Chekin vs Touch Stay (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Chekin and Touch Stay share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Chekin starts cheaper, at about $4.41 a month against $8.25 a month when paid by the year.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Chekin
Online guest check-in, ID checks and legal reporting for rentals
Touch Stay
Digital guidebooks with an AI chatbot for rental guests
Which one is for you
Pick Chekin if
- Fits if you must report guests to local authorities
- Works for managers who want ID checks and digital keys together
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: prices are in euros and the page does not say if they are monthly or annual
- Watch out: minimums of 3 units apply to some tiers and 20 to others
- Pricey if you take deposits, as they cost 1.5% + 0.30 euros and damage protection from $2.50 a booking
- Watch out: legal reporting covers only the listed countries
- Watch out: call, WhatsApp and SMS carry channel fees
Pick Touch Stay if
- Fits if you want a guidebook guests can open on any device
- Works for hosts who want an AI chatbot answering guest questions
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: the trial length is not stated on the page
- Pricey if you own many properties, as the price is per property and calculated for you
- Skip it if you want an app, as only a web guidebook is listed
- Watch out: the site advertises free guidebook creation, but the pricing page lists no free plan
- Watch out: portfolios above 300 properties get a quote
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAChekinFair | 2.4GPATouch StayFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFrom 3.95 euros a property, under 60% of the category's $10 cheaper quarter, but the page does not say if that is monthly or annual and some tiers carry minimums. | B$99 a year for 1 property, about $8.25 a month, inside the category's cheaper quarter. Pricing is per property. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial is offered, but its length is not stated and there is no free plan. | CA free trial is offered from the pricing page, but its length is not stated and there is no free plan. |
| Features | COnline check-in, legal reporting, ID verification, digital keys, payments and a guidebook. Legal reporting covers only the countries listed. | CGuidebook, AI guidebook generator, AI chatbot and an upsell widget. It does that one job fully, but it is a smaller job than a property system. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and properties and local legal rules must be set up. | CNo store rating on record, and the guidebook content must be written. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only on record, with Airbnb, Beds24, Hostfully, Smoobu, Lodgify, Hospitable, Nuki and Guesty. | BWeb only, with Airbnb, Guesty, Hospitable, Hostaway, Lodgify, Avantio and Escapia. |
| Best for | legal guest check-in in Europe | digital guidebooks for guests |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Chekin and Touch Stay. How we grade
Price against what you get
Chekin starts at about $4.41 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Touch Stay starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Chekin starts $3.84 a month lower. Of the other vacation rental tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Chekin for less, and 2 score higher than Touch Stay for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Chekin also covers shared inbox and invoicing.
- Touch Stay also covers help center, chatbots and qR codes.
At a glance
| Chekin | Touch Stay | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | €3.95 per property / month, from | $99 per year for 1 property, billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pricing page. | Free trial offered from the pricing page; its length is not stated. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Chekin | Touch Stay |
| Price read from | chekin.com | touchstay.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Chekin
- Prices are in euros; the page does not make clear whether the figures shown are monthly or annual rates.
- A minimum subscription of 3 units applies to some tiers and 20 units to others, per the page.
- Transaction fees apply: deposits 1.5% + €0.30, and damage protection from $2.50 per booking.
- Legal reporting covers only the countries the page lists; call, WhatsApp and SMS carry channel fees.
Touch Stay
- Pricing is per property and the page shows it through a calculator; larger portfolios above 300 properties get a quote.
- The web guidebook is the only platform listed; no dedicated apps are mentioned.
- The site advertises free guidebook creation, but the pricing page lists no separate free plan.
Key features
Chekin
- Online check-in
- Guests fill in their details and documents before arrival, with OCR scanning of IDs and custom communications.
- Legal compliance
- Guest data is sent to authorities where integrations exist; the page lists Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, with France, Germany and UAE coming.
- Identity verification
- Biometric ID matching is a premium feature, included in full on the Enterprise plan.
- Self check-in and digital keys
- Remote property access through keyless integrations, offered as a premium feature and shown on the integrations page.
- Payments and damage protection
- Deposits, tourist taxes, upsells and damage protection plans are handled in one place, with transaction fees listed on the page.
- Unified inbox and guidebooks
- A guest inbox with AI replies, plus digital guidebooks and a white-label guest app on the premium tiers.
Touch Stay
- Digital guidebook
- A branded guide per property with check-in details and local tips, shared by link or QR code in messages, emails or on site.
- AI guidebook generator
- Paste an Airbnb listing link and the tool builds a first guidebook, filling in check-in info, Wi-Fi and local tips from the listing.
- AI chatbot
- Answers guest questions in their language using only the host's guidebook content; harder requests are passed back to the host.
- Upsell widget
- Offers extra services to guests from inside the guidebook.
- PMS and channel integrations
- Connects to Airbnb and several property management systems so reservations and guest messaging can run from one place.
Plans
Chekin
Basic€3.95
per property / month, from; monthly or annual basis unclear
Online check-in, legal compliance, iCals, deposits and damage protection, tourist taxes, payments, upsells and unified inbox.
Premium€5.95
per property / month, from; monthly or annual basis unclear
Basic plus one premium feature of your choice: identity verification, self check-in, branded app, guidebooks or e-invoicing.
Enterprise€7.95
per property / month, from; monthly or annual basis unclear
Basic plus all premium features; the pricing page also offers custom plans.
Touch Stay
Short-term rental guidebook$99
per year for 1 property, billed annually ($12.50 monthly)
Priced by number of properties: $285 a year for 5 and $495 a year for 10; over 300 properties is quoted by form.
Ways to pay less
Chekin
- Other savings
Annual billing saves up to 20%
The pricing page offers an Annual option that it says saves up to 20% compared with monthly billing.
Touch Stay
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Chekin or Touch Stay?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Chekin is cheaper to start with: about $4.41 a month, against $8.25 a month when paid by the year for Touch Stay. Chekin starts at €3.95 per property / month, from, and Touch Stay starts at $99 per year for 1 property, billed annually ($12.50 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Chekin or Touch Stay?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Chekin nor Touch Stay has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.