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Travel · head to head

Booking.com vs Stayntouch

Booking.com logo

Booking.com

Travel

Hotel and accommodation booking marketplace that charges commission to properties, typically 15 to 25 percent, invisible to the traveller

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stayntouch logo

Stayntouch

Travel

Cloud property management system for independent hotels

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Booking.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Booking.com the commission Booking.com charges properties, typically 15 to 25 percent of the booking value, is invisible to the traveller and often built into the displayed room rate, so the identical room booked directly with the hotel can sometimes be cheaper.; Stayntouch quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
  • They diverge on capability: Booking.com covers Accommodation search and booking, Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Booking.com and Stayntouch actually diverge.

Attributes where Booking.com and Stayntouch differ
AttributeBooking.comStayntouch
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree for travellers, commission charged to listed propertiesquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Booking.com

  • Accommodation search and booking
  • Free cancellation filtering
  • Genius loyalty programme
  • Guest reviews
  • Car rental and flights
  • Property management tools

Only in Stayntouch

  • Mobile check-in
  • Guest self-service
  • Cloud PMS
  • Open API
  • Housekeeping
  • Payments

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Booking.com

  • A traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interfacenot Stayntouch
  • Someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in searchnot Stayntouch
  • A frequent booker wanting Genius loyalty tier discounts across many staysnot Stayntouch
  • A property owner or manager wanting broad distribution to travellers in exchange for paying commission on completed bookingsnot Stayntouch

Stayntouch

  • Hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desknot Booking.com
  • Properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrivalnot Booking.com
  • Independents replacing an on-premise PMS with cloudnot Booking.com

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Booking.com

  • The commission Booking.com charges properties, typically 15 to 25 percent of the booking value, is invisible to the traveller and often built into the displayed room rate, so the identical room booked directly with the hotel can sometimes be cheaper.
  • Cancellation policies vary entirely by the specific rate a property has set, not a platform-wide standard, so travellers must check each listing individually rather than assume consistent flexibility.
  • Review authenticity depends on Booking.coms own verification process for guests who booked and stayed, which travellers cannot independently audit beyond trusting the platforms stated methodology.
  • Customer service for booking disputes often requires involving both Booking.com and the property directly, since the platform is a marketplace intermediary rather than the accommodation provider itself.
  • Some properties, aware of the commission cost, offer better rates or perks to guests who book directly by phone or through the hotels own website instead, undermining the price transparency travellers might assume the platform provides.

Stayntouch

  • Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
  • Mobile-first depends on property-wide wireless coverage that many older hotels do not have
  • A smaller vendor than the major PMS providers, with a narrower integration ecosystem
  • Strongest in North America, with less coverage elsewhere

Pricing, plan by plan

Booking.com

Free
  • Booking.comFree
    • Free to search and book for travellers, no subscription or platform fee charged to the guest
    • Commission charged to properties typically 15 to 25 percent of booking value, not publicly itemised per listing
    • Genius loyalty programme offers discounts at no direct cost to the traveller

Stayntouch

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Stayntouch review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Booking.com if

  • You need accommodation search and booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want free cancellation filtering.
Booking.com review

Choose Stayntouch if

  • You need mobile check-in.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want guest self-service.
Stayntouch review

Questions people ask

Is Booking.com or Stayntouch better?
Neither clearly leads. Booking.com starts at Free and Stayntouch at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booking.com or Stayntouch?
Booking.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Booking.com and On request for Stayntouch.
Does Booking.com or Stayntouch run on more platforms?
Booking.com runs on iOS, Android, Web. Stayntouch runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
Can I use Booking.com for free?
Yes. Booking.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stayntouch starts at On request.
What is Booking.com best used for?
Booking.com is most often used for a traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interface, someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in search, a frequent booker wanting genius loyalty tier discounts across many stays, a property owner or manager wanting broad distribution to travellers in exchange for paying commission on completed bookings. Of those, a traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interface and someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in search are not what Stayntouch is typically brought in for.
What can Booking.com do that Stayntouch cannot?
Booking.com covers Accommodation search and booking, Free cancellation filtering, Genius loyalty programme, Guest reviews. Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in, Guest self-service, Cloud PMS, Open API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Booking.com: Is Booking.com free to use?

Yes, for travellers there is no subscription or booking fee charged directly. The platform earns money through commission charged to the properties listed, typically 15 to 25 percent of booking value.

Stayntouch: What does Stayntouch cost?

Quoted per property by room count; not published.

Booking.com: Why might a hotel be cheaper if I book directly?

Because the hotel pays commission, typically 15 to 25 percent, on bookings made through Booking.com, some hotels price rooms to absorb that cost or offer a lower direct rate since they keep the full amount without paying the platform a cut.

Stayntouch: What does mobile-first actually change?

Check-in happens on a tablet anywhere in the property or on the guest's own phone, rather than at a fixed counter, which changes both queuing and front-desk staffing.

Booking.com: Does Booking.com own the properties it lists?

No, it is a marketplace connecting travellers with independently owned and operated properties; Booking.com does not own or operate the hotels and accommodations listed.

Stayntouch: What does it need to work well?

Reliable property-wide wireless. A mobile-first PMS is only as good as the network it runs on.

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