TapStay vs Hostfully: Which Guest Experience Tool Fits Your Vacation Rental?
Both offer a free first guidebook or property, so the real question is scope. Hostfully's guidebooks sit inside a much broader property-management ecosystem; TapStay is a standalone guest layer with an AI Concierge and an official NFC plaque.
Last reviewed: August 22, 2026
TapStay vs Hostfully: quick answer
Hostfully Digital Guidebooks is a guidebook product that plugs into Hostfully's wider property-management software: the Free plan covers one guidebook at $0, Pro covers up to 199 guidebooks and adds revenue features, custom branding, bulk editing and instant translations into 16+ languages, and Enterprise covers 200+. TapStay is a focused guest-experience layer — a mobile-first portal containing the guidebook and an AI Concierge grounded in the host's own content, reached by link, QR or an official NFC plaque. Both start free, so the deciding factors are ecosystem versus simplicity and the shape of each guest layer.
Which one fits the job you need done?
Choose TapStay if…
You want a self-contained guest layer that is completely free during the Early Pilot, with an AI Concierge inside the portal and tap access via an official NFC plaque after the pilot.
Choose Hostfully if…
You already run — or want — Hostfully's PMS, and want guidebooks wired into it, including InboxAI drawing on guidebook content and personalised guidebook links in automated messages.
Biggest difference
Hostfully's guidebooks are a component of a broader PMS ecosystem. TapStay is the whole product: one guest-facing layer, priced per property in public.
What each one actually costs.
TapStay during the Early Pilot
Free during the Early Pilot
Full access. Unlimited properties. No credit card required. Free through January 1, 2027.
No feature tiers, no per-booking fees, no guest fees and no AI-question fees.
TapStay is completely free during the Early Pilot. No credit card is required. After the pilot, you’ll choose which properties stay active; your first active property will remain free forever. We’ll give hosts advance notice before any paid pricing takes effect.
Hostfully pricing
Hostfully Digital Guidebooks: Free (1 guidebook), Pro, Enterprise
- Free: 1 guidebook at $0, fully customisable, with sponsored recommendations and sync with Hostfully PMS and devices.
- Pro: up to 199 guidebooks; the reviewed public pricing page does not expose a static dollar amount. Adds revenue generation, customisable branding, bulk editing and instant translations into 16+ languages.
- Enterprise: 200+ guidebooks, tailored.
- Hostfully's PMS is priced separately from Digital Guidebooks.
Reviewed August 22, 2026. Both products offer a free way to start, so neither wins on "$0" alone — compare what each includes as a portfolio grows.
TapStay vs Hostfully, feature by feature.
Where a capability has nuance we describe it rather than reducing it to a tick. Where a vendor does not publish something, we say so instead of guessing.
