Looking for a CaptiveWiFi alternative?
CaptiveWiFi is bring-your-own access point only, and its Growth tier caps guest feedback at 1,000 messages a month. CaptiFi ships a plug-and-play device (refundable deposit), keeps captured contacts without per-contact fees, automates Google and Tripadvisor reviews, and prices in six currencies.
- 30-day free trial
- Hardware included (refundable deposit)
- GDPR-native
The five-minute comparison is just below.
40-60%
Average Email Opt-In Rate
Under 2 hours
Average Support Reply
29+
Integrations Included
99.9%
Platform Uptime
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 (£60 refundable deposit), so a venue with no gear at all is live in about 5 minutes with the CaptiFi device.
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.
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 deposit) | 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 |
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 deposit) 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.
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 | £49/mo (£39/mo billed annually) | £33/venue/mo billed annually (£40 monthly; about $42/$50 USD) |
| WiFi hardware | Starter device included (£60 refundable deposit), 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 | £25/mo each, on any plan from Essentials up | Full per-venue price for every venue |
£99/mo
Three venues on Essentials
(£49 + £25 + £25), 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 deposit), spend-matched POS integrations, larger capture allowances, and pricing plus partner rates published in six currencies.
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.
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.
Lite: £19.99 a month on your own network
Already have UniFi, Omada or Meraki? Lite is guest capture and CSV export on the access points you have, 500 new guests a month, for one site. The splash page keeps CaptiFi branding.
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. Its Lite plan is £19.99 a month for guest capture and CSV export on the access points you already run, every plan starts with a 30-day free trial, and a starter device is included with every plan (refundable deposit).
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 on every plan, with a refundable deposit, 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.
Keep comparing
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30-day free trial. Hardware included (refundable deposit). No setup fee. Cancel any time.
Want the numbers? See full CaptiFi pricing.
Last reviewed 31 August 2026. Competitor names and logos are trade marks of their respective owners and are shown only to identify the products being compared. CaptiFi is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any company named on this page. Feature and pricing notes describe each product as we found it on its public website when we last reviewed it, and may since have changed; check the vendor's current terms before you buy. Trade mark notices.