Best Digital Guidebook Tools for Vacation Rentals (2026)

A practical comparison of the top digital guidebook tools for STR hosts - Touch Stay, Hostfully, YourWelcome, Inxtruc, and DIY options. What each does best, pricing, and who they're for.

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Why Use a Digital Guidebook Tool?

You could build a house manual in Google Docs or Notion. Plenty of hosts do. But dedicated guidebook tools exist because they solve specific problems:

• Mobile optimization - Built for guests viewing on phones, not laptops
• QR code sharing - Easy to print and place at the property
• Offline access - Guests can view guides without WiFi
• Organization - Structured for quick answers, not scrolling through documents
• Maintenance - Update once, changes reflect everywhere

Whether you need a dedicated tool depends on your situation. If you manage one property and rarely get questions, a simple Notion page might be enough. If you're fielding repeat questions across multiple properties, a purpose-built tool will save you time.

Here's how the main options compare.

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Touch Stay

Best for: Hosts who want comprehensive, branded guidebooks with local recommendations

Touch Stay is one of the most established guidebook platforms. It's designed for creating detailed digital guidebooks that cover everything - property instructions, house rules, local area guides, restaurant recommendations, and more.

What it does well

• Comprehensive templates - Pre-built sections for everything guests might need
• Local recommendations - Built-in features for adding nearby restaurants, attractions, activities
• Branding options - Customize colors, logos, and styling to match your brand
• Multi-language support - Translate guidebooks for international guests
• PMS integrations - Connects with major property management systems

Where it's limited

• Creation takes time - Building a full guidebook is a project, not a quick task
• Can be overwhelming - Lots of features means a learning curve
• Less focused on visual instructions - Better for general information than step-by-step appliance guides

Pricing

Starts around $8/month per property (pricing varies by plan and property count).

Best for

Hosts who want a polished, branded experience with local area content. Good for higher-end properties or hosts who see the guidebook as part of their guest experience branding.

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Hostfully Guidebooks

Best for: Hosts already using Hostfully PMS, or wanting similar features to Touch Stay

Hostfully offers digital guidebooks as part of their broader property management platform, though guidebooks can be used standalone.

What it does well

• Integration with Hostfully PMS - If you use their PMS, guidebooks sync automatically
• Local recommendations - Similar to Touch Stay, strong on area guides
• Marketplace templates - Pre-built content you can customize
• Booking upsells - Can integrate experiences and upsells into guidebooks

Where it's limited

• Tied to broader platform - Most valuable if you're using other Hostfully products
• Similar tradeoffs to Touch Stay - Comprehensive but time-intensive to set up
• Less focused on quick visual guides - Built more for browsing than solving immediate problems

Pricing

Guidebooks start around $12/month for a single property. Volume discounts for multiple properties.

Best for

Hosts already in the Hostfully ecosystem, or those who want similar functionality to Touch Stay with slightly different pricing/features.

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YourWelcome

Best for: Hosts who want in-property tablets with upselling capabilities

YourWelcome takes a different approach. Instead of just a digital guidebook, it provides tablets that stay at the property. Guests interact with the tablet to get information, and hosts can offer upsells (late checkout, experiences, etc.).

What it does well

• In-property presence - Tablet is visible and hard to miss
• Upselling features - Built-in tools for selling late checkout, local experiences, early check-in
• Video support - Can include welcome videos and property walkthroughs
• Analytics - See what guests are viewing and interacting with

Where it's limited

• Requires hardware - You need tablets at each property, plus management/charging
• Higher cost - Tablets plus subscription adds up
• Theft/damage risk - Tablets can walk off or get broken
• Not mobile-first for guests - Guests use the tablet, not their own phone

Pricing

Varies based on hardware and subscription. Expect higher upfront costs than software-only solutions.

Best for

Hosts focused on upselling and revenue optimization, or those who want a visible "concierge" presence at the property. Better suited for higher-end or professionally managed properties where the ROI on upsells justifies the cost.

