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Travel · head to head

BCD TripSource vs Smoobu

BCD TripSource logo

BCD TripSource

Travel

Traveller-facing itinerary and trip management app bundled with a BCD Travel programme

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Smoobu logo

Smoobu

Travel

All-in-one channel manager and PMS for hosts with a handful of holiday rentals

From
€29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BCD TripSource it cannot be bought or used without a BCD Travel TMC contract, so it is not a genuine alternative to an independent app like TripIt for a company using a different agency.; Smoobu the Flex plan carries a 0.9% fee on every booking, which on an apartment turning over €40,000 a year costs more than the entire annual subscription saving, and the pricing page presents Flex as the cheaper option.
  • They diverge on capability: BCD TripSource covers Trip timeline, Smoobu covers Channel manager.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BCD TripSource and Smoobu actually diverge.

Attributes where BCD TripSource and Smoobu differ
AttributeBCD TripSourceSmoobu
Starting priceOn request€29/month
Pricing modelquotePer unit per month

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Travel).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BCD TripSource

  • Trip timeline
  • Real-time alerts
  • Entry requirement guidance
  • Itinerary sharing
  • Driving directions
  • Policy and booking links

Only in Smoobu

  • Channel manager
  • Website builder
  • Guest messaging
  • Unified calendar
  • Invoicing and e-invoicing
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BCD TripSource

  • A company already contracted to BCD Travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellersnot Smoobu
  • A travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automaticallynot Smoobu
  • An assistant or arranger who needs to share a travelling executive's itinerary quicklynot Smoobu
  • A duty of care programme that wants trip data visible without travellers logging into a separate portalnot Smoobu

Smoobu

  • A host with three apartments in Berlin who needs Airbnb and Booking.com calendars kept in sync and wants a direct booking site to cut OTA commissionnot BCD TripSource
  • An owner wanting automated check-in instructions and pre-arrival messages sent per channel without logging into each extranetnot BCD TripSource
  • A small manager who needs guest invoices that meet German documentation requirements without adding a separate accounting toolnot BCD TripSource
  • A host testing dynamic pricing through the bundled trial before deciding whether to subscribe to PriceLabs separatelynot BCD TripSource

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BCD TripSource

  • It cannot be bought or used without a BCD Travel TMC contract, so it is not a genuine alternative to an independent app like TripIt for a company using a different agency.
  • Feature depth trails purpose-built consumer itinerary apps, and companies sometimes end up recommending a personal TripIt subscription alongside it for travellers who want more.
  • Because it is bundled, there is no separate pricing to negotiate down, and the cost is buried inside the overall BCD Travel service fee.
  • Manually forwarded bookings made outside BCD Travel channels are not always captured cleanly, leaving gaps in the trip timeline for off-channel purchases.
  • Switching TMC away from BCD Travel means losing the app entirely, adding a hidden switching cost beyond renegotiating the agency contract itself.

Smoobu

  • The Flex plan carries a 0.9% fee on every booking, which on an apartment turning over €40,000 a year costs more than the entire annual subscription saving, and the pricing page presents Flex as the cheaper option.
  • Pricing is per unit, so a ten unit portfolio pays roughly €31.50 plus nine additional units at about €9.60, and the headline monthly figure covers a single apartment only.
  • Write access is charged per account beyond the included seats, so a cleaner, a co-host and an owner all needing to edit bookings turn into a recurring per seat cost.
  • There is no trust accounting or owner statement generation, so anyone managing units on behalf of third-party owners has to build payout reporting outside the system.
  • Housekeeping and maintenance dispatch is minimal compared with manager-grade platforms, so cleaning coordination happens in WhatsApp or a separate tool once you are past a few units.

Pricing, plan by plan

BCD TripSource

On request
  • BCD Travel programme (TripSource included)$undefined/year
    • Bundled into a BCD Travel managed travel contract
    • No standalone licence available
    • Traveller download is free once a company is a BCD Travel client

Smoobu

€29/month
  • Professional Flex$29/month
    • One unit included
    • 0.9% fee on every booking
    • Channel manager, website builder, messaging
  • Professional Prepaid$31.5/month
    • One unit included
    • No booking fee
    • Website builder, invoicing, chatbot, API access
  • Teams Pro+$49.5/month
    • Everything in Prepaid
    • E-invoicing
    • Two write-access accounts, extra accounts from about €12 each

Which should you pick?

Choose BCD TripSource if

  • You need trip timeline.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want real-time alerts.
BCD TripSource review

Choose Smoobu if

  • You need channel manager.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want website builder.
Smoobu review

Questions people ask

Is BCD TripSource or Smoobu better?
Neither clearly leads. BCD TripSource starts at On request and Smoobu at €29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BCD TripSource or Smoobu?
BCD TripSource starts at On request and Smoobu at €29/month.
Does BCD TripSource or Smoobu run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is BCD TripSource best used for?
BCD TripSource is most often used for a company already contracted to bcd travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellers, a travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automatically, an assistant or arranger who needs to share a travelling executive's itinerary quickly, a duty of care programme that wants trip data visible without travellers logging into a separate portal. Of those, a company already contracted to bcd travel wanting a single itinerary view for travellers and a travel manager needing entry requirement and flight alert information pushed automatically are not what Smoobu is typically brought in for.
What can BCD TripSource do that Smoobu cannot?
BCD TripSource covers Trip timeline, Real-time alerts, Entry requirement guidance, Itinerary sharing. Smoobu covers Channel manager, Website builder, Guest messaging, Unified calendar.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BCD TripSource: Can we buy TripSource without using BCD Travel as our agency?

No. It is bundled with a BCD Travel managed travel contract and is not sold separately.

Smoobu: Which plan is actually cheaper, Flex or Prepaid?

Prepaid, for almost anyone with real occupancy. The 0.9% booking fee on Flex exceeds the subscription difference once annual revenue passes a few thousand euros.

BCD TripSource: Is the app free for travellers?

Yes, once the employer is a BCD Travel client, travellers download it at no separate charge.

Smoobu: How many properties does the entry price cover?

One. Every additional unit adds roughly €9.60 per month.

BCD TripSource: Does it replace an online booking tool?

No, it is an itinerary and alert hub; booking happens through BCD Travel's separate online booking tool or agents.

Smoobu: Does it include dynamic pricing?

Only two months free on the Teams tier. Ongoing dynamic pricing means subscribing to PriceLabs or similar.

Smoobu: Is there a contract?

Billing is monthly, yearly or two-yearly, with 30 days notice required to cancel; longer terms buy 10% or 20% off.

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