Guestivo vs Apaleo
A note up front: these two are usually compared incorrectly. Apaleo is an API-first cloud PMS. Guestivo is a guest experience platform. The honest comparison is which problem you have — and the answer for most hotels is both.
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Short verdict
Apaleo is the right pick if you need a modern API-first PMS to replace a legacy system. Guestivo is the right pick if you need a guest experience layer on top of an existing PMS. They are complementary, not competitive — Guestivo's Apaleo integration is built on Apaleo Connect for property linking, room import, reservation sync, webhooks, and folio posting. Hotels considering both should: (1) pick Apaleo if PMS migration is the priority, then add Guestivo on top; (2) pick Guestivo first if PMS works but guest layer is the bottleneck.
Who chooses Guestivo
- Hotels with an existing PMS who want a modern guest layer
- Boutique hotels (5-80 rooms) with F&B and need built-in KDS
- Properties wanting AI concierge, online check-in, housekeeping in one tool
- Operators wanting per-room transparent pricing
Who chooses Apaleo
- Hotels replacing a legacy PMS with cloud-native API-first
- Aparthotels and serviced apartments needing flexible reservation model
- Operators comfortable building stack from best-of-breed via Apaleo Store
- Groups (3-50 properties) standardising on a modern PMS
Core scope
| Guestivo | Apaleo | |
|---|---|---|
| Full PMS replacement Guestivo is a guest experience layer; Apaleo IS the PMS. They integrate. | ||
| QR-launched guest portal | Via Apaleo Store partners (incl. Guestivo) | |
| Built-in F&B ordering + KDS | ||
| Online check-in with optional ID verification | Via Apaleo Store apps | |
| Housekeeping module | ||
| AI concierge | Via Apaleo Store partners | |
| Channel manager | Via Apaleo Store partners | |
| Payment processing | Stripe Connect | Apaleo Pay + partners |
| Open API | REST API for hotels | Best-in-class API-first |
| Marketplace ecosystem | Smaller; PMS-agnostic | Apaleo Store — extensive |
Pricing
| Guestivo | Apaleo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | Public, per-room, per-month | Per-room, per-month (transparent) |
| Starting price | From €4 / room / month | Plan-specific pricing; verify current Apaleo package |
| Commission alternative | Optional 5% on guest GMV (Pro tier) | Not offered |
| Free trial | Yes | Demo + sandbox |
Integration & best-fit
| Guestivo | Apaleo | |
|---|---|---|
| Apaleo + Guestivo together? | Yes — Apaleo Connect integration for property linking, room import, reservations, webhooks, and folio posting | Yes — Apaleo Store ecosystem |
| Sweet spot hotel size | 5-80 rooms | 20-300 rooms; aparthotels; chains |
| Migration from legacy PMS required? | No | Yes |
| Time to value | Days | Weeks (PMS migration) |
Pricing note
Apaleo publishes per-room pricing. For a combined Apaleo + Guestivo stack, use Apaleo's current plan price plus Guestivo's public per-room rate; final cost depends on Apaleo package scope and enabled apps.
Frequently asked questions
Wrong question. Pick Apaleo IF you need a modern PMS to replace a legacy system. Pick Guestivo IF your PMS works but you need a modern guest experience layer. Most hotels eventually have both.
Guestivo provides an Apaleo Connect install and PMS setup flow. If your procurement requires a public Apaleo Store listing, confirm current listing status during onboarding; the integration itself covers OAuth, property linking, room import, webhooks, and folio posting.
Built-in F&B ordering with KDS, native QR guest portal at full depth, AI concierge in the box, multi-language live chat, housekeeping module unified with guest portal flow.
Apaleo IS a PMS. Guestivo isn't. If you're replacing a legacy PMS, Apaleo is the candidate. Guestivo doesn't compete on PMS depth — we sit on top.
See Guestivo in action
10-minute demo. No credit card. We will walk you through the parts of the platform that matter for your hotel.
Sources
Written by
Maciej Dudziak
Co-founder
.NET developer with 10+ years of experience building scalable back-end systems. Specializes in .NET, Azure, and modern databases.
Published: May 16, 2026