BetterSTR turns your guest WiFi into a marketing engine — captive-portal email capture, party prevention and direct-booking lists — from $7/month, then $2 per additional property, with no proprietary router to buy. Bring your own UniFi, TP-Link Omada or Mikrotik, or run a $0 Raspberry Pi gateway.
StayFi and BetterSTR both capture guest emails from your WiFi. The difference is lock-in and price. StayFi is a WiFi-marketing platform that starts at $19/month and steers you toward its own branded hardware ($99–$303). BetterSTR captures the same guest data from $7/month (then $2 per additional property), works with the UniFi, Omada or Mikrotik gear you already own (or a cheap Raspberry Pi), and drops guests onto your actual digital guidebook instead of a dead-end splash page — because it’s part of a whole guest-experience platform.
Only the lead booker’s details come through Airbnb — but every guest joins your WiFi. A captive portal turns that Wi-Fi login into a marketing moment: guests enter a name and email (and opt in) before they get online, so you build a direct list of everyone who stays, not just the booker. Done well, it also prevents parties by flagging unusual usage, and it becomes the foundation of your direct-booking channel.
WiFi marketing built into an all-in-one guest platform:
A dedicated WiFi & guest-marketing platform:
| Feature | BetterSTR Best Value | StayFi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7 first property, then $2 each additional | From $19/month |
| Captive-portal email capture | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bring your own hardware | ✓ UniFi, Omada, Mikrotik or Raspberry Pi | Works with UniFi; own hardware sold |
| $0 DIY gateway option | ✓ Raspberry Pi | ✗ No |
| Proprietary router required | ✓ No | Hardware upsell ($99–$303) |
| Guests land on your real guidebook | ✓ Yes | Splash page |
| Party / usage monitoring | ✓ Yes | Varies |
| Direct-booking email lists | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Part of a full guest platform | ✓ Guidebook, tablet, TV, SMS | ✗ WiFi marketing only |
| Free digital guidebook included | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
StayFi’s model leans on its own splash pages and branded hardware. BetterSTR does the opposite: use the UniFi, Omada or Mikrotik gear you already have — or stand up a $0 Raspberry Pi gateway — and pay just $7/month for your first property, then $2/month for each additional. Better still, once a guest signs in they land on your actual digital guidebook, not a marketing dead-end, so the same login that grows your email list also answers guest questions.
Already on StayFi? Our guide to repurposing your StayFi UniFi device for BetterSTR gets you moved over without buying anything new.
StayFi starts at $19/month and offers its own access points from $99 to $303. BetterSTR’s WiFi marketing is $7/month for your first property, then $2/month each additional and needs no proprietary hardware — run it on the UniFi or Omada controller you already own, or a cheap Raspberry Pi. Across a portfolio that difference compounds fast, and the WiFi add-on sits on top of a free digital guidebook, so you’re getting more for less.
“My guests love scanning the QR code and having everything in one place — check-in, WiFi and local tips. Hosting is so much smoother and guests mention it in their reviews.”
— Rebekah, Airbnb Host, New ZealandCapture every guest’s email from $7/month (then $2 per additional property) — on the hardware you already own.
Start free — no card required Explore WiFi marketingYes. BetterSTR captures guest emails from your WiFi with a branded captive portal — the core of what StayFi does — from $7/month for your first property, then $2/month each additional, with no proprietary hardware required and a free digital guidebook included. It works with UniFi, Omada and Mikrotik, or a $0 Raspberry Pi gateway.
No. BetterSTR works with the UniFi, TP-Link Omada or Mikrotik controller you already own, or you can build a low-cost Raspberry Pi captive-portal gateway. Unlike StayFi, there’s no branded router to purchase.
Yes. Our step-by-step guide walks you through repurposing your StayFi UniFi device to work with BetterSTR, so you can move over without buying anything new.
WiFi marketing is $7/month for your first property, then $2/month for each additional, on top of the free digital guidebook. StayFi starts at $19/month and sells access points from $99 to $303, so BetterSTR is a fraction of the cost across a portfolio.
Guests enter a name and email (with marketing opt-in) on a branded captive portal, then land on your real digital guidebook — check-in, Wi-Fi, house rules and local tips — instead of a dead-end splash page.
If you want the same guest-email capture without the hardware lock-in or the price, BetterSTR is the stronger StayFi alternative. StayFi is a capable WiFi-marketing platform; BetterSTR matches the core capability from $7/month (then $2 per additional property) on your own hardware, and bundles it with a free guidebook, companion tablet and TV welcome screen. See the full WiFi marketing product.