Hamstars is a UK-focused review collection platform: physical A5 QR displays shipped to your door, WhatsApp-based spin wheel, Google-only reviews, £39/month. SpiniX covers the same core loop — guest spins, wins a prize, leaves a review — and adds Apple/Google Wallet passes, multi-platform review collection, automated email sequences, and an owned guest database, at €79/month (about €34 more than Hamstars, for Wallet passes, five review platforms, and email automation in one price). This page breaks down where each platform wins honestly.
SpiniX is QR-activated too, but delivers prizes via Apple/Google Wallet passes with proximity push notifications (guests get a reminder within 300m of your venue). Collects reviews on Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook, and Trustpilot. Captures guest email addresses you own and can export. Automated 3-email follow-up sequence on days 3, 7, and 10. 40% of guests opt in to marketing, top venues see 50 to 63% tap the review link (median 15%), and Wallet-pass holders come back 2.9x more often. €79/month, any country, 8 currencies.
Hamstars ships 10 printed A5 QR displays to your venue (free via VistaPrint). Guests spin via WhatsApp browser. Google-only review flow. Real-time analytics dashboard and multi-location management. Pricing starts at £14.90 for the first 7 days, then £39/month. 1,200+ UK venues. Claims 90% participation rate, 15-20 reviews per day, and 4.8-4.9 average rating within 30 days.
Verdict: If you run a UK venue and want zero-setup QR displays shipped to you with WhatsApp delivery, Hamstars does that well and costs less. If you want a guest database you own, Wallet pass proximity reminders, multi-platform reviews, and email automation in one tool, SpiniX bundles all of that into one price, at a higher monthly cost than Hamstars.
| Feature | SpiniX | Hamstars |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | €79/mo | £39/mo (~€45) |
| Trial / entry price | 30-day money-back guarantee | £14.90 first 7 days |
| Physical QR displays | Printable QR (no shipped hardware) | 10 A5 displays shipped free |
| Delivery channel | Apple/Google Wallet pass | WhatsApp (browser-based) |
| Proximity push notification | Yes (300m radius Wallet push) | No |
| Review platforms | Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot | Google only |
| Email capture rate | 40% opt in to marketing | Not disclosed (WhatsApp flow) |
| Review conversion rate | Top venues 50-63% tap review link (median 15%) | 90% participation (claimed) |
| Email automation | Yes (day 3/7/10 sequence) | No |
| Guest database (owned) | Yes (exportable) | No (WhatsApp contact list) |
| Return visit rate | 2.9x more often (Wallet pass holders) | Not disclosed |
| Adjustable prize odds | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-location management | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics dashboard | Yes + Telegram alerts | Real-time dashboard |
| Works outside UK | Yes (any country, 8 currencies, English and Hungarian site) | UK-focused |
| App required | No (Wallet pass, no app) | No (WhatsApp browser) |
| Setup effort | Self-service (15 min) | Zero (displays shipped) |
| Cancel anytime | Yes | Yes |
30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. No contract.
1,200+ UK venues. Physical displays via VistaPrint partnership.
Ten printed A5 QR displays arrive at your venue via VistaPrint. You put them on tables. Done. No design work, no printing, no sourcing materials. For busy restaurant owners who want to start collecting reviews this week without any procurement effort, this is a genuine advantage. SpiniX requires you to print your own QR codes, which takes 15 minutes to set up but does need a printer or a quick trip to a print shop.
In the UK, WhatsApp open rates consistently exceed 90%. Guests are already in WhatsApp dozens of times per day, so a spin prompt in that environment feels natural rather than intrusive. Hamstars is purpose-built for this channel and the 1,200+ UK venue count suggests it works. If your guests are UK-based and WhatsApp is their default messaging app, Hamstars has picked the right channel for that market.
Every email address captured through SpiniX belongs to you. You can export the full list at any time and use it in Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or any other tool. If you ever switch platforms, or just want to send a seasonal campaign outside of SpiniX, the data goes with you. With Hamstars, the guest interaction happens inside a WhatsApp conversation, and there is no structured email database to export. You are building an audience on their channel, not your own.
Google is the most important review platform for restaurants, but it is not the only one that drives revenue. Tripadvisor matters for tourist-area venues and hotels. Yelp matters in the US. Facebook reviews influence local discovery in many markets. SpiniX can route guests to any of these based on your settings and your guest's platform preference. Hamstars collects Google reviews only, which is fine if Google is your entire focus but limiting if you operate across multiple markets or need Tripadvisor scores.
