Softwr

Travel · head to head

Booking.com vs Chekin

Booking.com logo

Booking.com

Travel

Hotel and accommodation booking marketplace that charges commission to properties, typically 15 to 25 percent, invisible to the traveller

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Chekin logo

Chekin

Travel

Guest check-in, identity verification and police registration for European rentals

From
€3.95/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Booking.com has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Booking.com the commission Booking.com charges properties, typically 15 to 25 percent of the booking value, is invisible to the traveller and often built into the displayed room rate, so the identical room booked directly with the hotel can sometimes be cheaper.; Chekin there is a three unit minimum on the published plans, so a single-property host cannot buy the entry tier at the advertised rate.
  • They diverge on capability: Booking.com covers Accommodation search and booking, Chekin covers Police and authority registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Booking.com and Chekin actually diverge.

Attributes where Booking.com and Chekin differ
AttributeBooking.comChekin
Starting priceFree€3.95/month
Pricing modelFree for travellers, commission charged to listed propertiesPer property per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android

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 Booking.com

  • Accommodation search and booking
  • Free cancellation filtering
  • Genius loyalty programme
  • Guest reviews
  • Car rental and flights
  • Property management tools

Only in Chekin

  • Police and authority registration
  • Identity verification
  • Tourist tax calculation
  • Self check-in and digital keys
  • Deposits and damage protection
  • Upsells and branded guest app

What people use each for

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

Booking.com

  • A traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interfacenot Chekin
  • Someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in searchnot Chekin
  • A frequent booker wanting Genius loyalty tier discounts across many staysnot Chekin
  • A property owner or manager wanting broad distribution to travellers in exchange for paying commission on completed bookingsnot Chekin

Chekin

  • A manager with twenty apartments in Barcelona who must file guest data with the Ministry of the Interior for every arrival and cannot do it manually at scalenot Booking.com
  • An Italian host needing Alloggiati Web submissions and city tourist tax collected from the guest rather than absorbednot Booking.com
  • A property with no staffed reception issuing door codes only after identity documents have been verifiednot Booking.com
  • An operator wanting damage deposits taken and released automatically instead of chasing bank transfersnot Booking.com

Where each one falls short

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

Booking.com

  • The commission Booking.com charges properties, typically 15 to 25 percent of the booking value, is invisible to the traveller and often built into the displayed room rate, so the identical room booked directly with the hotel can sometimes be cheaper.
  • Cancellation policies vary entirely by the specific rate a property has set, not a platform-wide standard, so travellers must check each listing individually rather than assume consistent flexibility.
  • Review authenticity depends on Booking.coms own verification process for guests who booked and stayed, which travellers cannot independently audit beyond trusting the platforms stated methodology.
  • Customer service for booking disputes often requires involving both Booking.com and the property directly, since the platform is a marketplace intermediary rather than the accommodation provider itself.
  • Some properties, aware of the commission cost, offer better rates or perks to guests who book directly by phone or through the hotels own website instead, undermining the price transparency travellers might assume the platform provides.

Chekin

  • There is a three unit minimum on the published plans, so a single-property host cannot buy the entry tier at the advertised rate.
  • The compliance value is regional; outside Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece there is often no authority integration to use and the product becomes an ordinary check-in form at a per property price.
  • Transaction fees sit on almost every money-handling feature, including 1.5% plus EUR 0.99 on payments and 10% on unified inbox transactions, so the effective cost is far above the subscription for anyone using them.
  • It is a layer on top of a PMS rather than a replacement, so you are paying a second per property subscription alongside your existing platform and reconciling two sources of guest data.
  • Identity verification and self check-in sit behind the Premium tier and Premium only includes one premium feature, so an operator wanting both verification and digital keys must move to Enterprise.

Pricing, plan by plan

Booking.com

Free
  • Booking.comFree
    • Free to search and book for travellers, no subscription or platform fee charged to the guest
    • Commission charged to properties typically 15 to 25 percent of booking value, not publicly itemised per listing
    • Genius loyalty programme offers discounts at no direct cost to the traveller

Chekin

€3.95/month
  • Basic$3.95/month
    • Minimum three units
    • Online check-in and legal compliance filing
    • Tourist taxes
  • Premium$5.95/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • One premium feature of your choice
    • Options: identity verification, self check-in and digital keys, branded guest app, digital guidebooks or e-invoicing
  • Enterprise$7.95/month
    • All premium features included
    • Identity verification, self check-in, branded app, guidebooks, e-invoicing
    • Custom pricing above volume thresholds

Which should you pick?

Choose Booking.com if

  • You need accommodation search and booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want free cancellation filtering.
Booking.com review

Choose Chekin if

  • You need police and authority registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want identity verification.
Chekin review

Questions people ask

Is Booking.com or Chekin better?
Neither clearly leads. Booking.com starts at Free and Chekin at €3.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Booking.com or Chekin?
Booking.com has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Booking.com and €3.95/month for Chekin.
Does Booking.com or Chekin run on more platforms?
Booking.com runs on iOS, Android, Web. Chekin runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Booking.com for free?
Yes. Booking.com has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Chekin starts at €3.95/month.
What is Booking.com best used for?
Booking.com is most often used for a traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interface, someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in search, a frequent booker wanting genius loyalty tier discounts across many stays, a property owner or manager wanting broad distribution to travellers in exchange for paying commission on completed bookings. Of those, a traveller wanting to compare many properties across a destination with consolidated reviews and one payment interface and someone wanting flexible, free-cancellation rate options filtered specifically in search are not what Chekin is typically brought in for.
What can Booking.com do that Chekin cannot?
Booking.com covers Accommodation search and booking, Free cancellation filtering, Genius loyalty programme, Guest reviews. Chekin covers Police and authority registration, Identity verification, Tourist tax calculation, Self check-in and digital keys.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Booking.com: Is Booking.com free to use?

Yes, for travellers there is no subscription or booking fee charged directly. The platform earns money through commission charged to the properties listed, typically 15 to 25 percent of booking value.

Chekin: Why would I buy this rather than use my PMS check-in form?

Because it files guest data with national police registration systems and calculates local tourist tax, which PMS check-in forms do not do.

Booking.com: Why might a hotel be cheaper if I book directly?

Because the hotel pays commission, typically 15 to 25 percent, on bookings made through Booking.com, some hotels price rooms to absorb that cost or offer a lower direct rate since they keep the full amount without paying the platform a cut.

Chekin: What does it really cost?

From EUR 3.95 per property per month with a three unit minimum, plus 1.5% plus EUR 0.30 on deposits, 1.5% plus EUR 0.99 on payments, 1% on upsells and 10% on unified inbox transactions.

Booking.com: Does Booking.com own the properties it lists?

No, it is a marketplace connecting travellers with independently owned and operated properties; Booking.com does not own or operate the hotels and accommodations listed.

Chekin: Does it work outside southern Europe?

The check-in, verification and key features do. The automated authority filing that justifies the price largely does not.

Chekin: Can I get both identity verification and digital keys on Premium?

No. Premium includes one premium feature. Both requires Enterprise at EUR 7.95 per property per month.

Share

Related pages

More on Booking.com

More on Chekin

Keep looking

Other head to heads