Bókun vs FareHarbor: Fee Models, OTA Links and Who Each Suits
One owned by the group behind Viator, one by the group behind Booking.com — and priced in almost opposite ways.
Bókun and FareHarbor are both backed by the largest groups in travel. Bókun belongs to Tripadvisor, Viator's parent company. FareHarbor belongs to Booking Holdings, the group behind Booking.com. That shapes each offer, though in different ways: Bókun's ownership shows up directly in its pricing, while FareHarbor's material emphasises support and the breadth of its connections.
This comparison uses what each company publishes. Gaps in what they publish are marked as gaps, with the question to put to the vendor. It ends with where Travelity fits as a third option, including where both are stronger.
Fee models compared
| Bókun | FareHarbor | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Free plan, then $49, $149 or $499 | None mandatory |
| Direct online booking fee | 1.5%, 1.25% or 1% | Set by volume and setup; not published |
| Who pays it | Operator's choice | Added to the guest's checkout |
| Viator bookings | No Bókun fee on paid plans | Ask |
| Offline bookings | No Bókun fee | Ask |
Bókun publishes its full price list; our Bókun pricing guide covers every plan. FareHarbor describes a per-booking fee with no mandatory monthly platform fee, priced by volume and setup, so you receive your rate in a demo; outside estimates most often put it around 6%. Our FareHarbor pricing guide explains what is and is not published.
What each costs at different volumes
Adding up every fee a booking carries, whether the guest or the operator pays it, with a $60 direct online booking, FareHarbor at 6%, Bókun START absorbing its own fee, and card processing counted at 2.9% plus $0.30 where shown:
| Per month | 50 direct bookings | 200 | 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FareHarbor at 6% | $180 | $720 | $1,800 |
| Bókun START | $94 | $229 | $499 |
| Bókun START + processing | $196 | $637 | $1,519 |
The comparison depends on whether FareHarbor's fee covers card processing, which published sources dispute. If processing is extra on both, it drops out, and Bókun START is cheaper above about 19 bookings a month. If it is inside FareHarbor's fee, compare against the bottom row: FareHarbor is cheaper at 50 bookings, and Bókun takes over above about 75.
The rate moves the answer too: with processing included, the crossover sits near 817 bookings a month at 5% and near 27 at 8%. And the table counts direct bookings only. Every Viator booking you add costs nothing extra on Bókun's paid plans, so a Viator-heavy mix tilts further its way; ask FareHarbor how it charges on bookings that arrive through marketplaces before completing your own comparison.
A mixed month shows why. Take 200 bookings: 80 through Viator, 80 direct and 40 by phone or in person. On Bókun START, the subscription and fees come to $121 — the Viator and offline bookings add nothing — or $284 once card processing on the 80 direct bookings is included. FareHarbor's 6% on the 80 direct bookings alone comes to $288, before whatever it charges on the Viator and offline ones. The more of your business runs through Viator, the wider that gap becomes.
Bókun's free Viator submission checks carry a value of their own if you would use them. START's 12 a year are worth $348 at Viator's $29 each — about 59% of the plan's $588 annual subscription. An operator with a few products that rarely change may use far fewer.
Ownership and OTA connectivity
Bókun's Tripadvisor ownership is visible in three concrete terms: no Bókun fee on Viator bookings, 12 to 48 free Viator submission checks a year depending on plan, and one-click import of existing Viator products. Beyond Viator, Bókun says it connects to over 2,600 OTAs and resellers, and bookings from those carry the plan's normal fee.
FareHarbor's own pages name Viator, GetYourGuide and Expedia among more than 250 connected OTAs and travel platforms, alongside the distribution network it runs itself. Its published material stresses that breadth and a single shared inventory pool rather than terms linked to any one channel. In short: Bókun offers the deepest advantage on one major marketplace; FareHarbor emphasises reach across many.
Neither ownership limits you to one group's channels. Bókun connects to GetYourGuide and Expedia as well as Viator, and FareHarbor lists Viator — owned by Bókun's parent — among its own integrations. The ownership question is about where each platform's best terms sit and which way its product is likely to develop, not about which marketplaces you are allowed to use.
Widget, website and payments
Both provide a booking flow for your own site. Bókun's paid plans add a no-code website builder, payment links, gift cards and a point-of-sale option that connects your Stripe account for card terminals or Tap to Pay on iPhone. Its payment providers vary by country. FareHarbor offers website services alongside its checkout, FareHarbor Dock for walk-up sales, and a mobile app that checks guests in without signal and scans QR tickets.
For guests, the difference shows at checkout. On a $60 tour, a 6% FareHarbor fee appears as $63.60; with Bókun you can absorb the fee so the guest pays $60, or pass on 1.5% so they pay $60.90 — and switch between the two during the year. The payment gateway guide covers comparing processing rates on either.
Marketplace and reseller features
Bókun runs its own marketplace of OTAs and resellers, available from START, and adds custom booking areas for agents — where you choose which experiences each agent sells and set commissions in advance — from PLUS. Multi-branch operators can link sub-accounts on PLUS and PREMIUM.
