Hostie answers the phone. GuestDesk handles the written side — guest email live today, with Google Maps, Instagram, and Facebook in development. Different tools, different channels, both valuable.
Hostie and GuestDesk serve different channels. Here's a clear breakdown so you can make the right call.
| Feature | GuestDesk Pro | Hostie |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Email + social inbox (written channels) | Phone call answering |
| Who the AI talks to | ✓ AI assists staff — staff sends every reply | AI speaks directly to guests on calls |
| Email management | ✓ Core feature | ✗ Not offered |
| Google Maps replies | ✓ Coming soon | ✗ Not offered |
| Instagram DMs | ✓ Coming soon | Partial — listed but basic |
| Facebook messages | ✓ Coming soon | ✗ Not offered |
| Phone call answering | ✗ Not offered | ✓ Core feature |
| Staff inbox | ✓ Full team inbox with routing | ✗ AI handles autonomously |
| Pricing | $99/mo per location | $199–$599/mo per location |
| Setup time | ✓ 15 minutes | Longer — dedicated onboarding team required |
| Restaurant-specific | ✓ Built only for restaurants | ✓ Built only for restaurants |
Hostie is the right choice if you need phone call answering — they've built something impressive for that specific problem. Restaurants with high inbound call volume (reservations, takeout, inquiries) genuinely benefit from Hostie.
GuestDesk is the right choice if you need to handle written guest messages — email today, with Google Maps reviews, Instagram DMs, and Facebook messages in development — with AI that learns your restaurant's voice and keeps your staff in control of every reply sent.
If you have both phone volume and email volume, the tools complement each other rather than compete. Many restaurants will end up using both.
Try GuestDesk for Email →We're built specifically for the written side of restaurant guest communication — and we keep your team in the loop on every reply.
GuestDesk drafts every reply in your restaurant's voice. Your team reviews and sends with one tap — the AI never fires off a message without human sign-off.
Guest email surfaces in one place today, with Google Maps reviews, Instagram DMs, and Facebook messages in development. Your front-of-house team doesn't need to juggle five tabs.
Connect your Gmail, and GuestDesk starts processing. No dedicated onboarding team, no weeks of integration. You're live before lunch service.
Route messages to the events manager, the GM, or the front desk based on topic. Everyone knows what's been handled and what needs attention.
Every time your staff edits or rejects a draft, GuestDesk learns. Over time, the AI sounds less like a bot and more like your best front-of-house manager.
$99/mo per location. No per-user fees, no platform fees, no annual lock-in required. Transparent pricing for independent operators.
We're onboarding restaurants one by one. Drop your email and we'll be in touch.
Free during beta. Setup in 15 minutes.