For vacation rental hosts, boutique hotel owners, and property managers, creating a great guest experience starts long before check-in. A well-designed digital guidebook can streamline communication, answer common guest questions, and showcase local recommendations — all while saving you hours of repetitive messaging.
Two of the leading platforms in this space are Touch Stay and GoGuidebook. Both tools help property owners deliver professional, easy-to-use digital welcome books. But while they share similar goals, they differ in pricing, usability, integrations, and flexibility.
In this comparison, we’ll break down the key similarities and differences between Touch Stay and GoGuidebook to help you decide which is the best fit for your needs.
Overview of Touch Stay and GoGuidebook
Touch Stay has been one of the pioneers in digital guidebooks for vacation rentals, helping thousands of hosts create interactive, web-based welcome books. The platform allows you to organize property details, check-in instructions, and local recommendations into a visually appealing layout accessible from any device.
GoGuidebook, on the other hand, is a newer but fast-growing platform offering similar functionality — but with a sharper focus on affordability, simplicity, and flexibility across multiple industries. While many of its users are short-term rental hosts, it’s also popular among boutique hotels, campgrounds, and event organizers such as music festivals that need to share location details and schedules with guests.
Feature Comparison: GoGuidebook vs Touch Stay
Let’s take a closer look at how the two platforms stack up in key areas.
1. Pricing
One of the most noticeable differences between the two platforms is cost. GoGuidebook is typically around 25% less expensive than Touch Stay, depending on the number of guidebooks you manage.
For hosts or property managers with multiple rentals, this difference can add up quickly — especially if you maintain several guidebooks across different properties or event locations.
While both platforms offer tiered pricing, GoGuidebook’s structure is designed to remain budget-friendly even as your portfolio grows. That makes it an especially strong choice for hosts managing multiple properties or businesses operating across multiple locations.
✅ Winner: GoGuidebook (more affordable without sacrificing features)
2. Managing Multiple Guidebooks
If you operate more than one property, you know how important it is to keep information consistent across all your guidebooks. Touch Stay allows you to duplicate and edit guidebooks, but syncing changes between them can be cumbersome.
GoGuidebook makes this process significantly easier. Its topic syncing system lets you effortlessly keep shared information — like check-in instructions, amenities, or local area guides — consistent across multiple guidebooks. You can update one topic once, and the change instantly reflects everywhere it’s used.
✅ Winner: GoGuidebook (simpler and faster syncing for multi-property hosts)
3. Map and Local Recommendations
Both Touch Stay and GoGuidebook include map features that let you highlight local restaurants, attractions, and activities. However, the GoGuidebook map editor stands out for its intuitive design and ease of use.
Adding or adjusting map markers is quick and user-friendly — no clunky interface or confusing coordinates. Guests get an easy-to-navigate map layout that enhances their experience, while hosts can update or rearrange locations in seconds.
✅ Winner: GoGuidebook (cleaner, easier map interface)
4. Integrations and Automation
Touch Stay offers direct integrations with a few major property management systems (PMS), such as Hospitable, which can automatically sync guest reservations with the guidebook. This can be convenient for hosts already deeply tied into those platforms.
GoGuidebook takes a different approach. Rather than building a handful of niche integrations, it connects through Zapier, giving users access to thousands of compatible platforms. This means you can integrate with CRMs, marketing tools, or booking systems that may not be directly supported elsewhere.
In practice, most hosts don’t need complex integrations — since the guidebook share link stays the same and can easily be added to automated emails or messages already in use. Specific PMS integrations, while helpful for some, often add unnecessary complexity, occasional syncing errors, and maintenance overhead.
✅ Winner: Tie — Touch Stay for niche PMS users; GoGuidebook for broader, simpler automation flexibility.
5. Ease of Use
When it comes to day-to-day management, GoGuidebook emphasizes simplicity. The interface is streamlined, making it easy to add photos, edit text, or rearrange sections without needing a tech background.
Touch Stay also offers a polished experience, but some users report a slightly steeper learning curve when managing multiple properties or customizing layouts.
✅ Winner: GoGuidebook (intuitive design for faster setup and editing)
6. Industries Served
Touch Stay primarily markets itself to vacation rental owners and property managers. It’s a great fit if your business is strictly focused on short-term rentals.
GoGuidebook, however, serves a broader audience. It’s used not only by vacation rentals but also by boutique hotels, RV parks, campgrounds, and event organizers. This makes it more adaptable — perfect for anyone managing different types of hospitality or event experiences.
✅ Winner: GoGuidebook (more versatile applications)
When Touch Stay Might Be the Better Choice
- You specifically need a Hospitable or PMS integration for syncing reservations.
- You already have existing data stored in Touch Stay and want to minimize migration work.
- You value their established brand presence and slightly broader ecosystem of integrations.
If those specific factors are priorities for your business, Touch Stay might make sense despite the higher cost.
When GoGuidebook Is the Better Choice
- You want an affordable and scalable solution.
- You manage multiple guidebooks and want effortless syncing.
- You prefer an easier-to-use map and editor.
- You value broad automation options via Zapier without dealing with fragile PMS integrations.
- You operate across different industries (vacation rentals, boutique hotels, campgrounds, or events).
✅ Winner for Most Users: GoGuidebook
Final Thoughts
Both Touch Stay and GoGuidebook help hosts elevate their guest experience with professional digital guidebooks. Touch Stay has a strong reputation and solid feature set, but GoGuidebook offers a smarter, more affordable path forward — especially for users managing multiple properties or seeking simplicity without limits.
If you’re ready to see how easy it can be to create a beautiful, branded guidebook, visit goguidebook.com/signup and start your free trial today.
Comparison Chart: GoGuidebook vs Touch Stay
Let’s take a closer look at how the two platforms stack up in key areas.
| Feature | GoGuidebook | Touch Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ~25% less expensive on average | Higher cost for multiple guidebooks |
| Multiple Guidebooks | Easy syncing across multiple properties | Manual duplication and editing required |
| Map Features | Intuitive map with quick marker placement | Functional but less streamlined interface |
| Integrations | Zapier connection with 3,000+ apps (see integrations) | Direct integrations (e.g. Hospitable) |
| Ease of Use | Simplified interface for quick editing | More complex setup for multi-property hosts |
| Industries Served | Vacation rentals, hotels, campgrounds, events | Primarily vacation rentals |
