Which guest app is best for a vacation rental host?

It depends on the job. For ID verification or police registration, Chekin. For deposits and damage waivers, ChargeAutomation. For smart locks and access control, Operto. For a free guide only, Gjesteguiden.no or Hostfully's free guidebook. For online check-in, a guidebook, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking on published flat prices, Staying.

Does Staying verify guest IDs?

No. Staying's online check-in collects name, email, phone, house-rule acceptance and marketing consent. It does not verify identity documents or file police or tourist-tax registrations. Chekin, Enso Connect, ChargeAutomation and Operto list guest verification on their own sites.

Which of these publish their prices?

Staying, Chekin, ChargeAutomation, Duve (minimum packages), Breezeway (entry plan) and Hostfully (free tier) publish prices on their pricing pages. Enso Connect and Operto quote on request; Touch Stay uses a calculator.

Alternatives

Guest app and digital guidebook alternatives, by use case

These are the tools buyers most often shortlist for guest check-in, guidebooks and in-stay upsells. Several of them beat Staying for specific jobs, and this page says which. Competitor facts come from each vendor's own pricing page, checked on 2026-10-25; prices change, so follow the source link before you decide.

Disclosure: Staying publishes this page. Staying is a guest-experience layer for vacation rentals and independent hotels that works alongside your PMS.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Short answer: the best fit by need

If you need	Look at	Why
One free guide for one or two cabins	Gjesteguiden.no or Hostfully's free guidebook	Both are free for a small number of guides. Staying's Free plan is the option if you also want online check-in.
ID verification or police guest registration	Chekin	ID verification and registration are its core product. Staying does not offer either.
Deposits, damage waivers and payment automation	ChargeAutomation	Security deposits and guest screening are built in.
Housekeeping and maintenance operations	Breezeway	Operations is its core; guest experience is an add-on.
Smart locks and access control	Operto	Access control and mobile keys are part of its platform.
A guidebook connected to the widest list of PMS	Touch Stay	Its integrations page names 29 PMS and partners.
A branded guest app and communication hub for a hotel group	Duve	Built for hotels, with a guest app on every plan.
Online check-in, guidebook, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking on published flat prices, self-serve, 0% commission	Staying	Free for one property, then €49, €149 or €399 a month by portfolio size. Works alongside Guesty, Hostaway, OwnerRez, Hospitable, Lodgify or any iCal calendar.

Staying

Branded guest portal with online check-in for every guest, a digital guidebook (4 templates, 13 block types, QR code, printable), in-stay ordering and upsell rules on Growth and above, review requests and direct rebooking invitations. Free for one property; Starter €49, Growth €149 and Scale €399 a month, billed monthly or yearly in euros, 0% commission. Bookings come in from any iCal calendar, including your PMS's; direct Guesty, Hostaway, OwnerRez, Hospitable and Lodgify connections are in beta.

Limits: no ID verification or police registration, no security deposits, no smart-lock integration, no channel management, no native app. See what Staying does not do.

Touch Stay

Digital guidebook platform for short-term rentals, hotels and campsites.

Pricing: Price calculator by number of homes, billed monthly or annually; 14-day free trial, no card.
Check-in and ID: Online check-in is not listed on its pricing page.
Upsells and extras: Upsell widget and guest contact collection.
Best for: Hosts whose main need is a polished guidebook connected to their PMS: its integrations page names 29 PMS and partners.

Compared with Staying: Staying adds online check-in for every guest and direct rebooking invitations, with flat plan prices instead of a per-home calculator. Touch Stay names far more PMS integrations (Staying: iCal, with 5 direct PMS connections in beta).

Source: touchstay.com, /pricing and /integrations (checked 2026-10-25).

Hostfully Digital Guidebooks

Guidebook product from the Hostfully PMS, sold on its own.

Pricing: Free for 1 guidebook; Pro up to 199 guidebooks and Enterprise for 200+ by quote. A 1% Stripe fee applies to marketplace upsells.
Check-in and ID: No check-in feature listed; guidebooks can include check-in instructions.
Upsells and extras: Guidebook Marketplace upsells and email capture on Pro and Enterprise.
Best for: Hostfully PMS users, and hosts who want one free guidebook.

Compared with Staying: Staying's free plan includes online check-in and a guidebook for one property. Hostfully's guidebook syncs natively with the Hostfully PMS; Staying has no direct Hostfully integration and relies on iCal calendars. Full comparison.

Source: hostfully.com/pricing/digital-guidebooks (checked 2026-10-25).

Chekin

Online check-in automation for vacation rentals and hotels.

Pricing: Basic from €3.95, Premium from €5.95 and Enterprise from €7.95 per property per month; annual billing saves up to 20%.
Check-in and ID: Online check-in on every plan; ID verification on Premium (one premium feature of choice) and Enterprise.
Upsells and extras: Upsells on every plan; digital guidebook on Premium (as the premium feature of choice) and Enterprise.
Best for: Operators who must verify identity documents or register guests with the authorities. Its site advertises 35+ PMS and legal entities connected.