| Capability | TapStay | Hostfully |
|---|---|---|
| Product shape | ||
| Primary product focus | Guest-experience layer: guest portal, digital guidebook and AI Concierge | Digital guidebooks inside a broader PMS ecosystem |
| Guest-facing portal / app | Yes — mobile-first web portal per stay | Yes — guest-facing guidebook with unique link, QR or PDF access |
| Dedicated digital guidebook | Yes — the guidebook is the knowledge layer of the portal | Yes — the core of the Digital Guidebooks product |
| Browser-based / no guest app install | Yes — no app, no guest account | Yes — link, QR or PDF access advertised |
| AI | ||
| AI guest Q&A / concierge | Yes — in-portal AI Concierge grounded in the host's saved content | Partial — AI Itinerary Planner and virtual concierge service advertised |
| AI messaging / inbox automation | Not currently a core feature | Yes — InboxAI in the PMS can draw on customised guidebooks |
| Operations | ||
| Host unified inbox | Not currently a core feature | Yes — part of the Hostfully PMS product |
| Online check-in / guest verification | Partial — time-gated arrival and access details; no ID verification | Handled in the PMS product rather than the guidebook |
| Smart-lock / mobile-key integration | Not currently a core feature | Not publicly stated in the guidebook pages reviewed |
| PMS / channel management | Not currently a core feature — TapStay sits alongside your PMS | Yes — Hostfully is also a full PMS, priced separately |
| Guest content | ||
| Local recommendations | Yes — nearby places in the portal alongside host picks | Yes — recommendations, including sponsored recommendations on Free |
| Multilingual guest content | Partial — guest portal interface adapts; host content is written by the host | Yes — instant translations into 16+ languages on Pro |
| Custom branding | Partial — property cover, gallery and theme; TapStay-branded shell | Yes — customisable branding on Pro |
| Access | ||
| QR access | Yes — share by link or printable QR | Yes — unique link, QR or PDF |
| Native NFC physical plaque | Yes — official NFC plaque; ordering opens after the Early Pilot | No native physical plaque found in current public product documentation |
| Revenue | ||
| Upsells / ecommerce | Not currently a core feature | Yes — upsells and revenue features on Pro |
| Pricing | ||
| Pricing transparency | Yes — completely free during the Early Pilot; hosts get advance notice before any paid pricing takes effect | Partial — Free is $0; Pro has no static public price in the reviewed page |
| Starting recurring cost | $0 — free during the Early Pilot: full access, unlimited properties, no card | $0 for 1 guidebook on the Free plan |
| Per-booking / transaction fees | None — no per-booking, guest or AI-question fees | Not publicly stated in reviewed pages |
| Hardware included | Official NFC plaque — ordering opens after the Early Pilot | No native physical plaque found in current public product documentation |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone. Product capabilities and pricing change — check each vendor’s current documentation before deciding.
Where Hostfully is stronger
- Guidebooks integrate directly with Hostfully's PMS, including personalised guidebook links inside automated messages.
- InboxAI can pull from customised guidebooks for host messaging.
- Pro adds instant translations into 16+ languages and bulk editing across large portfolios.
- Up to 199 guidebooks on Pro, with a tailored Enterprise tier above that.
- A guidebook wizard, AI Itinerary Planner and a virtual concierge service are advertised.
Where TapStay is stronger
- A guest-experience layer instead of a full PMS — there is very little to configure before guests benefit.
- Completely free during the TapStay Early Pilot: full access, unlimited properties, no credit card required.
- After the pilot, your first active property remains free forever, with the complete feature set and no credit card.
- No per-booking fees, no guest fees and no AI-question fees.
- Tap, QR or link access to the same portal — nothing for guests to install.
- An official NFC plaque as the physical way in — ordering opens after the Early Pilot.
- An in-portal AI Concierge grounded strictly in the host's own saved content, which says it does not know rather than inventing a policy.
More detail on each piece: the guest portal, the digital guidebook and the AI Concierge.
Match the tool to how you actually host.
Pick TapStay when…
- You want one guest-facing layer and no PMS migration.
- You want a guest layer that is completely free during the Early Pilot, with no credit card.
- You want an NFC plaque in the property — ordering opens after the Early Pilot.
- Your AI need is guests asking questions, not host inbox automation.
Pick Hostfully when…
- You use, or plan to use, Hostfully's PMS.
- You manage a large portfolio and need bulk guidebook editing.
- You need instant translations into many languages out of the box.
- You want guidebook links injected into automated guest messaging.
Still deciding on the category rather than the vendor? Read digital guidebook vs guest portal and whether a PMS covers guest communication, or browse all TapStay alternatives.
Sources & methodology
Competitor information reviewed from official public product and pricing pages on August 22, 2026. Product capabilities and pricing can change.
TapStay is an independent product. Hostfully is referenced for comparison only; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
TapStay vs Hostfully: common questions.
Start with your first property free — forever.
The complete feature set — guest portal, digital guidebook and AI Concierge — on your first active property, with no credit card.
