In the room, not just in a link
Hostfully's guidebook reaches guests through a link they have to open. CleverStay ships printed cards, stickers, and engraved signs for every placement in the property - the answer is physically next to the question.
CleverStay vs HostfullyHostfully's guidebook lives on a screen. CleverStay lives in your rental.
Hostfully bundles a digital guidebook with its property-management platform. CleverStay is a purpose-built guest-answer layer: printed signs at the point of need, a digital twin that never drifts, and AI chat with zero sponsored content and zero guest email capture.
Building guides is free, forever. Your 14-day Pro trial starts when your printed cards arrive, not before.
What actually sets them apart
No ads in front of your guests
Hostfully runs sponsored recommendations inside guidebooks. CleverStay never does. Your local favorites are yours, and the only brand your guests ever see in your guide is yours.
Your guests are not a mailing list
Hostfully sells guest email capture as a paid feature. CleverStay refuses to collect guest emails at all - guests scan and get answers with no signup, so there's nothing to disclose and nothing to leak.
CleverStay vs Hostfully, feature by feature
Hostfully pairs its guidebook with a full PMS, so this comparison is about the guest-facing layer - the part your guests actually touch.
CleverStay
Hostfully
In the room
Printed QR cards, weatherproof stickers, and engraved signs, shipped ready to place
Screen-onlyPrinted material flagged out-of-date when you edit the digital guide
Nothing printed to syncAnswering guests
AI chat that answers house questions from your info, with citations
CleverStay Pro
Door codes and arrival info unlock only around an active stay
From your calendar feed - no guest data stored
Guest trust
No sponsored recommendations, ever
Runs sponsored recommendationsNever collects guest emails
Email capture is a paid featureWhere Hostfully is ahead today
AI trip-itinerary planner on every plan, including free
Bulk editing across properties
On our roadmap, with printed-placement reprint awarenessPro plan onlyFull PMS alongside the guidebook
By design - we work beside any PMSAbout this comparison: based on public information - vendor sites, documentation, and marketing - reviewed in July 2026. Where we could not verify a claim from primary sources, the cell says so. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@cleverstay.ai and we’ll fix it.
SwitchersHosts who wanted more than a PMS module
Why hosts made the move, in their own words
Priya S.
Property manager · 22 units, Miami FL
“An all-in-one platform made sense on paper, but the guidebook was the weakest piece of it. CleverStay does one thing - guests get answers - and does it better than a module inside a PMS ever did.”
Switched from Hostfully22 Units
Tom & Rachel B.
Hosts · beach condo, Gulf Shores AL
“Our guests never see ads for tours we didn't pick. That, plus the printed cards by the door and the thermostat, is why we moved.”
Switched from HostfullyBeach Condo
Give guests answers, not another link.
Keep whatever runs your bookings. CleverStay handles the stay: printed placements, synced guides, and chat that answers for you.