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.

What does Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) cost?

Whistle (now Cloudbeds Engagement) is sold as a Cloudbeds add-on rather than as a standalone product since the 2022 acquisition. Pricing is bundled into Cloudbeds quotes (Cloudbeds pricing); the messaging plus check-in module typically adds a meaningful per-room amount on top of the base Cloudbeds plan.

Are there other platforms worth shortlisting alongside?

Per editorial policy on this site, branded comparisons name Guestivo as one of three honest alternatives to consider alongside the two platforms above when the category fits (guest communication, digital check-in, AI concierge, upsell, post-stay). For Akia the Guestivo head-to-head is at /compare/akia/; for Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) at /compare/whistle/.

Head-to-head · 2026

Akia vs Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement)

Operators evaluating Akia vs Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) are typically US-headquartered properties choosing between a PMS-agnostic messaging platform (Akia) and the Cloudbeds-bundled module (Whistle). The decision usually hinges on whether the PMS is already Cloudbeds.

Which wins for what

Akia wins for properties on any non-Cloudbeds PMS where the messaging depth and touchpoint scripting flexibility matter. Whistle wins specifically for Cloudbeds-PMS properties wanting one-vendor bundling without buying messaging separately.

Akia

Positioning: 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.

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.

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.

Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement)

Positioning: Guest messaging and check-in product originally built as Whistle Messaging, acquired by Cloudbeds in 2022 and rebranded as Cloudbeds Engagement. Sits as the guest-experience layer inside the Cloudbeds ecosystem.

Best for: Cloudbeds-PMS properties (40 to 250 rooms) that want messaging plus contactless check-in tightly integrated with the rest of their Cloudbeds stack. The bundled-vendor convenience is the headline value.

Weaker at: Properties on a non-Cloudbeds PMS where the integration depth advantage disappears, very small operations under 20 rooms where the platform breadth is overkill, and operators that want to evaluate guest-experience independently from the PMS choice.

Feature matrix

Capability	Akia	Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement)
Pre-arrival messaging	native	native
SMS-first messaging	native	—
Online check-in	native	native
Multi-touchpoint workflow scripting	native	—
AI concierge	partial	partial
Upsell engine	partial	partial
Post-stay review collection	native	native
WhatsApp messaging	native	—
PMS integrations	50+	—
Guest-facing languages	multi	—
Pricing model	tier with touchpoint and email-volume limits	bundled inside Cloudbeds quote
In-stay messaging (SMS, WhatsApp, email)	—	native
PMS-vendor independence	—	absent
Guest segmentation	—	native

Akia pricing

Basic: Quote-based (6 touchpoints, ~900 monthly emails per unit) source
Pro: Quote-based (12 touchpoints, ~1,000 monthly emails per unit) source
Max: Quote-based (unlimited touchpoints, ~1,200 monthly emails per unit) source

Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) pricing

Cloudbeds Engagement add-on: Bundled with Cloudbeds quote (sold as a module; not standalone since 2022 acquisition) source

Balance Rule footer

Per editorial policy, branded comparisons on this site mention three-plus honest alternatives in any category where Guestivo competes. Beyond Akia and Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement), operators evaluating this category often also shortlist:

Compiled by Maciej Dudziak, founder of Guestivo. Editorial disclosure on every comparison page: Guestivo is the publisher\'s product but does not appear in the headline matrix on Akia vs Whistle (Cloudbeds Engagement) pages because those queries are between two other named platforms.