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Travel · head to head

SiteMinder vs Travelport Smartpoint

SiteMinder logo

SiteMinder

Travel

Hotel channel manager and distribution platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Travelport Smartpoint logo

Travelport Smartpoint

Travel

Travelport GDS booking desktop for travel agents, now on version 12

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SiteMinder quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation; Travelport Smartpoint travelport retires older Smartpoint versions on its own schedule, and agencies that do not track release notes can lose sign-on access to Travelport+ or Apollo with little warning.
  • They diverge on capability: SiteMinder covers Channel manager, Travelport Smartpoint covers Graphical and cryptic modes.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SiteMinder and Travelport Smartpoint actually diverge.

Attributes where SiteMinder and Travelport Smartpoint differ
AttributeSiteMinderTravelport Smartpoint
PlatformsWeb, CloudWindows, Web

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 SiteMinder

  • Channel manager
  • Booking engine
  • Wide channel reach
  • Rate management

Only in Travelport Smartpoint

  • Graphical and cryptic modes
  • Multi-GDS content
  • Smartpoint Cloud
  • Automation scripting
  • Marketplace distribution
  • Queue and PNR management

What people use each for

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

SiteMinder

  • Hotels selling across several OTAs that must not double-booknot Travelport Smartpoint
  • Properties wanting direct bookings alongside OTA distributionnot Travelport Smartpoint
  • Groups managing rates centrally rather than channel by channelnot Travelport Smartpoint

Travelport Smartpoint

  • A retail agency already on a Travelport segment agreement needing the current supported desktop versionnot SiteMinder
  • A TMC running mixed cryptic and graphical booking teams on one workspacenot SiteMinder
  • An agency migrating from an older Smartpoint build after Travelport retired 8.1 to 9.1not SiteMinder
  • A consolidator wanting Apollo, Galileo or Worldspan content behind a single agent interfacenot SiteMinder

Where each one falls short

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

SiteMinder

  • Quote-only pricing scaled by rooms and channels, so comparison requires a sales conversation
  • A channel manager only, so a property management system is still needed alongside it
  • Sync depends on the OTAs at the other end, and their API changes and outages present as your problem
  • Setup and channel mapping is more involved than the marketing suggests

Travelport Smartpoint

  • Travelport retires older Smartpoint versions on its own schedule, and agencies that do not track release notes can lose sign-on access to Travelport+ or Apollo with little warning.
  • Pricing is never published and is folded into a segment incentive agreement, so two agencies of similar size can be paying materially different effective rates with no way to compare.
  • Cryptic command knowledge is still needed for a meaningful share of servicing tasks, so a newly hired agent takes months to reach full productivity.
  • It is a Windows-weighted desktop product, and agencies wanting fully remote or Mac-based teams need Smartpoint Cloud or virtual desktop infrastructure to compensate.
  • Switching to Sabre or Amadeus means retraining staff on a different command language and renegotiating a separate incentive deal, which locks agencies into their existing GDS relationship longer than pure product quality would justify.

Pricing, plan by plan

SiteMinder

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SiteMinder review.

Travelport Smartpoint

On request
  • Travelport Smartpoint$undefined/year
    • Usually bundled into a GDS segment agreement
    • Distribution and version entitlement managed per country via the Marketplace
    • Segment incentive payments to the agency

Which should you pick?

Choose SiteMinder if

  • You need channel manager.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want booking engine.
SiteMinder review

Choose Travelport Smartpoint if

  • You need graphical and cryptic modes.
  • You work on Windows, Web.
  • You also want multi-gds content.
Travelport Smartpoint review

Questions people ask

Is SiteMinder or Travelport Smartpoint better?
Neither clearly leads. SiteMinder starts at On request and Travelport Smartpoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SiteMinder or Travelport Smartpoint?
SiteMinder starts at On request and Travelport Smartpoint at On request.
Does SiteMinder or Travelport Smartpoint run on more platforms?
SiteMinder runs on Web, Cloud. Travelport Smartpoint runs on Windows, Web.
What is SiteMinder best used for?
SiteMinder is most often used for hotels selling across several otas that must not double-book, properties wanting direct bookings alongside ota distribution, groups managing rates centrally rather than channel by channel. Of those, hotels selling across several otas that must not double-book and properties wanting direct bookings alongside ota distribution are not what Travelport Smartpoint is typically brought in for.
What can SiteMinder do that Travelport Smartpoint cannot?
SiteMinder covers Channel manager, Booking engine, Wide channel reach, Rate management. Travelport Smartpoint covers Graphical and cryptic modes, Multi-GDS content, Smartpoint Cloud, Automation scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SiteMinder: What does SiteMinder cost?

It quotes per property based on rooms and channels and does not publish standard rates.

Travelport Smartpoint: Do we pay a separate licence fee for Smartpoint?

Usually not directly. It is typically bundled into a GDS segment agreement in which Travelport pays incentives per booked segment.

SiteMinder: What does a channel manager actually do?

It keeps rates and availability in step across every booking site, so a room sold on one channel is immediately closed on the others. Without it, double bookings are inevitable.

Travelport Smartpoint: What happened to older Smartpoint versions?

Travelport retired versions 8.1 through 9.1 as of 30 April 2026; agencies must be on Smartpoint 12.0 to keep signing on to Travelport+ or Apollo.

SiteMinder: Is it a full property management system?

No. It handles distribution; reservations, housekeeping and billing still need a PMS.

Travelport Smartpoint: Is there a browser version?

Yes, Smartpoint Cloud runs in a browser for agents without a managed Windows desktop.

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