If you manage short-term rentals and you've been researching guest Wi-Fi platforms, you've likely come across both Heidifi and StayFi. Both tools help you capture guest data through a branded captive portal. But once you look past the surface, they serve quite different markets and operator needs — particularly when it comes to European data privacy law.
This post breaks down the key differences to help you decide which platform fits your property and your guests.
Who Each Platform Is Built For
StayFi was purpose-built for the US short-term rental market. It has strong adoption among US Airbnb hosts and vacation rental managers, and its integrations are largely oriented toward US-based property management systems and email tools.
Heidifi is built for European and Swiss hospitality operators — Airbnb superhosts, boutique hotels, restaurants, and multi-unit rental managers — where GDPR and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP) aren't optional considerations. They are legal obligations.
If you operate in Europe or Switzerland and collect guest emails, Heidifi's compliance infrastructure is a core feature, not an add-on.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Heidifi | StayFi |
|---|---|---|
| Branded captive portal | Yes | Yes |
| No-code flow builder | Yes | Yes |
| Email capture | Yes | Yes |
| Airbnb reservation verification | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain (e.g. wifi.yourvenue.com) | Yes (Growth & AI Pro) | Yes |
| Email campaigns | Yes | Yes |
| SMS campaigns | Yes | Limited |
| WhatsApp campaigns | Yes (AI Pro) | No |
| Marketing automation triggers | Yes (5 on Growth, unlimited on AI Pro) | Basic |
| GDPR consent engine | Yes, built-in | Not built-in |
| Swiss nFADP compliance | Yes | No |
| Purpose-specific consent capture | Yes | No |
| Data subject request workflow | Yes | No |
| AI flow optimization | Yes (AI Pro) | No |
| AI campaign drafting | Yes (AI Pro) | No |
| Digital property guide (no paper binders) | Yes | Limited |
| Setup time | ~15 minutes | Varies |
The Compliance Difference
This is where the platforms diverge most sharply.
In the EU and Switzerland, collecting a guest's email address through a Wi-Fi portal is personal data processing under GDPR and nFADP. You need:
- A lawful basis for collection (typically explicit consent for marketing)
- Purpose-specific consent — consent for email marketing doesn't cover SMS, and vice versa
- A way to handle data subject requests (guests can ask you to delete their data)
- Suppression lists and unsubscribe handling that are automatically enforced
Heidifi has all of this built into its core product. The consent capture is purpose-specific, consent text is versioned, suppression is automatic, and the platform enforces channel eligibility before any campaign can be sent.
StayFi does not provide this compliance infrastructure. For a US operator using US-based tools with US guests, this may not be an immediate concern. For any operator in Switzerland or the EU, it is.
Sending a marketing email to a guest without valid, purpose-specific consent is a GDPR violation — regardless of which tool sent it. The platform you use does not shield you from regulatory risk; your compliance setup does.
Marketing Channels
Heidifi supports email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns — all with channel-level consent enforcement. Contacts who haven't opted in to SMS will never receive an SMS from you, even if you send a campaign to your full list. The system prevents it automatically.
StayFi's primary marketing channel is email. If you're building a hospitality marketing programme that includes SMS or WhatsApp (channels with significantly higher open rates than email), Heidifi is the more capable platform.
AI Features
On the AI Pro plan, Heidifi includes:
- AI flow optimization — the system analyzes your portal sessions and suggests changes to improve conversion
- AI campaign drafting — write marketing emails and SMS messages with AI assistance
- AI anomaly detection — get alerted when something unusual happens in your portal traffic
- AI audience insights — understand who your guests are and how to reach them
StayFi does not offer AI-powered features at the time of this writing.
Pricing
Heidifi's Starter plan is CHF 14.99/month, or CHF 149/year, and covers 1 venue and 1 access point with 100 emails, 10 SMS and 10 WhatsApp messages included each month. The Growth plan is CHF 24.99/month per venue, or CHF 229/year, and adds 10 access points, email, SMS and WhatsApp automation, internal AI agent chat, and a larger monthly allowance of 1,000 emails, 50 SMS and 50 WhatsApp messages. Either plan can be topped up with credits at any time. The AI Pro plan is contact-us pricing and adds WhatsApp campaigns, unlimited automations, and the full AI suite.
StayFi pricing varies and is primarily structured for the US market. Pricing in EUR, CHF, or other European currencies may vary.
Which Platform Should You Choose?
Choose Heidifi if:
- You operate in Switzerland, the EU, or any GDPR-jurisdiction
- You want compliant consent capture baked in — not bolted on
- You want SMS and WhatsApp campaigns alongside email
- You want AI tools to optimize your portal and campaigns
- You manage Airbnb listings and want reservation-based verification with digital property guides
StayFi may be a better fit if:
- You operate exclusively in the US with US guests
- Your marketing needs are limited to email
- You're already integrated deeply with a US-based property management ecosystem
For most European operators, the compliance gap alone makes Heidifi the more defensible choice. The AI Pro tier adds capabilities that aren't available elsewhere at this price point.
Ready to try Heidifi? Every new account starts with a 14-day free trial — pick the plan you want to continue on and cancel any time before it ends.