Captive WiFi alternatives, and when Captive WiFi is still the right call
Captive WiFi has a generous free plan, wide hardware support and an API. People look past it for reasons we can read on its own pages: reviews routed by rating, one opt in covering email, SMS and WhatsApp, and per venue pricing for groups. Here are the options, each with its catch.
Reviewed by Pierre Subeh, Founder, VoqadoWiFi · Written by the VoqadoWiFi team · Updated
Why venues look beyond Captive WiFi
From Captive WiFi’s own pages, read October 7, 2026:
- Its feedback page says "Happy customers go public. Issues stay private.": 4 and 5 star ratings are prompted to post publicly, lower ratings go to a private form or an alert. Google’s contributed content policy says businesses may not "selectively solicit positive reviews from customers".
- Its portal page says "Single opt-in covers email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one clean interaction": one opt in covers all three channels, and the page does not describe a way to choose one and refuse another.
- Starter lists "No Integrations", and customer feedback, the API and webhooks are on Growth only.
- Growth is priced per venue, $42 a month each billed annually, so three venues come to $126 a month; multi venue discounts are on Enterprise.
The options side by side
| Option | Pricing model | Free tier | Hardware and vendors | Consent | Review requests | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stay on Captive WiFi | Free Starter for one venue, then Growth priced per venue per month, billed monthly or annually; Enterprise custom | Free forever: Starter lists "No Integrations", and customer feedback, the API, webhooks and advanced reporting are listed on the paid Growth plan only. | 17 hardware vendors named in its own llms.txt, with 15 setup guides on its site | Its portal page says "Single opt-in covers email, SMS, and WhatsApp in one clean interaction". | Its feedback page says "Happy customers go public. Issues stay private.": 4 and 5 star ratings are prompted to post publicly, while lower ratings go to a private form or an alert to the venue team. | See the case for staying below |
| VoqadoWiFi (us) | Free Starter plan, then Growth at $49 a month for 3 locations and 5,000 guest logins. One flat price, not per location. | Starter is free forever, not a trial: 1 location, 500 guest logins a month, branded login, guest email capture and CSV export. No card, no ads shown to guests. | Exactly two: TP-Link Omada and Ubiquiti UniFi. Nothing else works. | WiFi terms acceptance is never treated as marketing consent. On the explicit consent form (the default for new venues; owners switch it on for existing ones) the email box is separate and starts unticked, and each choice is stored with the exact wording shown and the time. | Never gated. Every guest who gave email consent gets the same public review link, 3 hours after connecting by default, and never between 21:00 and 09:00 venue time; a private note to the venue is offered in addition, never instead. | Venues on Omada or UniFi that want ungated reviews and separate consent |
| Spotipo | Per location, monthly or annual, with a monthly unique guest limit | 14 day full access trial, no credit card required | Nine router brands named on the pricing page, "+20 more"; "Works with your existing router. No hardware changes." | "GDPR-compliant consent built in" is listed on Starter. | No review request feature is described on the pricing page. | Venues on other routers that want a published price |
| CaptiFi | Per site tiers by new guests a month, monthly or annual, hardware on a refundable deposit | 30 day free trial; a payment method is needed to start it, and hardware carries a £60 refundable deposit | Its own WiFi device on a refundable deposit, or your own WiFi; the page names nine compatible network platforms | "GDPR contact capture" from Essentials up. | "Automated review requests" from Essentials up; no screening is described. | Venues that want hardware included and review requests |
| Purple | Free Connect tier, then Capture and Engage priced by quote | Free forever: Connect is described as "Best for: single venues getting started with WiFi analytics". First party data capture, CRM integration and email verification are listed as what Capture adds to Connect, so the free tier does not list collecting guest contact details. | 25 hardware integrations listed on its integrations page; the pricing page calls Purple "hardware agnostic" | Connect lists "Compliance with major data laws"; the plan table cites CCPA/CPRA and major privacy regulations. | No review request feature is described on the pricing page. | Enterprise scale and staff WiFi |
| The portal built into your controller | Included with the controller | Free, no list kept | Whatever your controller supports | Terms acceptance only | None | Venues that only need a terms page |
Vendor names link to the page each figure was read from. Captive WiFi’s figures: Captive WiFi pricing, reviews, consent wording, hardware. Prices and plans change; check before you decide.
The case for staying on Captive WiFi
Stay on Captive WiFi if your network is not Omada or UniFi (its llms.txt names 17 hardware vendors), if you rely on its REST API, webhooks or white label login, if you connect it to reservation, loyalty or email platforms, or if one venue with unlimited visits on a free plan is what you need. None of the options below match all of that. VoqadoWiFi offers no public API and no white label at all; it does send signed outbound webhooks.
Each option, with its catch
VoqadoWiFi
Why consider it. A free plan for one location and 500 guest logins a month, with review requests that show every guest the same public link, and an explicit consent form where marketing is a separate, unticked box. Growth is $49 a month for 3 locations.
The catch. Works only with TP-Link Omada and Ubiquiti UniFi. No public API, no white label, no SMS, no POS, PMS, reservation or loyalty integrations. Review and campaign emails are being switched on venue by venue.
Spotipo
Why consider it. Published per location prices ($59 a month, $49 billed annually), a 14 day trial with no card, nine router brands named "+20 more", and "GDPR-compliant consent built in" on Starter.
The catch. No free plan, and the pricing page describes no review requests.
CaptiFi
Why consider it. "Automated review requests" from Essentials with no screening described, "GDPR contact capture", and hardware on a refundable deposit.
The catch. No free plan; the 30 day trial needs a payment method, and prices are shown in local currency (our check was served GBP).
Purple
Why consider it. Connect is free with a branded portal and analytics, Purple lists 25 hardware integrations, and it adds staff WiFi, Passpoint and multi tenant networks.
The catch. Guest data capture is listed on Capture, and Capture and Engage are priced by quote.
The portal built into your controller
Why consider it. The captive portal inside your Omada or UniFi controller costs nothing and is already installed. It can show terms, take a password or issue vouchers.
The catch. It keeps no guest list you can market to and sends nothing after the visit. Right if you only want a terms page; wrong if you want to bring guests back.
Before you leave Captive WiFi, export these
- Your guest list, with the date each guest signed up. Captive WiFi lists a guests endpoint in its API on Growth.
- The consent record for each guest: the wording, the time and which channels it covered. A single opt in for email, SMS and WhatsApp may not tell you which one a guest actually wanted.
- Your feedback history and any review replies you want to keep.
- The controller settings you changed for Captive WiFi, including RADIUS and the external portal address, so you can reverse them cleanly.
Consent records matter most. A list of emails without the wording and date each guest agreed to is a list you should not email. Our guide to guest WiFi and privacy rules explains why.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Captive WiFi?
Is there a Captive WiFi alternative that does not gate reviews?
Which Captive WiFi alternative supports the most hardware?
When should I stay on Captive WiFi?
Can I take my guest list with me?
Keep reading
Try VoqadoWiFi on one venue, free
One location and 500 guest logins a month, no card and no expiry. TP-Link Omada or Ubiquiti UniFi only.