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Travel · head to head

Bolt vs Travelport Smartpoint

Bolt logo

Bolt

Travel

Estonian ride hailing app with dense coverage across Europe and expanding operations in Africa, positioned as a lower-cost Uber alternative

From
Free
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

  • Only Bolt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bolt coverage, while broad across Europe and expanding in Africa, does not extend to North America, most of Asia or South America, so it is unavailable as an option in large parts of the world.; 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: Bolt covers Ride hailing, 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 Bolt and Travelport Smartpoint actually diverge.

Attributes where Bolt and Travelport Smartpoint differ
AttributeBoltTravelport Smartpoint
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree app, pay per ride with dynamic pricingquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWindows, Web

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 Bolt

  • Ride hailing
  • Bolt Food
  • E-scooters and e-bikes
  • Lower driver commission model
  • Bolt Business
  • Scheduled rides

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.

Bolt

  • A rider in Europe or Africa wanting a lower-cost alternative to Uber where both apps operatenot Travelport Smartpoint
  • Someone in a city where Uber does not operate but Bolt does, particularly in parts of Central and Eastern Europe or Africanot Travelport Smartpoint
  • A business traveller whose company uses Bolt Business for expensed corporate ridesnot Travelport Smartpoint
  • A rider wanting e-scooter or e-bike rental in a supported European city through the same app used for ridesnot Travelport Smartpoint

Travelport Smartpoint

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bolt

  • Coverage, while broad across Europe and expanding in Africa, does not extend to North America, most of Asia or South America, so it is unavailable as an option in large parts of the world.
  • Fares are dynamic with demand-based surge like the rest of the category, so the lower-cost positioning against Uber does not hold on every route or at every time of day.
  • Feature availability, especially Bolt Food and micromobility rental, varies considerably by city, so the app experience is inconsistent across the markets it operates in.
  • As a smaller company than Uber globally, driver and vehicle availability can be noticeably thinner in some cities, particularly outside major urban centres.
  • Bolt has faced regulatory and labour scrutiny in some European and African markets over driver classification and commission structures, similar to the challenges other ride hailing platforms have faced.

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

Bolt

Free
  • BoltFree
    • App is free; riders pay per trip at dynamic, demand-based fares
    • Fares often positioned lower than Uber in overlapping cities, but not guaranteed on every route
    • No published flat rate card, fares vary by city, time and route

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 Bolt if

  • You need ride hailing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want bolt food.
Bolt 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 Bolt or Travelport Smartpoint better?
Neither clearly leads. Bolt starts at Free and Travelport Smartpoint at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bolt or Travelport Smartpoint?
Bolt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bolt and On request for Travelport Smartpoint.
Does Bolt or Travelport Smartpoint run on more platforms?
Bolt runs on iOS, Android. Travelport Smartpoint runs on Windows, Web.
Can I use Bolt for free?
Yes. Bolt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Travelport Smartpoint starts at On request.
What is Bolt best used for?
Bolt is most often used for a rider in europe or africa wanting a lower-cost alternative to uber where both apps operate, someone in a city where uber does not operate but bolt does, particularly in parts of central and eastern europe or africa, a business traveller whose company uses bolt business for expensed corporate rides, a rider wanting e-scooter or e-bike rental in a supported european city through the same app used for rides. Of those, a rider in europe or africa wanting a lower-cost alternative to uber where both apps operate and someone in a city where uber does not operate but bolt does, particularly in parts of central and eastern europe or africa are not what Travelport Smartpoint is typically brought in for.
What can Bolt do that Travelport Smartpoint cannot?
Bolt covers Ride hailing, Bolt Food, E-scooters and e-bikes, Lower driver commission model. Travelport Smartpoint covers Graphical and cryptic modes, Multi-GDS content, Smartpoint Cloud, Automation scripting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bolt: Where does Bolt operate?

Primarily across Europe, with particularly dense coverage in Central and Eastern Europe, plus an expanding presence across African markets including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

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.

Bolt: Is Bolt cheaper than Uber?

Often, in cities where both operate, but not guaranteed on every route since both use dynamic, demand-based pricing that varies by time and location.

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.

Bolt: Does Bolt deliver food?

Yes, Bolt Food operates in many but not all of the cities where the ride hailing service is available.

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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