Guest-journey software comparison · 2026
Guestivo vs Akia
Messaging-first guest-experience platform with strong SMS automation, contactless check-in, and a touchpoint model that lets operators script multi-step guest workflows. Sits on top of the PMS as the messaging and check-in layer.
Akia is best for
US-headquartered independent hotels and groups (40 to 200 rooms) where guest messaging, particularly SMS, is the operational pain. Strong fit for properties that want to script multi-touchpoint guest journeys (welcome SMS, mid-stay survey, post-stay review request) without writing custom code.
Akia is weaker at
Properties whose primary need is AI concierge depth (HiJiffy or Asksuite are stronger here), branded guest app polish (Duve), or European market depth where Akia's sales footprint is thinner than the US.
Pricing position
Akia
- Quote-based Basic6 touchpoints, ~900 monthly emails per unit source
- Quote-based Pro12 touchpoints, ~1,000 monthly emails per unit source
- Quote-based Maxunlimited touchpoints, ~1,200 monthly emails per unit source
Akia does not publish per-tier rates; the company offers Basic, Pro, and Max tiers with usage limits (touchpoints per tier and monthly email volume) but quotes specific pricing per property (Akia pricing). Public reviews on Hotel Tech Report place the entry tier roughly comparable to Duve Pro for a mid-sized property.
Guestivo
Guestivo prices per room per month with two billing models that share the same rate: Start (subscription only; guest pages read-only) and Pro (same per-room rate plus a 5% commission on guest transactions, which unlocks full online ordering). It connects to a hotel's PMS (Apaleo today) on a provider-neutral layer: reservation webhooks in, folio charge posting out, with no two-way reservation write-back. The shipped scope covers room service ordering, AI concierge, live chat, service requests, housekeeping coordination, and upselling. Online check-in and digital door keys are on the public roadmap (Coming soon), not yet shipped. See the Guestivo site.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Akia | Guestivo |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-arrival messaging | Native | Native |
| SMS-first messaging Akia's SMS depth is the headline differentiator | Native | Native |
| Online check-in Coming soon per guestivo.pl roadmap | Native | planned |
| Multi-touchpoint workflow scripting Akia's touchpoint model is more flexible than Guestivo's default flows; both cover the common journeys | Native | Partial |
| AI concierge Akia handles FAQ-style auto-responses; Guestivo runs a dedicated AI concierge with deflection metrics | Partial | Native |
| Upsell engine | Partial | Native |
| Post-stay review collection Guestivo is not a dedicated review-collection platform; use a reputation tool when this workflow is primary | Native | No |
| WhatsApp messaging Akia's SMS/WhatsApp is live; Guestivo runs in-app live chat and email today, with WhatsApp on the roadmap | Native | planned |
| PMS integrations | 50+ | Apaleo (one-way: webhooks in, folio posting out) |
| Guest-facing languages | multi | 5+ (EN, PL, DE, ES, more) |
| Pricing model | tier with touchpoint and email-volume limits | per-room: Start (read-only) or Pro (+5% commission, full ordering) |
Run the numbers on your property
The interactive tool below lets you set your own RevPAR uplift assumption. Use it to sanity-check whether the spend swap makes sense for your room count and ADR.
Interactive · You control the assumptions
Hotel software ROI calculator
Plug in your property numbers and the uplift you think a better-integrated stack would deliver. The output is your scenario, not our claim.
Your scenario
Current annual room revenue
Annual lift at your assumption
Per-room per-month equivalent
This is your assumption, not our claim. We do not promise a specific uplift; we let you set one.
How the numbers connect
- Annual room revenue = rooms × 365 × occupancy × ADR.
- Annual lift = annual room revenue × your assumed uplift %.
- Per-room per-month equivalent = annual lift ÷ rooms ÷ 12.
Background reading on hotel-technology ROI ranges. Use that as context for choosing your own assumed uplift; do not assume any specific number. Hotel Tech Report.
Switching from Akia to Guestivo
- Akia exports conversation history and touchpoint configurations via API; the Guestivo onboarding ingests message threads and recreates the equivalent journey flows.
- The trickiest part is mapping Akia's touchpoint workflows (which can be complex multi-step scripts) to Guestivo's built-in journey templates. Document the active touchpoint scripts before cutover so the Guestivo equivalents can be configured rather than reverse-engineered.
- If the property uses Akia's email volume aggressively (close to the tier cap), validate Guestivo's included email volume covers the actual usage to avoid surprises.
See Guestivo in your own setup
The fastest way to know whether Guestivo fits your property is a 15 minute walkthrough on real reservation data, not a feature list. We pre-load the workflows you would actually run in the first month.
Talk to the Guestivo teamDisclosure: this site is operated by Maciej Dudziak, founder of Guestivo. Comparison content lists alternatives in good faith; the recommendation is yours to make.
Frequently asked questions
When does Akia stay the right choice over Guestivo?
When the multi-step touchpoint scripting is operationally critical and the property has invested time in building specific multi-channel guest journeys that would take weeks to recreate. Akia's touchpoint flexibility is genuinely strong and properties that have customised it heavily face a real switching cost.
How do the pricing models compare?
Akia's tiered model gates the touchpoint count and monthly email volume; the realistic bill for a property running active multi-channel guest journeys lands at the Pro or Max tier. Guestivo charges per room without explicit volume caps on the included messaging, so the cost stays predictable as journey complexity grows.
Does Guestivo replace Akia entirely?
For most independent hotels under 100 rooms, yes. The overlap is strongest around messaging, ordering, AI concierge, service requests and upsell; keep review or post-stay reputation workflows in a specialist tool unless that exact workflow is verified. Larger groups with deep Akia customisation sometimes run a hybrid (Akia for messaging, Guestivo for AI plus ordering) but the dual subscription cost dominates within twelve months.
How long does cutover take?
Three to five weeks for a 50 to 100 room property. Calendar time is dominated by recreating Akia's touchpoint scripts in Guestivo journey templates and by retraining the front desk on the new operator UI.
What about Akia's SMS depth versus Guestivo?
Akia's SMS-first design is genuinely strong; deliverability and shortcode handling have been the focus of the product for years. Guestivo's shipped baseline is in-app live chat and email, with SMS gateway use requiring verification during the demo. Properties whose entire guest journey hinges on SMS edge cases (campaign-level messaging, large-volume blasts) should treat Akia as the safer SMS-specialist choice.
How this compares to other alternatives
Guestivo and Akia sit in a wider field. If neither feels right, these are the next obvious places to look.
Duve
Branded-app-led guest-journey platform; lighter on the touchpoint scripting flexibility than Akia.
Canary Technologies
US-strong guest-experience platform with deeper contactless check-in plus payment authorisation than Akia.
HiJiffy
AI concierge specialist with broader language reach than Akia.