Why switch

Six reasons operators move to CaptiFi

Hardware included

CaptiveWiFi is bring-your-own access point only, with no hardware option. CaptiFi works with the major shared controllers (UniFi, Omada, Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik, Ruckus, Cisco) and also ships a plug-and-play device with every plan ($99 refundable hold), so a venue with no gear at all is live in minutes.

Review automation built in

CaptiFi automates Google and TripAdvisor review requests after every visit. CaptiveWiFi routes positive guests to Google or TripAdvisor by sentiment; CaptiFi sends the request to every consenting guest and follows Google's review policy.

No messaging caps

CaptiveWiFi's Growth tier caps guest feedback at 1,000 messages a month. CaptiFi keeps every captured contact without per-contact fees, so a busy month grows your list, not your bill.

A formal partner programme

CaptiveWiFi's partner route is an email to its support address. CaptiFi runs a white-label MSP and reseller programme with published wholesale rates in six currencies.

Priced for six markets

CaptiveWiFi shows prices in GBP, USD, EUR and AED and publishes no US case studies. CaptiFi publishes retail pricing in GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD, and bills you in your own currency.

Deeper POS coverage

CaptiveWiFi lists Square in its catalogue. CaptiFi ships native Toast POS, Square and SumUp integrations, alongside Klaviyo, Mailchimp, EmailOctopus and Pepper.

Side by side

The five-minute comparison

An honest matrix: rows CaptiveWiFi wins are marked too. Verified from captivewifi.com in August 2026.

Feature
Starter device included (refundable hold)	Yes	No
Free forever tier	No	1 venue, basic splash
UniFi, Omada, Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik and Ruckus support (vendor-listed)	Yes	Yes
Works with no existing access point at all	Yes	No
Automated Google review requests	Yes	Yes
TripAdvisor review prompts	Yes	Yes
No monthly messaging caps	Yes	1,000 feedback msgs/mo on Growth
Toast POS integration	Yes	not listed
Square POS integration	Yes	Yes
SumUp integration	Yes	not listed
Klaviyo and Mailchimp sync (native)	Yes	Yes
SevenRooms / Collins / ResDiary / Airship connectors	No	Yes
Connected Page link-in-bio	No	Growth plan
Customer REST API and webhooks	Yes	Growth plan
Single sign-on (SSO)	No	Growth plan
White-label partner programme with published wholesale rates	Yes	informal, by email
Retail pricing in GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD	Yes	GBP, USD, EUR, AED shown
30-day free trial	Yes	free tier instead

Read the full CaptiFi vs CaptiveWiFi comparison

Fact check

Setting the record straight

One description of CaptiFi we have seen elsewhere is inaccurate, and a few facts about what CaptiFi ships are worth stating plainly. Everything below is checked against what CaptiFi actually ships, as of August 2026, with a link so you can verify it yourself.

The claim: CaptiFi is a broad marketing-automation tool, not built for restaurants, bars or hotels.

CaptiFi is a hospitality product. It is built for bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels and holiday lets, with splash pages, review automation and POS integrations designed around venue workflows. See why venues choose CaptiFi.

Fact check: does CaptiFi work with existing access points?

CaptiFi has native setup flows for Ubiquiti UniFi, TP-Link Omada, HPE Aruba, Cisco, Cisco Meraki, MikroTik and Ruckus, and every plan also includes a plug-and-play starter device (refundable hold) if you have no gear at all. See supported hardware.

Fact check: does CaptiFi have a developer API and webhooks?

CaptiFi ships a customer REST API and webhooks, alongside its native integration catalogue. Browse the integrations directory.

Fact check: does CaptiFi automate review requests?

Automated Google and TripAdvisor review requests are included, and they follow Google's review policy. See review automation.

Cost

The numbers side by side

CaptiveWiFi figures are its published prices, August 2026. CaptiFi figures are live for your region from the pricing page.

What you pay for
Free option	30-day free trial, full product	Free forever: 1 venue, basic splash, no integrations
Entry paid plan	$69/mo ($59/mo billed annually)	£33/venue/mo billed annually (£40 monthly; about $42/$50 USD)
WiFi hardware	Starter device included ($99 refundable hold), or bring your own	Bring your own access point only, none sold
Messaging caps	Captured contacts kept without per-contact fees	Feedback capped at 1,000 messages/mo on Growth
Review automation	Google and TripAdvisor, from the Growth plan	Sentiment-routed requests to Google and TripAdvisor
POS integrations	Toast, Square and SumUp, native	Square listed; no Toast or SumUp
Partner programme	White-label MSP programme, published wholesale rates in six currencies	Informal: email support@captivewifi.io
Currencies published	GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD	GBP, USD, EUR, AED
Additional locations	$35/mo each, on any plan	Full per-venue price for every venue

$139/mo

Three venues on Essentials
($69 + $35 + $35), hardware included, emails never capped

£99/mo

Three venues on Growth
(£33 x 3 billed annually; £120/mo billed monthly), bring your own access points

A worked three-venue example: the headline prices are close, so compare what is included. CaptiveWiFi prices from captivewifi.com, August 2026.

