
No long-term contracts • 30-day money back guarantee • $7/month first property, $2/month additional
BetterSTR is the clear winner for vacation rental WiFi marketing. With the same captive portal features at 90% lower cost, plus seamless integration with your digital guidebook and guest upsells, it's the smart choice for hosts who want to maximize their marketing while minimizing costs.