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Travel · head to head

Bokun vs Guesty

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guesty logo

Guesty

Travel

Property management platform for short-term rentals

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.; Guesty quote-only pricing, typically scaled by listing count, so small operators find it expensive per unit
  • They diverge on capability: Bokun covers Channel manager, Guesty covers Multi-channel listings.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and Guesty actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and Guesty differ
AttributeBokunGuesty
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

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 Guesty

  • Multi-channel listings
  • Unified inbox
  • Automation
  • Dynamic pricing
  • Operations
  • Owner reporting

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

Guesty

  • Managers running rental properties across several booking platformsnot Bokun
  • Operators whose margin is lost to cleaning and turnover coordinationnot Bokun
  • Companies producing owner statements for properties under managementnot 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.

Guesty

  • Quote-only pricing, typically scaled by listing count, so small operators find it expensive per unit
  • Aimed at professional managers rather than individuals with one or two listings
  • Channel sync depends on the booking platforms, whose API changes and outages surface as your problem
  • Breadth means individual modules are shallower than dedicated tools

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

Guesty

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Guesty 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 Guesty if

  • You need multi-channel listings.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want unified inbox.
Guesty review

Questions people ask

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

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.

Guesty: What does Guesty cost?

Guesty quotes based on listing count and modules and does not publish standard rates.

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.

Guesty: Is Guesty worth it for one property?

Generally not. It is built for professional managers with portfolios; individuals with one or two listings usually find the cost per unit hard to justify.

Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

Guesty: Which booking channels does it support?

Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com among others, synchronised from one inventory so a booking on one channel closes the dates everywhere.

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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