ADDITIVE + MARKETING AUTOMATION vs. Sojern Guest Marketing Suite:
Which Is Right for You?

The Decision

Your hotel is evaluating two CRM and marketing automation tools: ADDITIVE's Marketing Automation platform and Sojern Guest Marketing Suite. Both aim to enhance guest engagement, increase bookings, and optimize marketing efforts, but they differ significantly in features, user experience, and market presence. With recent reviews favoring Sojern’s broader adoption and higher support ratings, your choice hinges on your specific needs and priorities.

Are you looking for a more feature-rich, data-driven marketing platform with extensive integrations, or a guest engagement suite optimized for multi-channel communication? Let’s dissect their strengths and weaknesses.

Is ADDITIVE or Sojern Better for Hotels?

Both ADDITIVE and Sojern target hotel marketing and guest communication, aiming to improve occupancy and guest loyalty. ADDITIVE emphasizes data-driven marketing automation with a focus on personalized, automated campaigns across multiple channels, integrating guest data from various sources. Sojern, meanwhile, concentrates on guest engagement through email, SMS, and chat, fostering direct relationships at every stage of the guest journey.

The key difference lies in their approach: ADDITIVE offers more comprehensive automation features and segmentation options, while Sojern excels in direct, multi-channel guest communication. Recent reviews show that Sojern’s larger user base and higher average ratings make it the more reliable choice for hoteliers seeking ongoing support and proven results.

ADDITIVE vs Sojern: Which Should Your Hotel Choose?

If your hotel needs advanced automation, detailed segmentation, and a centralized platform to analyze guest data, go with ADDITIVE. It’s better suited for hotels that want to leverage their data across multiple touchpoints, especially in Europe where it has a presence, and value features like event-based automations and open APIs.

On the other hand, if your hotel prioritizes guest engagement through multi-channel messaging, direct communication, and a straightforward interface, Sojern is the better fit. Its larger review count, recent support ratings, and focus on email, SMS, and chat make it more suitable for properties aiming to build strong guest relationships at scale, especially in North America.

Is ADDITIVE or Sojern Easier to Use?

ADDITIVE boasts a very high ease of use rating (4.8/5) and an onboarding score of 5/5, with reviews praising its intuitive interface and smooth transition process. Its onboarding process is highly rated, making it accessible even for teams new to marketing automation. However, some users mention occasional load times and wish for automatic image compression.

Sojern’s interface is also highly rated (4.75/5), with a slightly higher customer support score (4.92/5) and an onboarding rating of 4.91/5. Users appreciate its straightforward setup and ease of managing campaigns, with a few suggestions for more detailed tutorials. Both platforms are user-friendly, but ADDITIVE’s slightly higher onboarding score tips the scale.

Edge: ADDITIVE

Which Has Better Features: ADDITIVE or Sojern?

ADDITIVE offers a broader set of features—14 unique functionalities—such as attribute-based segmentation, event-driven automations, loyalty segmentation, email newsletters, A/B testing, and API access. These features enable hotels to craft personalized, targeted campaigns with sophisticated automation capabilities.

Sojern provides only one exclusive feature: a guest feedback module for reviews and comment cards. Its core functionality focuses on email, SMS, and chat communications, lacking the detailed segmentation and automation options found in ADDITIVE.

Edge: ADDITIVE

Which Has Better Customer Support: ADDITIVE or Sojern?

Support ratings reveal that Sojern’s customer service is slightly ahead, with a score of 4.92/5 versus ADDITIVE’s 4.8/5. Sojern reviews mention proactive communication, helpful onboarding, and responsiveness, with users explicitly stating, “their support team is very responsive and helpful.” ADDITIVE’s support is also highly rated, with praise for smooth transitions and ongoing communication, but fewer recent reviews make it harder to gauge current support levels.

Given recent feedback and higher review counts, Sojern’s support stands out for reliability and responsiveness.

Edge: Sojern

Which Has More Integrations: ADDITIVE or Sojern?

Sojern offers 33 verified integrations, including popular platforms like Profitroom, Mirai, HotelTime, and The Hotels Network, making it highly flexible in connecting with your existing systems. ADDITIVE, with 7 verified partners, includes key integrations like Mews, but has fewer overall options.

If seamless integration with a variety of tools is your priority, especially in North America, Sojern’s extensive partner network gives it a clear advantage.

Edge: Sojern

Which Do Hoteliers Rate Higher: ADDITIVE or Sojern?

Reviews show that Sojern has more reviews (12 vs. ADDITIVE’s 5) and more recent feedback, with an overall support and satisfaction score of 10/10. Hotels across various segments—especially boutique and mid-sized properties—rate Sojern higher for ease of use, customer service, and overall value.

ADDITIVE has mixed reviews, primarily about its automation features, but the limited number of recent reviews makes it less reliable as a measure of current performance. For recent praise and higher ratings, Sojern is the clear favorite.

Edge: Sojern

How Much Do ADDITIVE and Sojern Cost?

ADDITIVE charges a flat fee of $900 per month with no free tier or trial. Its higher cost reflects its extensive automation, segmentation, and API features.

Sojern’s base price is $400 per month, also without a trial, but its lower price point and simpler setup make it more accessible for smaller hotels and properties with tighter budgets.

Edge: Sojern

What Type of Hotel Should Use ADDITIVE?

• Hotels that want a deep, data-driven marketing platform capable of detailed segmentation and automation.
• Properties with existing marketing teams seeking to leverage guest data from multiple sources.
• Hotels in Europe, particularly in two countries, aiming for a centralized CRM solution.
• Teams that prioritize personalized email campaigns, event automations, and API access.
• Hotels that have the resources to manage more complex platforms.

Not ideal if your hotel prefers straightforward, multi-channel guest communication without the need for extensive automation or are in North America.

What Type of Hotel Should Use Sojern?

• Hotels that prioritize direct, multi-channel communication (email, SMS, chat) to foster guest loyalty.
• Properties seeking a platform with a straightforward interface, supported by extensive integrations.
• Hotels in North America or properties that value high support and recent reviews.
• Teams that want to engage guests pre-, mid-, and post-stay with relevant offers and messaging.
• Hotels looking for an affordable, easy-to-implement guest engagement tool with proven support.

Not ideal if your hotel needs advanced automation, detailed segmentation, or in-depth data analysis.

The Bottom Line for Hotels

ADDITIVE offers a comprehensive, data-rich marketing automation platform tailored for hotels seeking detailed segmentation and multi-channel automation. Its strengths lie in its integration capabilities, automation features, and API access, supporting properties that want to personalize at scale.

Sojern excels in guest engagement through email, SMS, and chat, with a broader partner ecosystem and higher support ratings. It’s optimal for hotels that prioritize straightforward communication and building direct relationships with guests, especially in North America.

If your hotel needs a flexible, automation-heavy platform with extensive features, choose ADDITIVE. It’s better suited for larger, data-driven properties aiming for sophisticated marketing campaigns.

If your primary goal is guest engagement, consistent messaging, and straightforward operation, Sojern is the smarter option. Its larger review base, recent positive feedback, and lower cost make it the more reliable choice for most hotels today.

In summary: For hotels seeking a feature-rich, automation-focused platform, ADDITIVE is the better choice. For those prioritizing guest communication, support, and ease of use, Sojern provides a more proven and accessible solution. Your decision should align with your hotel’s size, technical capabilities, and engagement strategy.