Bokun vs Xola: Which Is Better? (2026)
Bokun vs Xola: Which Is Better? (2026)
Bokun and Xola land on the same shortlists because both run online bookings for tours, activities, and attractions. They take different routes to the same goal. Bokun is a booking system with a strong channel manager, owned by Tripadvisor and tightly linked to Viator. Xola is reservation software built around direct checkout, front desk tools, and a fee model with no published subscription.
The better pick depends on where your bookings come from and who you want paying the fees. This guide walks through features, pricing, and fit, then covers when a third option makes more sense for operators that also rent gear.
Still comparing the wider market? Start with our equipment rental software comparison or browse FareHarbor alternatives.
Quick Comparison Table
| Bokun | Xola | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Tours, activities, and resellers | Tours, activities, and attractions |
| Pricing model | Monthly plan plus a per-booking fee | No published subscription; per-transaction rate |
| Published price | $49, $149, or $499 per month | 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction (US) |
| Booking fee | 1.5%, 1.25%, or 1% on online bookings | Service fee setups the guest can pay |
| Fee-free bookings | Viator and offline bookings | Depends on how your fees are set up |
| Strongest area | OTA and reseller distribution | Direct checkout, POS, and waivers |
| Trial | 14-day free trial, then a limited free plan | Contact sales |
Features and Where Each One Wins
Distribution and channel management
Bokun wins here. Its channel manager connects your inventory to OTAs and resellers, and its link to Viator is the closest in the category. Bokun charges no booking fee on Viator reservations on its paid plans. PLUS and PREMIUM add agent portals, so local hotels and resellers can book against live availability. If a big slice of your revenue comes through Viator or partners, that matters.
Xola also connects to OTAs and keeps availability in sync, so a booking on a third-party site won't oversell your 10am slot. Its pitch leans less on the reseller network and more on turning your own website visitors into paid bookings.
Direct booking and checkout
Xola wins on direct checkout. It offers booking widgets for an existing site, a website building service, and last-minute pricing to fill open slots. It also lets you pass a service fee to the guest as its own line item, which keeps your listed price whole.
Bokun has embeddable booking widgets and lets you pass its booking fee to the guest too, folded into the overall price. Both work for direct sales. Xola simply makes the checkout the center of the product.
Front desk and day-of operations
Xola has a native POS, ticket scanning for check-in, digital waivers, and a phone booking flow. For an attraction with a busy front desk and walk-ups, that is a tidy package in one plan.
Bokun covers calendars, manifests, staff access, and offline bookings at no Bokun fee. Resource allocation and subvendor tools sit on higher plans. Test check-in and waiver flows in a demo before you assume they match what Xola ships.
Plans and setup
Bokun splits features across START, PLUS, and PREMIUM. Higher plans add user seats, agent portals, Zapier, subvendor management, onboarding, and a yearly strategy session. Xola does not tier its features; every account gets the same toolset, with onboarding and support included.
Neither is built to run a rental counter. Both can sell gear as an add-on to a tour. Neither aims to track a single kayak or e-bike through damage checks, repairs, and returns the way rental software does.
Pricing Comparison
Headline numbers only tell part of the story. Model each option against your real mix of direct, OTA, reseller, and offline bookings, plus card processing.
Bokun pricing
Bokun publishes three paid plans: START at $49/month plus 1.5%, PLUS at $149/month plus 1.25%, and PREMIUM at $499/month plus 1% on applicable online bookings. Bokun charges 0% on Viator and offline bookings. You can cover the fee yourself or pass it to the guest. Card processing depends on your payment provider and sits on top.
At $100,000 in online bookings a year, with you paying the fee, START comes to about $2,088, PLUS about $3,038, and PREMIUM about $6,988 before card fees. If much of that volume runs through Viator, your Bokun fee drops.
Xola pricing
Xola does not publish a monthly subscription. Its pricing page lists 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction in the US, with different rates outside the US. Xola's help center also describes service fee setups. One is a 3% fee on all payment types and another is a 6% fee on online card bookings, both paid by the guest. Xola does not publish one all-in price for every operator, so get a written quote for your setup and volume.