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Inxtruc

Best for: Hosts who want quick, visual guides that solve the "how does this work" problem

Inxtruc takes a narrower approach than the tools above. Instead of comprehensive guidebooks with local recommendations, it focuses on visual, step-by-step guides for the things guests actually get stuck on - thermostats, lockboxes, coffee machines, WiFi, appliances.

What it does well

• Fast to create - Snap photos on your phone, add steps, done in minutes
• Visual-first - Photos, video, and audio instead of text-heavy paragraphs
• Mobile-first for guests - Built for someone standing in front of the thing, phone in hand
• QR code sharing - Print and place codes next to the appliance or area
• Offline access - Guides work without WiFi for 30 days after viewing
• Spaces - Organize multiple guides into one shareable collection per property
• No app required - Guests tap a link or scan a QR code, nothing to download

Where it's limited

• No local recommendations - Not built for restaurant lists or area guides
• No heavy customization - Guides look the same across properties (intentionally)
• No PMS integrations - Standalone tool, doesn't connect to booking systems
• Narrower scope - Solves the "how does this work" problem, not a full concierge experience

Pricing

Free for your first 3 guides, forever. Paid plans for more guides and features.

Best for

Hosts who want to stop answering the same appliance and check-in questions. Particularly useful if you have properties with anything non-obvious (smart locks, complex thermostats, hot tubs, specialty appliances) and want guides guests will actually use in the moment.

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DIY Options: Notion, Google Docs, Canva

Best for: Hosts on a tight budget, or those who want full control

You don't need a dedicated tool. Many hosts build house manuals with free tools:

• Notion - Flexible, can organize by sections, shareable via link
• Google Docs - Simple, familiar, easy to update
• Canva - Good for visual, designed PDFs

What works

• Free or very cheap - No subscription costs
• Full control - Build exactly what you want
• Familiar tools - No learning curve if you already use them

Where it falls short

• Not mobile-optimized - Guests pinch-zoom through documents
• No offline access - Requires internet to view (unless downloaded)
• No QR code generation - You'll need separate tools for that
• Still feels like a document - Guests scroll and search rather than tapping to answers
• Manual updates - If you share a PDF, old versions stay in guests' inboxes

Best for

Hosts just starting out, managing one or two properties, or those who rarely get repeat questions. Good for testing what information guests need before investing in a dedicated tool.

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Quick Comparison Table

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Which Tool Should You Choose?

There's no single "best" tool. It depends on what problem you're solving:

Choose Touch Stay or Hostfully if:

• You want a comprehensive, branded guidebook experience
• Local area recommendations are important to your guests
• You're willing to invest time upfront to build something polished
• You want PMS integrations

Choose YourWelcome if:

• You want a visible in-property presence
• Upselling (late checkout, experiences) is part of your strategy
• You manage higher-end properties where tablet hardware makes sense

Choose Inxtruc if:

• Your main problem is repeat questions about appliances, check-in, and how things work
• You want something you can create quickly, on-site, on your phone
• Visual step-by-step guides matter more than local recommendations
• You want offline access and QR code sharing without complexity

Choose DIY if:

• You're just starting out and want to test what works
• Budget is the priority
• You only manage one or two properties with minimal guest questions

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Our Recommendation

If you're reading this, you probably have a specific pain point. Start there.

If guests keep asking how things work - the thermostat, the lockbox, the coffee machine - a visual guide tool like Inxtruc will solve that fastest. You can create a guide in minutes and see if it reduces messages.

If you want a full digital concierge experience with local recommendations and branding, Touch Stay or Hostfully are better fits, but expect to invest more time upfront.

If you're not sure what you need, start simple. Make a guide for your most common guest question. See if it helps. You can always upgrade to more comprehensive tools later.

Try Inxtruc free - your first 3 guides cost nothing →