Cheapest Digital Guidebook Software: What You Actually Get at Each Price
Price is a fair first filter for a digital guidebook tool — most hosts don't need enterprise upsell automation, they need guests to stop asking where the wifi password is. But "cheapest" can mean a genuinely low monthly price, or it can mean a trial that turns into a bill later. Here's what's actually cheapest, and what "cheap" gets you at each tier.
Ranked by starting price
| Tool | Starting price | Free tier that doesn't expire | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnboardGuest (short-term rentals) | €5/month, free plan €0 | Yes — 1 property, no card required | Flat price, no portfolio-size scaling |
| GoGuidebook | ~$5/month | No, trial only | Simplest setup, aimed at 1–2 properties |
| Stay Pilot | ~$8/month | No, trial only | Includes AI guest chat at entry price |
| Touch Stay | ~$8–13/month, scales with portfolio and property type | No, trial only | Price moves as your portfolio grows |
| OnboardGuest (hotels) | €10/month | Yes, free plan for 1 property | Same product as the rental plan, hotel-specific pricing |
| Hostfully Guidebooks | ~$10/month for the entry plan | No, trial only | Guidebook is one module of a larger PMS suite |
| Duve | ~$120/month and up | Free tier for single-unit properties, launched Jan 2026 | Cheapest tier still enterprise-oriented; check current free-tier scope directly |
Prices are drawn from vendor sites and third-party pricing trackers as of September 2026 — confirm directly with each vendor, since portfolio size and property type shift most of these.
The distinction that actually matters: free plan vs. free trial
Most of the "cheap" options on this list are cheap only during a trial period — after it ends, you're on a paid plan or locked out. Two things are worth separating clearly:
- A free plan stays free indefinitely, usually with a limit (like one property). You can use it as long as you want at that limit.
- A free trial is free for a fixed window (often 7–14 days), then requires payment to keep using the tool.
If you want to actually test a digital guidebook with real guests before paying anything, a genuine free plan matters more than a slightly lower monthly price on a trial-only tool.
What to check before picking the cheapest option
- Does the price scale with your portfolio, or stay flat? A tool that's cheap for one property can get expensive fast at five.
- Is the entry tier missing something you'll need soon — branding, multiple languages, statistics? Check what's gated behind the next tier up.
- Is there a real free plan, not just a trial clock? This is the biggest practical difference in this list.
For a single property with no budget to test first, a genuine €0 free plan (OnboardGuest, for one property) removes the risk entirely — you're not choosing "cheapest," you're choosing free, with no time limit to work against.
Sources: Best digital guidebook software 2026 — SuiteOp, Hostfully Guidebooks pricing — Capterra, Duve pricing — SelectHub
