Softwr

Travel · head to head

Bokun vs Mews

Bokun logo

Bokun

Travel

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mews logo

Mews

Travel

One pricing plan should not fit all

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.; Mews no pricing published on pricing page; specific per-room or per-property costs require requesting a quote
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bokun and Mews actually diverge.

Attributes where Bokun and Mews differ
AttributeBokunMews
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer month plus a booking feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 Mews

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

Mews

  • Property management system for hotels and accommodationsnot Bokun
  • Guest experience enhancement with AI-driven preferencesnot Bokun
  • Revenue optimization and business intelligencenot 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.

Mews

  • No pricing published on pricing page; specific per-room or per-property costs require requesting a quote
  • Exact implementation fee structure not disclosed
  • Revenue Management System (RMS) and Point of Sale (POS) add-on costs not specified

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

Mews

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Mews 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 Mews if

Nothing in the data separates Mews from Bokun on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Mews review

Questions people ask

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

Mews: What are the main pricing tiers offered by Mews?

Mews offers three tiers: Essentials (basic PMS with automated payments), Advanced (popular tier with customizable guest journey and SMS check-in), and Enterprise (unlimited integrations and no implementation fees). Specific costs require requesting a quote.

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.

Mews: What core features are included in the Mews Essentials plan?

Essentials includes property management system, booking engine, guest portal, automated payments platform, 8 Mews Marketplace integrations, 24/7 chatbot support, and exportable reports.

Source
Bokun: Who owns Bokun?

Viator, which is part of Tripadvisor.

Mews: What additional features does Mews Advanced tier provide?

Advanced tier (marked as popular) adds AI-driven guest preference summaries, customizable booking engine, custom domain email communications, automated SMS check-in reminders, and digital contactless check-in via phone.

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

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

Mews: What makes the Mews Enterprise tier different from other plans?

Enterprise tier includes unlimited Mews Marketplace integrations (1,000+), custom dashboards with business intelligence, enhanced data connectors, automated report exports, access to Booking Engine and Channel Manager APIs, and notably eliminates implementation fees.

Source
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