StayFi on Republic 2022 – KingsCrowd

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StayFi has a number of indirect competitors, but none completely overlap with its offering. This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the company stands out for being unique. But incumbents in adjacent markets could easily copy StayFi’s Wi-Fi offering alongside their existing features. Take Optero for example. The company created a guest experience mobile app that serves as a hub for rental properties. On the app, guests can set temperature, check in and out, view guides, message hosts, and opt into marketing. Though Optero doesn’t specialize in captive landing pages for Wi-Fi, it can capture guest data for marketing purposes while providing other features. Optero and StayFi both offer occupancy monitoring by Wi-Fi-connected device counts. Optero’s service runs $8 per door each month.

Other indirect competitors include Touch Stay, a digital welcome book for guests in rental properties. Touch Stay has the same end goal as StayFi — increasing direct bookings — which it claims to do by improving guest experiences. 

Aside from these competitors, a number of other companies create captive Wi-Fi sites for a range of applications. Skyfii is one alternative that targets businesses, but it could easily apply its services to rental properties.

At $125 to $205 for hardware and a $3 to $6 in monthly software fees, StayFi is reasonably priced. There is also a convenience factor to the company’s plug-and-play model. Hosts can go through one platform for data, marketing, and Wi-Fi needs. The model also ensures recurring revenue that is complemented by bigger hardware sales. 

In sum, StayFi is differentiated from a product perspective but is hardly defensible. There are alternatives out there, and some have even more capabilities and integrations. That said, this is certainly not a winner-take-all market. There is room for multiple players, and the prospect of acquiring user data while maintaining internal policies via direct bookings is a strong pull for short-term rental properties. Perhaps the simplicity of a captive Wi-Fi portal will win out or make for a strong acquisition play by one of these other guest experience platforms.



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