Honest comparison

CaptiFi vs Purple WiFi

A balanced 2026 comparison - feature matrix, pricing, ideal-customer profiles, and an honest verdict on which platform fits your business.

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Quick verdict: CaptiFi or Purple WiFi?

Purple suits large enterprises that have a contracted, dedicated account manager and need location intelligence or wayfinding. On G2 it averages 4.08/5 across 39 reviews, 3.94 excluding partner reviews, but small-business reviewers average only 3.61/5, and support is its most-cited complaint. CaptiFi is built for independent venues and small chains: responsive support, a no-code splash builder with preview mode, easy CSV export, transparent pricing, and hardware included.

About Purple WiFi

What is Purple WiFi?

Purple is one of the most established guest-WiFi platforms in the world, focused on enterprise multi-site operators (large hotel chains, retail brands, stadiums, transport hubs). They emphasise customer-journey analytics, location intelligence, and integrations with enterprise CRMs and analytics tools. Pricing reflects the enterprise positioning: they typically don't publish prices on the website and require a sales call. On G2 Purple averages 4.08 out of 5 across 39 reviews, 3.94 excluding partner reviews, and small-business reviewers average 3.61. Smaller, single-site operators are the most likely to find it hard to use and hard to get support from.

purple.ai
Side by side

Feature comparison

Feature
CaptiFi
Purple WiFi
Free starter device included Yes No
Native UniFi support Yes Yes
Native TP-Link Omada support Yes enterprise tier
Native Cisco Meraki support Yes Yes
Aruba / MikroTik / Ruckus support Yes Yes
Multi-venue dashboard Yes Yes
Live chat support, under 2 hour response Yes reviewers report slow
Splash page preview / test mode before publishing Yes No
Export your guest data anytime (CSV) Yes reviewers report slow exports
Visual splash editor, no HTML required Yes HTML knowledge helps
Built-in email marketing automation Yes Yes
Automated Google review requests Yes limited
Toast POS / spend-based segmentation Yes enterprise add-on
Leat / loyalty integration Yes enterprise add-on
Twilio SMS welcome messages Yes enterprise add-on
Self-serve sign-up Yes No
Public, transparent pricing Yes No
Monthly billing (no annual lock-in) Yes No
30-day free trial Yes No

Last reviewed 2026-06-13. Pricing and features change - check Purple WiFi's site for the most current information.

Purple WiFi strengths

  • Mature enterprise platform with many years in the market
  • Deep customer-journey analytics and location-intelligence features
  • Strong integrations with enterprise CRMs (Salesforce, etc.)
  • Used by large global brands - proven at scale (10,000+ locations)
  • Wayfinding / indoor-navigation product that most WiFi-marketing rivals do not offer

Where CaptiFi differs

  • Support is the most-cited Purple weakness on G2. One 0/5 reviewer wrote: "You can always get through to sales but never to support." Several reviewers describe support as slow or hard to reach.
  • Steep learning curve for smaller operators: on G2 small-business reviewers average 3.61/5 versus 4.59 for enterprise, and one 0/5 review says Purple "suits pros who look after large multi businesses, not for very busy mere mortals who have single access points"
  • Splash-page editor has historically needed HTML knowledge; reviewers ask for a no-code visual builder
  • No preview or test mode before publishing: one 0/5 reviewer spent 4 hours chasing a login loop with no way to test the change
  • Data export is described as slow for large data sets, with reviewers reporting it is hard to get their own data out
  • Pricing is opaque and typically only viable for multi-site enterprise contracts; sales-led, contract-based onboarding
  • No advertised free hardware option for SMBs
Who should pick what

Honest recommendations

Pick Purple WiFi if

Large multi-site enterprises with a contracted, dedicated account manager, complex CRM stacks, location-intelligence or wayfinding needs, and budget for an enterprise contract and onboarding programme.

Pick CaptiFi if

Independent venues and SMB chains (1-50 locations) who want responsive support they can actually reach, a no-code splash builder with preview mode, easy data export, clear public pricing, self-serve onboarding, monthly billing, and free hardware for the trial.

Pricing

Pricing summary

Quote-based / contact sales. Generally aimed at multi-site enterprise contracts; not optimised for single-venue SMB pricing.

See full CaptiFi pricing

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