The 300-meter proximity push notification is a feature with no equivalent in Hamstars. When a past guest walks past your venue, their phone notifies them. No app, no opt-in beyond adding the Wallet pass, no ongoing SMS cost. The guest is already near your door and the notification arrives at exactly the right moment to bring them in for a second visit. Wallet-pass holders come back 2.9x more often than guests without one (21.5% vs 7.5% active again on a later day) - a correlation, not proof this feature alone causes it, but it is built to close exactly that gap.
SpiniX sends a three-email sequence automatically: day 3 (how was your experience), day 7 (gentle review nudge with direct link), day 10 (last chance win-back with a small bonus offer). This runs without any manual work. Hamstars does not have email automation. Its follow-up is limited to the post-spin WhatsApp prompt on the night of the visit. If a guest does not act then, there is no follow-up mechanism.
| Metric | SpiniX | Hamstars |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | €79/mo | £39/mo (~€45) |
| Review platforms | Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook, Trustpilot | Google only |
| Email capture rate | 40% opt in to marketing | N/A (WhatsApp flow) |
| Review conversion rate | Top venues 50-63% tap review link (median 15%) | 90% participation (claimed) |
| Guest return rate | 2.9x more often (Wallet pass holders) | Not disclosed |
| Proximity push notification | Yes (300m Wallet push) | No |
| Guest database (exportable) | Yes | No |
| Countries supported | Any country, 8 currencies, English and Hungarian site | UK-focused |
| Physical QR displays | Printable only | 10 A5 displays shipped |
| Email follow-up sequence | Day 3, 7, 10 automated | WhatsApp post-spin only |
Hamstars claims 90% participation, which refers to guests who scan the QR and interact with the spin wheel, not necessarily those who leave a Google review. WhatsApp-based delivery in the UK does achieve high open and click rates, so the number is plausible for engaged venues. SpiniX does not claim a participation rate at the same stage, but reports that top venues see 50 to 63% of guests tap the review link, with a median venue around 15%. The metrics measure slightly different things and are not directly comparable.
No. As of 2026, Hamstars focuses on Google reviews only. If you operate a venue where Tripadvisor or Yelp matter (hotels, tourist-area restaurants, US or Australian locations), Hamstars cannot help with those platforms. SpiniX routes guests to Google, Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook, or Trustpilot based on your settings.
Your Google reviews stay on your Google Business Profile permanently. Switching platforms does not remove them. You keep everything you have built. The only thing you lose is the Hamstars WhatsApp flow for new guests going forward.
No. SpiniX does not ship hardware. You print the QR code yourself, which most venues do on tent cards, A5 cards, or receipts. A local print run of 20 A5 cards typically costs €5-10. If zero-effort physical setup is important to you, Hamstars has a genuine advantage here.
SpiniX has WhatsApp integration on the Venues plan (€299/month) for markets where WhatsApp is the dominant channel. The Starter plan (€79/month) uses Wallet passes and email. If WhatsApp delivery at the Starter price point is essential, Hamstars is purpose-built for that.
No. Hamstars is £39/month (roughly €45 at current exchange rates), and SpiniX Starter is €79/month - about €34 more. SpiniX's price includes Apple/Google Wallet passes, five review platforms instead of one, an exportable guest database, and an automated day 3/7/10 email sequence in a single plan. If monthly cost is the deciding factor, Hamstars is cheaper. The Hamstars intro price of £14.90 only applies for the first 7 days.
When a guest adds a SpiniX pass to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, the pass can trigger a location-aware notification when the guest comes within approximately 300 meters of your venue. This appears on their lock screen without any app installed. It is a re-engagement nudge that fires precisely when the guest is already near your door and most likely to come in. Hamstars does not have a proximity notification feature.
No. Hamstars delivers through WhatsApp, which means guest contact information is tied to the WhatsApp conversation, not a database you control. You cannot export a list of past guests with emails and visit history. SpiniX captures emails (40% of guests opt in to marketing) and stores them in an exportable database you can use with any email or marketing tool.
SpiniX runs the spin wheel, captures emails, sends the follow-up sequence, and drops the prize into Apple and Google Wallet automatically. No contract, 30-day money-back guarantee.
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