Compared with Staying: Choose Chekin if you need ID verification or police registration: Staying does neither. Staying's strengths are the guidebook, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking, on flat plans rather than per-property pricing.

Source: chekin.com/en/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

Enso Connect

Digital guest experience platform for vacation rental and boutique hotel operators.

Pricing: Custom quote; monthly, quarterly or yearly contracts with 30 days' notice. Free trial after a demo.
Check-in and ID: Digital check-in and check-out, boarding pass and guest verification included; background checks are an add-on.
Upsells and extras: Automated upsells and fees, with commissions on upsell bookings charged separately.
Best for: Larger operators who want verification, upsells and guidebooks in one tool and work with one of its 50+ PMS integrations.

Compared with Staying: Enso Connect covers guest verification, which Staying does not. Staying publishes its prices, can be bought without a demo, and takes 0% commission on in-stay orders.

Source: ensoconnect.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

Duve

Guest experience platform with online check-in, a branded guest app, a communication hub and upsells.

Pricing: Minimum packages of $120 (Basic), $150 (Pro) and $200 (Premium) per month; Enterprise by quote. Demo for every plan.
Check-in and ID: Online check-in on every plan.
Upsells and extras: Upsells on Premium and Enterprise.
Best for: Hotels and hotel groups that want a branded guest app and a guest communication hub.

Compared with Staying: Staying starts free for one property and from €49 a month, self-serve, with in-stay ordering on Growth (€149). Duve is built around hotel guest communication at a higher entry price.

Source: duve.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

ChargeAutomation

Guest payments automation with online check-in, guest portal and upsells for short-term rentals.

Pricing: Basic $0; Essentials $5 per property per month plus a $49 platform fee; Professional $8 per property plus $149. Upsell fees of 10%, 7% or 3% by plan.
Check-in and ID: Self check-in with ID collection, e-signatures and access codes; guest screening with biometric ID verification.
Upsells and extras: One-click upsells, security deposits and damage waivers.
Best for: Hosts who want deposits, damage waivers, ID checks and payment automation in one place.

Compared with Staying: ChargeAutomation handles deposits and ID checks, which Staying does not. Staying takes no fee on in-stay orders (Stripe card fees only) and prices by plan rather than per property.

Source: chargeautomation.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

Breezeway

Property operations platform (cleaning, maintenance, tasks) with guest experience add-ons.

Pricing: Free for the first property; Host Essentials from $19.99 per unit per month; higher plans by quote.
Check-in and ID: Online check-in is not listed on its pricing page.
Upsells and extras: Guest upsells and digital guidebooks on its guest-experience plans.
Best for: Operators whose main problem is housekeeping and maintenance coordination.

Compared with Staying: Breezeway is the stronger choice for operations. Staying focuses on the guest side: online check-in, guidebook, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking.

Source: breezeway.io/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

Operto

Hospitality management software covering operations, guest experience and access control.

Pricing: No prices published; demo or call.
Check-in and ID: Contactless check-in and guest verification.
Upsells and extras: Not listed on its pricing page.
Best for: Operators who want smart locks, access control and guest verification from one vendor.

Compared with Staying: Operto covers smart locks and access control; Staying does not have a generally available smart-lock integration. Staying publishes its prices and is self-serve.

Source: operto.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-25).

Gjesteguiden.no

Norwegian digital guest guide for cabins and holiday rentals.

Pricing: Free for up to 2 guides.
Check-in and ID: Guide only; no check-in.
Upsells and extras: None listed.
Best for: Norwegian cabin owners who want a free guide and nothing else.

Compared with Staying: Staying adds online check-in, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking around the guide. If a free guide is all you need, Gjesteguiden.no is simpler. Full comparison.

Source: gjesteguiden.no (checked 2026-10-04).

Frequently asked questions

Which guest app is best for a vacation rental host?: It depends on the job. For ID verification or police registration, Chekin. For deposits and damage waivers, ChargeAutomation. For smart locks and access control, Operto. For a free guide only, Gjesteguiden.no or Hostfully's free guidebook. For online check-in, a guidebook, in-stay ordering and direct rebooking on published flat prices, Staying.
Does Staying verify guest IDs?: No. Staying's online check-in collects name, email, phone, house-rule acceptance and marketing consent. It does not verify identity documents or file police or tourist-tax registrations. Chekin, Enso Connect, ChargeAutomation and Operto list guest verification on their own sites.
Which of these publish their prices?: Staying, Chekin, ChargeAutomation, Duve (minimum packages), Breezeway (entry plan) and Hostfully (free tier) publish prices on their pricing pages. Enso Connect and Operto quote on request; Touch Stay uses a calculator.