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Travel · head to head

Bokun vs Bookinglayer

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

Tour and activity booking platform tied to Viator distribution, from free to $499 a month

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bookinglayer logo

Bookinglayer

Travel

Booking system for surf camps, retreats and activity-led accommodation

From
€260/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bokun has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bokun viator bookings are exempt from the booking fee while your own direct bookings are not, so the pricing structure rewards selling through the parent marketplace rather than through your own site.; Bookinglayer at 260 euros a month the entry tier is a heavy fixed cost for a fifteen-bed camp, several times what a comparable small hotel pays for a property management system.
  • They diverge on capability: Bokun covers Channel manager, Bookinglayer covers Package builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and Bookinglayer actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and Bookinglayer differ
AttributeBokunBookinglayer
Starting priceFree€260/month
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feePer month by plan
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: 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 Bokun

  • Channel manager
  • Booking widgets
  • Marketplace
  • Product and availability setup
  • Offline bookings
  • Vouchers and redemption

Only in Bookinglayer

  • Package builder
  • Activity scheduling
  • Instalment payments
  • Guest portal
  • Direct booking engine
  • Back office
  • Multi-location support
  • API access

What people use each for

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

Bokun

  • An operator already doing significant Viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software feesnot Bookinglayer
  • A city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the Bokun marketplacenot Bookinglayer
  • An operator wanting a fixed monthly subscription rather than a percentage of every booking as FareHarbor chargesnot Bookinglayer
  • A business taking most bookings by phone, which incur no Bokun booking fee at allnot Bookinglayer

Bookinglayer

  • A surf camp selling seven-night packages where lesson capacity, not bed capacity, is the constraintnot Bokun
  • A yoga retreat taking deposits nine months ahead with staged balance paymentsnot Bokun
  • A dive centre allocating instructors and equipment alongside accommodationnot Bokun
  • A ski school running two locations under one booking system and one guest portalnot Bokun

Where each one falls short

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

Bokun

  • Viator bookings are exempt from the booking fee while your own direct bookings are not, so the pricing structure rewards selling through the parent marketplace rather than through your own site.
  • The booking fee sits on top of the monthly subscription, so an operator on Start pays $49 plus 1.5% of direct online revenue and the plan price alone understates the cost.
  • The free plan is limited to a single user and constrained features, so any business with staff has to move to a paid tier almost immediately.
  • Adopting it deepens commercial dependence on Tripadvisor and Viator, which is uncomfortable if your strategy is reducing OTA commission exposure.
  • Reporting and back-office depth are lighter than dedicated operator platforms, so businesses with complex resource scheduling or multi-site operations often need workarounds.

Bookinglayer

  • At 260 euros a month the entry tier is a heavy fixed cost for a fifteen-bed camp, several times what a comparable small hotel pays for a property management system.
  • The Essential plan includes only two users, so a camp with a reception team, an instructor coordinator and a manager is pushed to the 415 euro tier by headcount rather than by features.
  • The 2 per cent commission alternative carries a 100 euro monthly minimum, so a genuinely closed off-season still costs money.
  • API access sits only on the quoted top tier, which blocks integration work for mid-sized operators unwilling to move to bespoke pricing.
  • The product is deliberately narrow: an operator whose business shifts toward conventional room-night accommodation will find the package model is overhead rather than advantage.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bokun

Free
  • FreeFree
    • One user
    • No monthly fee
    • No Bokun booking fee
  • Start$49/month
    • Up to 5 users
    • 1.5% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No booking fee on Viator bookings
  • Plus$149/month
    • Up to 10 users
    • 1.25% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No Bokun fee on Viator bookings
  • Premium$499/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 1% booking fee on direct online bookings
    • No Bokun fee on Viator bookings

Bookinglayer

€260/month
  • Essential$260/month
    • About 300 USD equivalent
    • Two users included
    • Package builder and booking engine
  • Pro$415/month
    • About 445 USD equivalent
    • Ten users and two locations
    • Extended functionality
  • Alpha$undefined/month
    • Custom quote
    • Multiple locations
    • API access included
  • Commission alternative$undefined/month
    • 2% of booking value instead of a fixed fee
    • Minimum EUR 100 per month
    • Suits seasonal businesses with quiet months

Which should you pick?

Choose Bokun if

  • You need channel manager.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want booking widgets.
Bokun review

Choose Bookinglayer if

  • You need package builder.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want activity scheduling.
Bookinglayer review

Questions people ask

Is Bokun or Bookinglayer better?
Neither clearly leads. Bokun starts at Free and Bookinglayer at €260/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bokun or Bookinglayer?
Bokun has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bokun and €260/month for Bookinglayer.
Does Bokun or Bookinglayer run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Bokun for free?
Yes. Bokun has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bookinglayer starts at €260/month.
What is Bokun best used for?
Bokun is most often used for an operator already doing significant viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software fees, a city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the bokun marketplace, an operator wanting a fixed monthly subscription rather than a percentage of every booking as fareharbor charges, a business taking most bookings by phone, which incur no bokun booking fee at all. Of those, an operator already doing significant viator volume who wants that channel to cost nothing in software fees and a city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the bokun marketplace are not what Bookinglayer is typically brought in for.
What can Bokun do that Bookinglayer cannot?
Bokun covers Channel manager, Booking widgets, Marketplace, Product and availability setup. Bookinglayer covers Package builder, Activity scheduling, Instalment payments, Guest portal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bokun: Are Viator bookings really free of Bokun fees?

Yes on the paid plans. Direct online bookings through your own widget carry 1% to 1.5% depending on tier.

Bookinglayer: How much does Bookinglayer cost?

Essential is 260 euros a month for two users, Pro is 415 euros for ten users and two locations, and Alpha is quoted. There is a 5 per cent discount for annual payment.

Bokun: Can I pass the booking fee to customers?

Yes, on the paid plans the fee can be added to the customer price rather than absorbed.

Bookinglayer: Is there a commission option instead?

Yes, 2 per cent of booking value with a minimum of 100 euros a month, which suits businesses with a pronounced off-season.

Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

Bookinglayer: Why not just use a normal hotel PMS?

Because a package that bundles nights, lessons, equipment and transfers with capacity limits on the activities rather than the beds does not fit a room-night model.

Bokun: Is the free plan usable in a real business?

Only for a solo operator. It is one user with limited features.

Bookinglayer: Does it include API access?

Only on the top Alpha tier, which is quoted rather than published.

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