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Travel · head to head

Bokun vs Cloudbeds

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cloudbeds logo

Cloudbeds

Travel

Cloud-based hospitality management platform unifying PMS, channel management, and booking engine

From
On request
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.; Cloudbeds pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and Cloudbeds actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and Cloudbeds differ
AttributeBokunCloudbeds
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, API

Identical on both: 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 Cloudbeds

Nothing recorded that Bokun does not also cover.

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 Cloudbeds
  • A city tour company reselling partner products and taking commission through the Bokun marketplacenot Cloudbeds
  • An operator wanting a fixed monthly subscription rather than a percentage of every booking as FareHarbor chargesnot Cloudbeds
  • A business taking most bookings by phone, which incur no Bokun booking fee at allnot Cloudbeds

Cloudbeds

  • Independent hotels and boutique hospitality businesses automating PMS and distributionnot Bokun
  • Vacation rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO) consolidating multi-channel bookings and messagingnot Bokun
  • Hostels and backpacker accommodations using commission-free booking engine to reduce dependency on OTAsnot Bokun
  • Small-chain hospitality operators managing multiple properties from one interfacenot Bokun
  • Properties seeking revenue management and dynamic pricing without enterprise-level PMS costsnot Bokun
  • Hospitality businesses using AI-driven guest messaging and support automationnot 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.

Cloudbeds

  • Pricing requires custom quote; no published pricing tiers visible, making budgeting and comparison difficult
  • Per-property pricing model means costs scale rapidly for multi-property management; portfolio growth increases operational expenses
  • Revenue Intelligence (AI pricing) locked behind premium tier; base offering lacks dynamic pricing automation
  • Limited offline functionality; properties with poor connectivity face operational challenges
  • Chatbot and messaging automation require configuration; setup complexity increases for non-technical operators

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

Cloudbeds

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudbeds review.

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 Cloudbeds if

  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Cloudbeds review

Questions people ask

Is Bokun or Cloudbeds better?
Neither clearly leads. Bokun starts at Free and Cloudbeds at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bokun or Cloudbeds?
Bokun has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bokun and On request for Cloudbeds.
Does Bokun or Cloudbeds run on more platforms?
Bokun runs on Web, iOS, Android. Cloudbeds runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
Can I use Bokun for free?
Yes. Bokun has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cloudbeds starts at On request.
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 Cloudbeds is typically brought in for.
What can Bokun do that Cloudbeds cannot?
Bokun covers Channel manager, Booking widgets, Marketplace, Product and availability setup.

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.

Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds have a commission-free booking engine?

Yes. Cloudbeds provides a commission-free booking engine allowing guests to reserve directly on the property website without OTA transaction fees. This reduces distribution costs compared to Booking.com and Airbnb.

Source
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.

Cloudbeds: What channels does Cloudbeds distribute to?

Cloudbeds distributes to 450+ booking channels including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Agoda, and regional OTAs, all managed from one interface.

Source
Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

Cloudbeds: Does Cloudbeds provide revenue management?

Yes. Revenue Intelligence uses AI-powered demand forecasting (95% accuracy) to recommend dynamic pricing, maximising revenue per available room (RevPAR).

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

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

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