Zaui is a 20-year-old reservation platform that's genuinely strong for shuttle and transport operators, with deep OTA and marketplace connectivity. But its free plan adds a 6% service fee to every consumer online booking, onboarding is demo-led with no self-serve trial, the interface feels dated, and equipment rentals are thin. EquipDash is a transparent $23/mo subscription with no per-booking service fee, a 21-day self-serve trial, native rentals and tours, native digital waivers, and a built-in AI assistant.
30-SECOND READ
2026 FEATURE COMPARISON
The factors rental and tour operators ask about most. Each claim links to a source.
| Feature |
Rentals + tours combined
|
Zaui
Transport-first, demo-led
|
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model How you actually pay | $23/mo + 2% platform fee | $0/mo + 6% online booking fee |
| Published pricing | ||
| Self-serve free trial | 21 days | Demo-led; free plan |
| Tours & experiences Sightseeing, multi-day, activities | ||
| Transport & shuttle reservations Vehicles, routes, pickups | Not route-based | Core strength |
| Equipment rentals Item-level tracking, availability, bundles | ||
| Equipment maintenance Asset logs, checklists, service history | ||
| Walk-in POS Dedicated point of sale | Mobile POS app | |
| iOS + Android mobile app | ||
| Native AI assistant In-product generative AI + autonomous follow-ups | Dash AI + Agents | Nera insights only |
| MCP — use with ChatGPT & Claude | ||
| Native digital waivers Built-in e-signature, reminders, expiry | Smartwaiver integration | |
| Reviews & surveys Post-booking review capture, NPS | ||
| OTA / channel distribution Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Busbud | Via integrations | 90+ partners |
| Modern interface Day-to-day usability | ||
| Independent / ownership | Independent | Independent · Vancouver, est. 1999 |
| Starting price | $23/mo (annual) | $0/mo + 6% online fee |
PRICING TRANSPARENCY
Zaui's entry plan is free monthly but charges a 6% service fee on consumer online bookings — here's how that compares.
Source: zaui.com/pricing
For a $1,000/week operator running mostly online bookings, Zaui's 6% fee is roughly $60/week ($3,120/year) vs $23/mo + 2% on EquipDash. The gap narrows if most of your volume is offline (Zaui charges no fee there) or if you hit Enterprise volumes that negotiate the rate toward 1%. Verify current rates before committing.
BALANCED VIEW
No platform wins on every dimension. Here's the honest split.
MIGRATION
Export your customers, bookings, and products from Zaui to CSV, and EquipDash imports them directly — so you can stand up a working account and run a real week before you commit. No discovery call, no contract, no migration fee.
OTHER OPTIONS
EquipDash isn't the only alternative. These three are the most commonly compared against Zaui for tour, activity, and rental operations.
Tour-first and owned by Booking Holdings, with strong OTA distribution. Commission-based (~6% booking fee) and demo-only, with no public price page. Thin on equipment rentals and native waivers.
Subscription-based ($49+/mo) plus a booking fee, with published pricing and a free trial. Strongest pure channel-manager for OTA distribution, but lighter on rentals and maintenance.
Flexible booking platform that handles both activities and rentals on a transparent subscription. Broad and configurable, but lacks native AI and the equipment-maintenance depth rental operators need.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
The questions operators ask before switching from Zaui. Contact us if yours isn't here.
Contact UsFor transport and shuttle operators, yes — Zaui has been running since 1999 and is genuinely strong on vehicle, route, and pickup management, plus wide OTA and marketplace distribution (90+ partners). The common criticisms are a dated interface with a steep learning curve, a 6% service fee on consumer online bookings on the free plan, and thin equipment-rental depth. It holds about 4.3/5 on Capterra across 54 reviews.
Flat $23/mo + 2%. Transparent pricing, native rentals + tours, waivers & AI included. 21-day free trial, no discovery call, no contract.
