Travel · head to head
SiteMinder vs Stayntouch
SiteMinder
Travel
Hotel channel manager and distribution platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Stayntouch
Travel
Cloud property management system for independent hotels
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: SiteMinder quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation; Stayntouch quote-only pricing scaled by rooms, with no published rates
- They diverge on capability: SiteMinder covers Channel manager, Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which SiteMinder and Stayntouch actually diverge.
| Attribute | SiteMinder | Stayntouch |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Cloud | Web, iOS, Android, Cloud |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 SiteMinder
- Channel manager
- Booking engine
- Wide channel reach
- Rate management
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.
SiteMinder
- Hotels selling across several OTAs that must not double-booknot Stayntouch
- Properties wanting direct bookings alongside OTA distributionnot Stayntouch
- Groups managing rates centrally rather than channel by channelnot Stayntouch
Stayntouch
- Hotels wanting to check guests in away from a fixed desknot SiteMinder
- Properties reducing lobby queuing at peak arrivalnot SiteMinder
- Independents replacing an on-premise PMS with cloudnot SiteMinder
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
SiteMinder
- Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation
- A channel manager only, so a property management system is still needed alongside it
- Sync depends on the OTAs at the other end, and their API changes and outages present as your problem
- Setup and channel mapping is more involved than the marketing suggests
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
SiteMinder
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the SiteMinder review.
Stayntouch
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Stayntouch review.
Which should you pick?
Choose SiteMinder if
- You need channel manager.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want booking engine.
Choose Stayntouch if
- You need mobile check-in.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- You also want guest self-service.
Questions people ask
- Is SiteMinder or Stayntouch better?
- Neither clearly leads. SiteMinder starts at On request and Stayntouch at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, SiteMinder or Stayntouch?
- SiteMinder starts at On request and Stayntouch at On request.
- Does SiteMinder or Stayntouch run on more platforms?
- SiteMinder runs on Web, Cloud. Stayntouch runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
- What is SiteMinder best used for?
- SiteMinder is most often used for hotels selling across several otas that must not double-book, properties wanting direct bookings alongside ota distribution, groups managing rates centrally rather than channel by channel. Of those, hotels selling across several otas that must not double-book and properties wanting direct bookings alongside ota distribution are not what Stayntouch is typically brought in for.
- What can SiteMinder do that Stayntouch cannot?
- SiteMinder covers Channel manager, Booking engine, Wide channel reach, Rate management. Stayntouch covers Mobile check-in, Guest self-service, Cloud PMS, Open API.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
SiteMinder: What does SiteMinder cost?
It quotes per property based on rooms and channels and does not publish standard rates.
Stayntouch: What does Stayntouch cost?
Quoted per property by room count; not published.
SiteMinder: What does a channel manager actually do?
It keeps rates and availability in step across every booking site, so a room sold on one channel is immediately closed on the others. Without it, double bookings are inevitable.
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.
SiteMinder: Is it a full property management system?
No. It handles distribution; reservations, housekeeping and billing still need a PMS.
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.