Full disclosure: this comparison is published by Cléo. We separate documented facts from our opinion and link to the vendors’ own pages so you can check the current offer. The meaningful differences are not only design and price: free-plan limits, messaging, PMS connections, privacy controls, hardware and upsells matter too.
The market at a glance
| Solution | Pricing model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cléo | €29 one-time per published guidebook | Free creation and preview; the paid guide stays accessible and editable |
| Touch Stay | Subscription; amount calculated by use case, guide count, currency and billing cycle | 14-day trial; messaging, analytics, Google Places and PMS features |
| Hostfully Guidebooks | 1 guidebook free; Pro for up to 199; Enterprise for 200+ | Standalone product; PMS connection is optional |
| GoGuidebook | $8.99/month for the first guide, or $7.50/month billed annually | 14-day trial; lower rates for additional guides |
| YourWelcome Tablet | €349.99/property/year on a one-year contract | 8-inch in-property tablet and software included |
| BetterSTR | Core guidebooks free; optional paid features and usage charges | Premium is $2.99/property/month or $0.50/reservation |
Verification date: 29 July 2026. Method: we checked the vendors’ public pricing, product and support pages only. Prices are shown in the currency, billing period and tax basis displayed by the vendor; portfolio quotes and optional extras can change the total. “Not listed” means we could not verify the feature on those pages, not that the product can never provide it. Cléo publishes these comparisons and is therefore not a neutral publisher.
Official sources checked: Cléo public pricing; Touch Stay pricing, features and examples; Hostfully Guidebooks pricing and examples; GoGuidebook pricing and examples; YourWelcome pricing and product page; BetterSTR pricing.
A reproducible 3-year cost check
For one guidebook kept for 36 months, the public figures give €29 for Cléo, $323.64 for GoGuidebook on monthly billing ($8.99 × 36), $270 for GoGuidebook on annual billing ($7.50 × 36), and €1,049.97 for three annual YourWelcome Tablet terms (€349.99 × 3). BetterSTR’s core remains $0, while its flat-rate Premium option would be $107.64 ($2.99 × 36), before optional usage charges. Hostfully does not display a Pro amount on the public page we reviewed, and Touch Stay requires inputs in its calculator, so we do not invent totals for them. Taxes, exchange rates, promotions and portfolio discounts are excluded.
Where Cléo genuinely differs
- A fixed public price — Cléo’s current pricing page advertises €29 once, a guidebook “published for life” and unlimited edits. This describes the public offer rather than an independent legal guarantee.
- Listing import and enriched places — the product imports a rental listing, while local places can be completed with photos, ratings and directions from Google.
- An editorial visual direction — this is a judgement, not a measurable feature; compare the rendered products yourself.
- Open examples — Cléo publishes live guidebooks without signup. Touch Stay, Hostfully and GoGuidebook also publish public examples, so this is proof of rendering rather than an exclusive feature:
Live exampleAppartement Montmartre
Paris 18e · Visit →
Live examplePenthouse vue mer
Marseille · Visit →
Live exampleAppartement Vieille Ville
Annecy · Visit →
Real example guidebooks published with Cléo — open them just like a guest would.
Honest verdict
Our verdict
Choose the operating model before choosing the template.
BetterSTR and Hostfully deserve consideration when a free tier covers your needs. Touch Stay and Hostfully are stronger candidates when connected messaging and PMS workflows matter. GoGuidebook offers privacy controls, PDF export and scheduled invitations at a published recurring price. YourWelcome is a different, in-property hardware proposition. Cléo is the fixed-cost option for hosts who prioritise a polished phone guide, listing import and no recurring publication fee.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cléo available in English?
Your guests’ guidebook displays in their language automatically (English included). The host dashboard is currently French-first.
Why do pricing models differ so much?
The products fund different services: recurring messaging, PMS synchronisation, AI usage, payments, support or physical hardware. A free or subscription product can be the better value when those services matter. Cléo instead charges once for publishing and ongoing editing of the guidebook.
What happens after I publish with Cléo?
Cléo’s current public pricing page advertises €29 once, no subscription, a guidebook “published for life” and unlimited edits. This comparison reports that public offer without making a broader legal guarantee.
Create your guest guidebook in minutes
Free to create and test. Publish for a one-time €29 — the guidebook is yours for life, editable forever.
Keep reading
Touch Stay alternative: one-time price or connected subscription?
Touch Stay offers a broad connected toolkit; Cléo offers a narrower guidebook with a one-time publication price. Here are the documented trade-offs.
ComparisonFree digital guidebooks: what “free” actually costs
Some guidebooks are genuinely free at the core. The useful question is which features are free, optional or recurring.
GuideWelcome Book Template: start from real examples, not a blank Word file
Everyone offers downloadable templates that age badly. We offer something better: real, live welcome books you can open and learn from.
ComparisonGoGuidebook alternative: recurring toolkit or one-time guidebook?
GoGuidebook publishes clear subscription prices and a broad feature set. Cléo offers a narrower one-time-price alternative.