The guest-pays model can keep your margin intact. The trade-off is a visible extra charge at checkout, which some guests notice. Run it past your own conversion numbers.
EquipDash pricing
EquipDash bills annually at $23/month for Starter (2% platform fee), $55/month for Growth (1.5%), and $119/month for Pro (1%). At $100,000 in annual bookings, that is about $2,276, $2,160, and $2,428 before card processing. See current EquipDash pricing.
Those numbers land close to Bokun START. The difference is what you get for the money: per-unit rental inventory and tours in one system, rather than the strongest Viator pipe.
Best For: When to Choose Each
Choose Bokun if
- Viator, OTAs, or local resellers bring in a big share of bookings.
- You want a low, published monthly plan and a booking fee you can forecast.
- You resell other suppliers' tours or need agent portals.
- You take plenty of phone and walk-in bookings and like that they carry no Bokun fee.
Choose Xola if
- Your own website is the main sales channel and checkout conversion is the priority.
- You want guests to cover the service fee instead of your margin.
- You run an attraction with a front desk, POS, ticket scanning, and waivers.
- You prefer one plan with every feature over tiered upgrades.
Choose a third option if
- You rent gear as well as run tours, and both share one fleet.
- You need per-unit stock, damage notes, and check-in tied to a specific item.
- You want a fee that drops as you move up plans.
A Third Option: Rentals and Tours in One System
If you only sell tours, Bokun and Xola are both solid choices, and your channel mix should decide. If you also rent kayaks, bikes, or boards, both leave the rental side thin. That often means a second tool, double data entry, and the risk that the board on the 9am lesson is also booked as a half-day hire.
EquipDash treats rentals and experiences as equals, with shared availability, resource management, payments, waivers, and staff workflows in one place. It will not out-distribute Bokun on Viator or replace Xola's checkout focus for a pure attraction. If your week spans the rental counter and the tour schedule, one system that understands both beats two that each do half.
Want the full field? Read the equipment rental software comparison and our list of FareHarbor alternatives.
FAQ
What is the main difference between Bokun and Xola?
Bokun is a tour booking system built around distribution, with a strong channel manager and close ties to Viator. Xola is reservation software built around direct checkout, front desk tools, and guest-paid fees. Both take online bookings; they win customers in different ways.
Is Bokun cheaper than Xola?
It depends on your volume and channels. Bokun charges $49 to $499 per month plus a 1% to 1.5% fee on online bookings, with no Bokun fee on Viator or offline bookings. Xola has no published subscription and lists 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction in the US, with service fee setups guests can pay. Get a written quote from Xola and model both against your real booking mix.
Does Xola charge a monthly fee?
Xola does not publish a monthly subscription. Its pricing page lists a per-transaction rate, and its help center describes service fee options, such as 3% or 6%, that guests can pay. Confirm which setup applies to your account before you sign.
Does Bokun work with Viator?
Yes. Bokun is owned by Tripadvisor, which also owns Viator, and it connects closely to Viator. Bokun charges no booking fee on Viator reservations on its START, PLUS, and PREMIUM plans.
Can Bokun or Xola handle equipment rentals?
Both can sell gear as a product or add-on to a tour. Neither is built to track individual rental units through damage checks, repairs, and returns. If rentals are a real part of your revenue, test that workflow in a demo or look at rental-first software.
Which is easier to set up, Bokun or Xola?
Bokun offers a 14-day free trial you can set up yourself, with onboarding on PLUS and PREMIUM. Xola includes onboarding and support for every account. Ask both to set up one real tour, one add-on, a date change, and a refund before you judge.
What is an alternative to both Bokun and Xola?
EquipDash is an alternative for operators that run both rentals and tours. It combines booking, per-unit inventory, payments, waivers, and staff workflows, with annual plans from $23 per month and platform fees that drop from 2% to 1% by tier.
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