CaptiFi vs Wireless Social
A balanced 2026 comparison: feature matrix, pricing, ideal-customer profiles, and an honest verdict on which platform fits your business.
Quick verdict: CaptiFi or Wireless Social?
Wireless Social is a credible enterprise guest WiFi platform with a long hardware and integration list and a network login recognised across thousands of UK venues. Its entry tier is narrow, footfall and benchmarking sit on the quote-priced tier, engagement tools are add-ons, and pricing is GBP only. CaptiFi suits venues that want the marketing built in, hardware included against a refundable deposit, published prices in six currencies and a 30-day trial.
What is Wireless Social?
Wireless Social is a UK guest WiFi and guest-data platform founded by Julian Ross and acquired by Access Hospitality, part of The Access Group, in January 2024; its old domain now redirects to theaccessgroup.com. It pairs branded splash pages (Face ID, Google, Facebook, X or form login) with a Wireless ONE account that recognises a returning guest across 7,500 plus venues in its network, a figure the company reports on its own product and pricing pages. Guest data feeds reporting on footfall, dwell time and demographics, with estate and industry benchmarking on its Standard tier, and pushes out to the CRM, review, ads and loyalty platforms on its help-centre integrations list (60 plus on its pricing page, over 100 on its marketing pages). Its customer base is multi-site UK hospitality: Fuller's, BrewDog, Wagamama, Young's and Côte are named on its pages, and it reports 600 plus multi-site operators. As of September 2026 its Trustpilot profile shows 2.9/5 from 29 reviews and its Capterra listing shows no reviews.
Feature comparison
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Starter device included (refundable deposit) | Yes | bring your own AP |
| Native UniFi support | Yes | Yes |
| Native TP-Link Omada support | Yes | Yes |
| Native Cisco Meraki support | Yes | Yes |
| Aruba / MikroTik / Ruckus support | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-venue dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-location analytics in one view | Yes | Standard tier only |
| Real-time analytics dashboard | Yes | not stated |
| Full CSS control and custom fonts on splash pages | Yes | custom HTML, Standard tier |
| Set-and-forget marketing automation | Yes | via connected CRM |
| Built-in email marketing automation | Yes | via CRM integrations |
| Automated Google review requests | Yes | via Google Reviews integration |
| Toast POS / spend-based segmentation | Yes | Toast not listed |
| Leat / loyalty integration | Yes | Yes |
| Twilio SMS welcome messages | Yes | not listed |
| Mailchimp sync (native) | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR audit trail | Yes | not stated |
| 30-day free trial | Yes | none listed |
| Monthly (no-annual-lock) plan | Yes | monthly price shown, term not stated |
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Pricing and features change: check the Wireless Social site for the most current information.
Wireless Social strengths
- Wireless ONE cross-venue login: a guest who has connected at one venue in the network is recognised at the others, which its product page puts at 7,500 plus venues (its own figure; the help centre says 8,000 plus)
- Broad bring-your-own hardware support: the help centre has configuration guides for Cisco Meraki (MR, Go, MX), HPE Aruba (Central, Instant, Instant On), Ruckus (One, SmartZone, Unleashed), Ubiquiti UniFi, TP-Link Omada, MikroTik, Cambium, Extreme, Fortinet, Zyxel, DrayTek and Juniper Mist
- Deep UK hospitality integration list on its help centre: Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, Dotdigital, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Acteol, Airship, SevenRooms, Zonal, Kobas, Square, Leat, Google Reviews, Tripadvisor, and Meta, Google and TikTok ads audiences
- Footfall, dwell time, estate benchmarking and industry benchmarking reporting (Insights Plus) on the Standard tier, with scheduled PDF reports
- Enterprise references named on its pages: Fuller's, BrewDog, Wagamama, Young's, Côte and Pizza Express; it reports 600 plus multi-site operators (self-reported)
- A published entry price for independents (£30 per venue per month for Wireless ONE SE on the UK pricing page) and a Full Service Wrap with a dedicated account manager and monthly strategy calls on the enterprise tier
Where CaptiFi differs
- The entry tier is narrow: Wireless ONE SE is capped at 10 venues, 5 access points per venue, one CRM integration and one marketing consent box, and footfall, dwell time, venue benchmarking, competitor benchmarking and custom reports are marked "Not available" on it (UK pricing page and help-centre product comparison, as of September 2026)
- Engagement tools cost extra: Activate (Perks vouchers, Predictor gamification, Publicise advertising) and Publicise are labelled "Add-on" on both tiers, the help centre calls Activate "a bolt-on service" set up through your account manager, and no add-on or enterprise price is published (POA)
- GBP-only, single-tier pricing: the UK pricing page shows one price with no currency switcher and states no billing term, minimum contract or trial; the US guest WiFi page has no pricing page as of September 2026
- No access points supplied on the pages checked: the help-centre hardware collection is 30 guides for configuring your own access points, presence sensors for footfall are shipped to Standard customers, and in its February 2025 tie-up with Sky Business, Sky supplies the connectivity and hardware
- Review footprint as of September 2026: Trustpilot shows a 2.9/5 TrustScore from 29 reviews on a claimed profile; most of the 29 are 5-star, but the two most recent (28 February 2024 and 8 April 2025) are 1-star, the latter opening "Since being sold they have no idea what is going on"; Capterra shows 0 reviews and "Contact vendor for pricing"
- No built-in email or SMS tool is listed on its pricing table or product comparison: campaigns run through a connected CRM or marketing platform, and Toast, Twilio and Zapier are absent from the help-centre integrations list as of September 2026 (Square, Zonal and Kobas are present)
Honest recommendations
Pick Wireless Social if
Multi-site UK pub, restaurant and competitive socialising groups that want the Wireless ONE cross-venue login, already run enterprise WiFi such as Meraki, Aruba or Ruckus, and push guest data into a CRM they already own (Acteol, Airship, Klaviyo). Operators who value estate and industry benchmarking and a managed account relationship, and are comfortable with quote-based enterprise pricing.