Is CaptiveWiFi a bad product?

No. CaptiveWiFi is a real platform with genuine strengths: a free forever single-venue tier, a deep UK hospitality integration catalogue, and a founder-led community around the Captive Conversations podcast. Single UK venues that already own a supported access point, want to start completely free, and live inside the UK hospitality stack CaptiveWiFi connects to (SevenRooms, Collins, ResDiary, Airship, Leat, Pepper), especially operators who value its founder-led podcast community. If that sounds like you, CaptiveWiFi may be the right fit. CaptiFi earns the comparison when you want the hardware included (refundable hold), spend-matched POS integrations, larger capture allowances, and pricing plus partner rates published in six currencies.

The migration

Switching takes an afternoon

Step 1

Start your trial

Self-serve, 30 days. We ship the starter device the same day if you want it.

Step 2

Point your WiFi at CaptiFi

CaptiFi supports the same UniFi, Omada, Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik and Ruckus gear CaptiveWiFi connects to, so you simply repoint your access points. No gear? Plug in the included device.

Step 3

Import and go

Your existing guest list imports, and your email automations and review requests run from day one.

Proof

A real venue on CaptiFi

Case Study

PytchAir

hospitality

How Johnny Palmer turned guest WiFi on his Boeing 727 Airbnb into a direct marketing channel: 400+ guest emails captured monthly and a 35% return booking rate.

400+

Emails Per Month

35%

Return Booking Rate

Read the case study

An honest note

Who should not switch from CaptiveWiFi

CaptiveWiFi is a sensible option for a single UK venue that already owns a supported access point, is happy on the free Starter tier or comfortably inside the Growth tier's 1,000-message feedback cap, and leans on the UK booking and loyalty stack it connects to (SevenRooms, Collins, ResDiary, Airship, Leat, Pepper). If that is you, and you enjoy the community around its podcast, there is no urgent reason to move. CaptiFi earns the switch when you have no access point to bring (a starter device is included with a refundable hold), when you want Google and TripAdvisor review automation built in, when you never want a cap on the emails you keep, when you operate outside the UK, or when you want a formal white-label partner programme with published wholesale rates.

Common questions

CaptiveWiFi alternative FAQs

Is CaptiveWiFi really free?

Yes, the Starter tier is free forever for one venue, with basic splash pages and no integrations. The Growth tier is £33 per venue per month billed annually (£40 monthly, about $42/$50 USD, with EUR and AED prices also shown) and adds advanced splash pages, integrations, a Connected Page link-in-bio, feedback messaging capped at 1,000 messages a month, unlimited team members, an API, webhooks and SSO. CaptiFi has no free tier: it offers a 30-day free trial of the full product with a starter device included (refundable hold).

Does CaptiFi work with my existing access points?

Yes. CaptiFi has native setup flows for Ubiquiti UniFi, TP-Link Omada, HPE Aruba, Cisco, Cisco Meraki, MikroTik and Ruckus. Unlike CaptiveWiFi, which is bring-your-own access point only, CaptiFi also includes a plug-and-play starter device with a refundable hold, so a venue with no gear at all can still go live.

Does CaptiFi cap emails or messages?

CaptiFi keeps every captured contact without per-contact fees, with monthly new-guest allowances from 1,000 to 50,000 by plan. CaptiveWiFi's Growth tier caps guest feedback messaging at 1,000 messages per month, as published on its pricing page in August 2026.

Does CaptiFi automate Google and TripAdvisor reviews?

Yes. Automated Google and TripAdvisor review requests are built in from the Growth plan, and they follow Google's review policy. CaptiveWiFi also offers review routing, sending positive guests to Google or TripAdvisor by sentiment.

I read that CaptiFi is a general marketing tool, not built for hospitality. Is that true?

No. CaptiFi is hospitality-focused: it is built for bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels and holiday lets, with venue splash pages, guest data capture, review automation and POS integrations (Toast, Square, SumUp) designed around venue workflows. Any description of CaptiFi as a broad marketing-automation tool that is not specific to hospitality is inaccurate.

Does CaptiFi have a partner or reseller programme?

Yes. CaptiFi runs a formal white-label MSP and reseller programme with published wholesale rates in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD). CaptiveWiFi's partner route is informal: its site directs prospective partners to email support@captivewifi.io.

Ready for guest WiFi with everything included?

30-day free trial. Hardware included (refundable hold). No setup fee. Cancel any time.

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