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Honest comparison

guideMe vs SmoothStay

Both are AI-powered and have a free plan. Here's where they actually differ.

What is SmoothStay?

SmoothStay (by HelloBnB LLC) is a US-based digital guidebook platform built by Airbnb Superhosts, launched in 2023. It offers a free plan for one property, with paid plans starting at around $5/month for multiple listings. Key features include an AI content assistant, AI guest chatbot, automatic translation into 100+ languages, QR codes, custom branding, and a data dictionary for multi-property hosts. It's a strong competitor in the solo-host and small portfolio segment.

Feature
guideMe
SmoothStay
Free plan
First guide free forever
Free plan (1 guidebook)
Starting price (paid)
$3.49/mo per listing
~$5/mo per listing
Setup time
5 minutes
Fast (template-based)
AI content editor
Personalised AI itineraries
Auto-translated languages
10+ languages
100+ languages
AI guest chatbot
QR codes per section
Custom branding
Paid plans only
PMS integration
Time-based guest access
Multi-property templates
Data dictionary
Mobile-first, no app needed

Why hosts choose guideMe

AI-generated itineraries

guideMe is the only platform that generates personalised local itineraries for your guests based on your property location. SmoothStay has this feature on its roadmap but it's not available yet.

Faster setup

guideMe uses AI to build your entire guide from your listing details in under 5 minutes. SmoothStay requires you to manually fill in your content section by section, which takes longer for hosts who are just starting out.

Purpose-built for international guests

If your guests come from different countries, guideMe's translation is built directly into the core flow. Both tools support multilingual content — but guideMe's onboarding experience is optimised for hosts who host internationally from day one.

Where SmoothStay has the edge

SmoothStay is a serious contender, especially for multi-property hosts. Its Data Dictionary feature lets you manage shared content across all your properties from one place — a genuine time-saver at scale. It also supports 100+ translation languages (vs guideMe's 10+), offers time-based guest access links, and has a strong community of Superhost founders behind it. If you manage several properties and want granular content control, SmoothStay is worth trialling.

Frequently asked questions

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