Has Anyone Tried TouchStay? Real Host Reviews and a Simpler Alternative

“About to set up our first Airbnb in two weeks and having a look at Touchstay as a digital guide book.” That is how a Reddit thread in r/airbnb_hosts starts. The question that follows is one every new host asks before spending a cent on software. Is TouchStay worth $99 a year? Does it actually save time? And is there a simpler TouchStay alternative for a brand new host? This article walks through the real answers hosts gave in that thread, answers the questions that went unanswered, and introduces StayLocal.co, a vacation rental guidebook app with one-time payment pricing.

What hosts actually say about TouchStay

Read the thread and you will find hosts split into three camps.

Camp 1: Worth every penny

“I get so many reviews that mention the touch stay guidebook. Worth every penny for me.”  (R0che113)

“Great, sleek, professional user interface. Very modern and user friendly. So easy to program and update. The price is very reasonable. And the ROI is amazing when we consider all the time we save answering guest questions.”  (andymo99, who manages 55 homes)

Camp 2: Waste of money

“Yes, it’s awful to put together and a complete waste of money. Save yourself $100 a year and stick to PDFs.”  (Ok_Prior5662)

“There are a thousand companies that will all claim to make your place better, your host life easier, and Nirvana as well. All will siphon off a portion of your income from your STR.”  (Wheels_Are_Turning, host for 20 years)

“I don’t see the value. What does it offer beyond the standard welcome guide?”  (DeirdreTours)

Camp 3: Just do it yourself

“Don’t buy stuff until you’ve had a few rentals. Use Canva (free) to quickly design your own guidebook.”  (sustainablebg)

“You can do it all yourself for free with very little effort using places like Webflow.”  (GiGoVX)

TouchStay clearly works for some hosts. But paying $99 every year forever is a real commitment, especially for a host with one listing. That is why this thread keeps going. The disagreement is not about whether guidebooks help. It is about whether the subscription is justified.

The three real questions under the debate

Strip away the opinions and the Reddit thread is really asking three things. These are the questions any host should answer before paying for any digital guidebook app.

Is a digital guidebook actually better than a PDF?

Yes, and the thread proves it. tb1414, who switched to a similar product called Folio, explained why:

“We had too many guests have a hard time with Canva & PDFs on their phone, or not know to digital search for things within the document, so they would ask us about specifics frequently.”  (tb1414)

lreverchuk added the other half of the PDF problem:

“If it were just black text on white paper, it wouldn’t be an issue, but with a complex design, it can be more challenging to update later.”  (lreverchuk)

Translation: PDFs look neat until the Wi-Fi password changes or a restaurant closes. Then you are stuck rebuilding the file.

Is the yearly subscription worth it for one property?

This is the real sticking point. DeOnEarth, who was paying about $60 a year to reprint a laminated book, tried the free trial and came back happy. But for a first-time host with one unit, $99 a year forever is a hard yes. Every renewal invoice asks the same question. Especially when, as Wheels_Are_Turning points out, the guidebook still cannot answer the niche, personal questions only a human host can answer.

Does it deflect enough guest questions to pay for itself?

For andymo99 and his 55 homes, the math is obvious. For a one-listing host with twenty bookings a year, the answer depends entirely on how many messages the guidebook actually prevents. Two or three a month? Great. One every other stay? $99 is a lot for a prettier welcome letter.

The pattern is clear. Hosts want what a good digital guidebook delivers. They are less sure they want the yearly bill.

Meet StayLocal.co, the simpler TouchStay alternative

StayLocal.co was built to remove the three sticking points above. It is a vacation rental guidebook app designed around three ideas: simple property management, a beautiful guest experience, and a one-time payment guidebook model during the launch phase.

The beauty TouchStay fans love, without the yearly fee

The reason andymo99 raves about TouchStay is the clean, modern guest interface. StayLocal.co aims at the same bar. Every guidebook looks polished on a phone, loads fast, and opens from a single link or QR code. No app to download. No login. This answers DeirdreTours’ question directly. What a digital guidebook offers beyond a welcome guide is a guest experience that looks like part of your property, not a printout left on the counter.

Easy enough for a first Airbnb in two weeks

If you are in the same spot as the Reddit OP, preparing a first listing on a deadline, software overhead is the last thing you need. StayLocal.co guides you through the essentials in minutes. Add Wi-Fi, house rules, arrival instructions, and local tips. Publish. Send the link. Where Canva and Webflow feel like design projects, StayLocal.co feels like filling out a form.

One-time payment, no yearly subscription

This is the part that changes the conversation. StayLocal.co is currently a one-time payment guidebook. You pay once, during the launch phase, and you keep access. No annual renewal. No $99 every year forever. This directly answers the comments from Wheels_Are_Turning, Ok_Prior5662, and every skeptical host who looked at TouchStay and closed the tab over the price. If recurring fees were the only reason you never tried a digital guidebook, that reason is gone.

Updating it is part of the fun

lreverchuk’s PDF concern disappears. Wi-Fi changed? Edit one field. New restaurant opened? Add a card. Seasonal hikes shift? Update the list. DeOnEarth put it well after using a digital guidebook:

“My mind is always looking for fun and useful info to include, and inspired me to go try some of the suggestions I’ve newly discovered for myself.”  (DeOnEarth)

StayLocal.co encourages that loop. Updates are instant. Guests always see the latest version from the same link or QR code.

TouchStay vs StayLocal.co at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Is a digital guidebook worth it for my first Airbnb?

Yes, if it is fast to set up and does not add a recurring cost. The real complaints on Reddit were about yearly fees and setup effort, not the concept. A one-time payment guidebook removes both objections for a new host.

What does StayLocal.co offer beyond a standard welcome guide?

Mobile-first design, local recommendations that feel like a real travel guide, instant updates, and a single link you can send or print as a QR code. That is the answer to DeirdreTours’ question. The welcome guide your guest actually opens.

Can I just use Canva or Webflow instead?

You can. sustainablebg and GiGoVX on Reddit recommend that path and it is free. It is also slow to maintain, and guests struggle with Canva PDFs on phones, as tb1414 pointed out. StayLocal.co gives you the polish without the file management.

What happens if I stop paying?

With TouchStay, your guidebook becomes inaccessible when your subscription ends. With StayLocal.co during the launch phase, a one-time payment is a one-time payment. The guidebook stays yours to use.

Do guests need to download an app?

No. Guests open the guidebook from a link or a QR code on their phone. It loads instantly in the browser. Nothing to install, nothing to log in to.

The simpler answer to “has anyone tried TouchStay?”

Read the full Reddit thread and you will find hosts who love TouchStay and hosts who regret paying for it. They all agree on one thing. A good digital guidebook saves time and earns better reviews. The disagreement is about the yearly price tag. StayLocal.co is the TouchStay alternative for the hosts in the middle, the ones who want the benefits without the subscription.

Visit StayLocal.co to set up your first guidebook and see how fast a guest-ready property can come together.