Pick CaptiFi if
Independent venues and small groups that want the marketing built in (email, SMS welcomes, Google review requests, Toast and Square spend data, Leat loyalty), and a starter device shipped against a refundable deposit when there is no compatible access point on site. Venues outside the UK, or partners reselling across borders, that need retail pricing in six currencies, a self-serve 30-day trial and monthly billing without a quote.
Pricing side by side
CaptiFi
$59/month billed annually
or $69/month month-to-month
- Hardware included (refundable deposit)
- Every integration included on Growth and above
- 30-day free trial.
Wireless Social
Published pricing as of September 2026 covers one tier: Wireless ONE SE for independent operators is listed on the UK pricing page at £30 per venue per month, capped at 10 venues and 5 access points per venue with one integration from its 60 plus list, and with footfall, dwell time, benchmarking and custom reports marked "Not available". The enterprise Wireless ONE tier is POA, Activate (Perks, Predictor, Publicise) and Publicise are labelled "Add-on" on both tiers, prices are shown in GBP only with no billing term, minimum contract or trial stated, and the US guest WiFi page has no pricing page. CaptiFi publishes retail prices in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD), includes a starter device against a refundable deposit, and offers a self-serve 30-day trial.
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Check the Wireless Social site for current pricing.
Lite: $24.99 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.
How switching from Wireless Social works
Start your free trial
Sign up in minutes. 30-day free trial. Hardware included (refundable deposit), and no plan payment is taken during the trial.
Connect your WiFi
Point your existing access points at CaptiFi (UniFi, TP-Link Omada, Cisco Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik, Ruckus and more) or plug in the starter device we ship.
Switch off Wireless Social
Rebuild your splash page, turn on email and review automation, and cancel your Wireless Social subscription once you're confident.
Weighing up a move? Read the Wireless Social alternative guide or see all comparisons.
CaptiFi vs Wireless Social FAQs
Is CaptiFi cheaper than Wireless Social?
Published pricing as of September 2026 covers one tier: Wireless ONE SE for independent operators is listed on the UK pricing page at £30 per venue per month, capped at 10 venues and 5 access points per venue with one integration from its 60 plus list, and with footfall, dwell time, benchmarking and custom reports marked "Not available". The enterprise Wireless ONE tier is POA, Activate (Perks, Predictor, Publicise) and Publicise are labelled "Add-on" on both tiers, prices are shown in GBP only with no billing term, minimum contract or trial stated, and the US guest WiFi page has no pricing page. CaptiFi publishes retail prices in six currencies (GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD, NZD), includes a starter device against a refundable deposit, and offers a self-serve 30-day trial.
When should I pick Wireless Social over CaptiFi?
Multi-site UK pub, restaurant and competitive socialising groups that want the Wireless ONE cross-venue login, already run enterprise WiFi such as Meraki, Aruba or Ruckus, and push guest data into a CRM they already own (Acteol, Airship, Klaviyo). Operators who value estate and industry benchmarking and a managed account relationship, and are comfortable with quote-based enterprise pricing.
When is CaptiFi the better choice?
Independent venues and small groups that want the marketing built in (email, SMS welcomes, Google review requests, Toast and Square spend data, Leat loyalty), and a starter device shipped against a refundable deposit when there is no compatible access point on site. Venues outside the UK, or partners reselling across borders, that need retail pricing in six currencies, a self-serve 30-day trial and monthly billing without a quote.
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.
CaptiFi is a guest WiFi marketing and captive portal platform for restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, hotels, gyms, salons, retail and short-term rentals, built by CaptiFi Ltd in the UK and sold in GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD to venues worldwide.