BetterSTR turns any Android tablet into a locked, branded in-room guest device — your digital guidebook, guest messaging, a photo-frame screensaver and optional noise monitoring — from $2/device/month. Bring your own tablet, no annual contract.
YourWelcome is a premium tablet on an annual contract. BetterSTR does the same in-room job on hardware you already own, for a fraction of the price. YourWelcome bundles an 8″ tablet into a subscription of around $450 per property, per year, on a 1-year contract. BetterSTR’s companion runs on any Android 11+ tablet you bring, costs from $2/device/month, adds noise monitoring for party prevention, and has no lock-in — because it’s part of a free, all-in-one guest platform.
A companion tablet greets guests in the property with everything they need on one locked screen: your digital guidebook, Wi-Fi details, house rules, local tips and check-out instructions — then doubles as a digital photo frame when idle. The best ones run in kiosk mode (guests can’t wander off into settings or other apps), let you push messages remotely, and can flag noise to prevent parties.
A locked in-room device on hardware you choose:
A premium tablet supplied on a subscription:
| Feature | BetterSTR Best Value | YourWelcome |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $2 / device / month (~$24/year) | ~$450 / property / year |
| Bring your own tablet | ✓ Any Android 11+ tablet | Supplied tablet |
| Annual contract / lock-in | ✓ None | 1-year contract |
| Locked kiosk guidebook | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Photo-frame screensaver | ✓ Yes | Varies |
| Personalised guest messaging | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Noise monitoring / party prevention | ✓ Optional ($5/device/month) | ✗ Not advertised |
| Remote fleet management | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Upsells & payments | ✓ Stripe upsells in the guidebook | ✓ Yes |
| Part of a full guest platform | ✓ Free guidebook, WiFi, TV | Tablet product |
YourWelcome’s ~$450/property/year buys a nice tablet, but it locks you into an annual contract and one piece of hardware. BetterSTR runs on any Android 11+ tablet you already have (or a cheap one), for $2/device/month — roughly $24 a year. It adds noise monitoring to catch parties, and it sits on top of a free digital guidebook, so the same content also reaches guests by QR code and on the in-room TV.
YourWelcome includes an 8″ tablet in its subscription — convenient, but you’re paying for it every year on a contract. With BetterSTR you install the companion app on any Android 11+ tablet, so you can reuse a device you already own or buy an inexpensive one outright and stop there. Either way the software is $2/device/month with no lock-in, and you can add noise monitoring for $5/device/month where you want party protection.
“We run our own rentals on BetterSTR — the digital guidebook answers the questions guests used to message us about, and updating it takes seconds.”
— Barry, MyBnB.NZ, Short-Term Rental Host, New ZealandTurn any Android tablet into a branded guest device from $2/device/month — no annual lock-in.
Start free — no card required Explore the companion tabletYes. BetterSTR delivers the same in-room guest experience — a locked, branded tablet showing your guidebook, messaging and a photo-frame screensaver — on any Android 11+ tablet, from $2/device/month with no annual contract, and adds noise monitoring for party prevention.
No. Unlike YourWelcome, which supplies its own tablet, BetterSTR runs on any Android 11+ tablet you already own or buy cheaply. You only pay for the software, from $2/device/month.
BetterSTR’s companion is from $2/device/month — about $24/year — compared with YourWelcome’s roughly $450 per property, per year on a 1-year contract. That’s close to a 19× difference before you factor in reusing hardware you already own.
Yes. BetterSTR’s companion can monitor ambient noise levels and alert you when a threshold is exceeded during quiet hours — helping prevent parties. It measures volume only, not conversations. Noise monitoring is $5/device/month.
No. BetterSTR’s companion is month-to-month at $2/device with no annual lock-in, where YourWelcome is billed annually on a 1-year contract.
If you want the in-room tablet experience without the annual contract or the premium price, BetterSTR is the clear YourWelcome alternative. YourWelcome is a polished, hardware-included product; BetterSTR gives you the same guest-facing experience on your own tablet for a fraction of the cost, adds noise monitoring, and bundles a free guidebook, WiFi marketing and TV welcome screen. See the full companion tablet product.