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Travel · head to head

Bokun vs Didi

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Didi logo

Didi

Travel

Dominant ride hailing app in China from Didi Chuxing, which acquired Uber China in 2016 and now operates almost entirely within China plus a handful of other markets

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Didi uber does not operate ride hailing directly inside mainland China as a result of the 2016 acquisition deal, so travellers used to Uber have no equivalent option there and must use Didi or another local operator instead.
  • They diverge on capability: Bokun covers Channel manager, Didi covers Ride hailing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and Didi actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and Didi differ
AttributeBokunDidi
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feeFree app, pay per ride with dynamic pricing
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Didi

  • Ride hailing
  • Bike and e-bike share
  • Designated driver service
  • International operations
  • In-app payments
  • Corporate accounts

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

Didi

  • A rider or visitor in mainland China needing the dominant local ride hailing option, given Uber does not operate directly therenot Bokun
  • A rider in Brazil or Mexico comparing Didi directly against Uber as genuine competing optionsnot Bokun
  • Someone in a Chinese city wanting the designated driver service to get a personal car home after drinkingnot Bokun
  • A business traveller in China needing expensed ride accounts through Didi corporate featuresnot 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.

Didi

  • Uber does not operate ride hailing directly inside mainland China as a result of the 2016 acquisition deal, so travellers used to Uber have no equivalent option there and must use Didi or another local operator instead.
  • Didi faced a major Chinese cybersecurity review and app store removal in 2021 following its US stock listing, related to data handling concerns, which is a relevant fact for anyone assessing how the platform manages user data under Chinese regulatory oversight.
  • The international-market apps in countries like Brazil and Mexico are separate products from the dominant China platform, and feature parity, support quality and market position differ meaningfully between them.
  • Payment methods within China rely heavily on WeChat Pay and Alipay integration, which can be a barrier for foreign visitors without a linked Chinese payment account.
  • As with the rest of the ride hailing category, fares are dynamic with demand-based surge and no published flat rate card, making advance cost estimation difficult during peak periods.

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

Didi

Free
  • DidiFree
    • App is free; riders pay per trip at dynamic, demand-based fares
    • Fares vary significantly between mainland China and international markets like Brazil and Mexico
    • No published flat rate card, pricing varies by city, time and route

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 Didi if

  • You need ride hailing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want bike and e-bike share.
Didi review

Questions people ask

Is Bokun or Didi better?
Neither clearly leads. Bokun starts at Free and Didi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bokun or Didi?
Bokun starts at Free and Didi at Free.
Does Bokun or Didi run on more platforms?
Bokun runs on Web, iOS, Android. Didi runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use Bokun for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Didi is typically brought in for.
What can Bokun do that Didi cannot?
Bokun covers Channel manager, Booking widgets, Marketplace, Product and availability setup. Didi covers Ride hailing, Bike and e-bike share, Designated driver service, International operations.

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.

Didi: Does Uber operate in China?

No, not directly. Uber sold its China operations to Didi in 2016 in exchange for an equity stake in Didi, and does not run ride hailing directly inside mainland China as a result.

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.

Didi: Where does Didi operate outside China?

In a smaller set of international markets including Brazil and Mexico, where it competes directly against Uber rather than holding the dominant position it has domestically.

Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

Didi: What happened with the 2021 regulatory issue?

Chinese regulators conducted a cybersecurity review of Didi shortly after its US stock listing, related to data handling concerns, resulting in an app store removal and later fines; the app was reinstated to domestic stores after remediation.

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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