FareHarbor's distribution network lets affiliates resell your tours, which FareHarbor says reaches more than 500 affiliates. Its commissions are published and fixed: 20% on bookings through network referral links and 25% on bookings through its API, with affiliates earning 15%. Both approaches suit reselling; the difference is whether you set commissions yourself or accept a network rate.
Support and contracts
Support is a FareHarbor emphasis: 24/7 help by phone or email and a dedicated onboarding specialist for new operators. Bókun offers live chat from 7 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. GMT every day, extra go-live support and an annual account review on PLUS, and priority support on PREMIUM. If you operate far from European time zones, check how Bókun's hours line up with your working day.
Bókun's terms are month to month: it says plans can be changed or cancelled whenever you like, with no six- or twelve-month commitment. On FareHarbor's side, contract terms are not on its pricing pages, so raise the minimum term, notice period and exporting your data in the demo. With either, check before committing that your guest list and booking history can leave with you.
Fit by size, region and Viator dependence
- Heavy on Viator: Bókun is the natural fit, since its best terms apply exactly there.
- Very small or very seasonal: FareHarbor's lack of a monthly fee can win at low volume, especially if its fee covers processing. Bókun's FREE plan also suits operators only managing Viator and manual bookings.
- Growing and selling direct: Bókun's low percentage usually costs less once volume builds, whoever pays the processing.
- Want round-the-clock phone support: FareHarbor's published offer is the stronger of the two.
- Spread across many marketplaces: both connect widely; compare how each charges on the channels you actually use.
Region matters for payments and support. Check which payment providers each offers where you operate, and whether their support hours cover your day. Our three-way comparison adds Rezdy to the picture.
In a demo with either, ask:
- What will I pay on direct, marketplace and offline bookings — each separately?
- Best tour booking software: how to compare the options
- Does the fee include card processing, and which processors can I use where I operate?
- What will guests see at checkout, and can I change that later?
- What support hours apply in my time zone?
- How do I export my data if I leave?
Travelity as a third option
Travelity sits between the two models. It is priced at $39 a month for up to five users, $139 for up to ten and $399 for any number, with 1.9% charged on bookings made online, no charge on those you record yourself, and nothing added at the guest's checkout. It syncs with Viator, GetYourGuide and Trip.com.
To be straight about it: Bókun's published percentage is lower than ours, and it charges nothing on Viator bookings, so on fees alone Bókun costs less for many operators above modest volumes. FareHarbor connects to far more marketplaces and offers round-the-clock support. Travelity tends to fit operators who want a clean price for guests with no checkout fee, no charge on phone and walk-in bookings, and a simple monthly plan; our smallest plan also costs less than Bókun START below about 42 direct bookings a month. Trial the ones on your shortlist with your own products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bókun and FareHarbor?
Mainly how they charge and where their strengths lie. Bókun charges a monthly subscription with booking fees of 1% to 1.5%, waived entirely on Viator and offline bookings. FareHarbor has no mandatory monthly fee and earns mostly from a fee added to guests’ checkouts, at a rate set by volume and setup. Bókun’s edge is its Viator terms; FareHarbor emphasises 24/7 support and a very wide range of OTA connections.
Which is cheaper, Bókun or FareHarbor?
For most operators beyond small volumes, Bókun on the fee arithmetic. Taking a $60 booking and a 6% FareHarbor rate, Bókun’s START plan costs less above about 19 direct bookings a month if card processing is charged separately, or above about 75 if FareHarbor’s fee already includes processing. Viator bookings add to Bókun’s advantage because they carry no Bókun fee.
Who owns Bókun and FareHarbor?
Bókun belongs to Tripadvisor, the parent company of Viator. FareHarbor belongs to Booking Holdings, the group that owns Booking.com. Bókun’s ownership shows up directly in its pricing, through no fee on Viator bookings and free Viator submission checks. FareHarbor’s published material emphasises breadth of connections rather than terms tied to one channel.
Which should I choose if I sell mostly on Viator?
Bókun is hard to beat for a Viator-heavy business on software cost: its paid plans charge no Bókun fee on Viator bookings, include free Viator submission checks and import Viator products in one step. Ask FareHarbor how it charges on bookings that arrive from Viator and other marketplaces, and compare on your real channel mix.
Will my guests see a booking fee with Bókun or FareHarbor?
FareHarbor’s fee is charged to the guest, appearing as an extra line when they pay. Bókun lets operators choose on any paid plan: absorb its 1% to 1.5% fee or pass it on, and switch between the two during the year. On a $60 tour, a 6% fee shows as $63.60 at checkout; Bókun’s 1.5% passed on shows as $60.90.
Bottom line
Bókun charges a subscription with low booking fees and nothing on Viator or offline bookings; FareHarbor charges no monthly fee and adds its fee to guests' checkouts. On the arithmetic, Bókun usually costs less beyond small volumes, and more so for Viator-heavy businesses.
FareHarbor's case rests on no monthly commitment, round-the-clock support and breadth of connections. Ask FareHarbor for your rate and whether it includes processing, then run your own channel mix through both before choosing.
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