So, you’re fed up with Checkfront.
Maybe it’s the clunky interface, the endless loading screens, or the fact that you’re paying for features you don’t need. Sound familiar? You’re not alone—many tour operators want a better way to manage bookings without losing their sanity.
In this article, we’ve strung together 9 Checkfront alternatives that might save the day. Each online booking software has its own flavor, pros and cons, and focuses on fixing what Checkfront lacks. No fluff, no clichés—only facts.
Maybe you want better support, better customizability, or something else. This article will help you choose an alternative to Checkfront.
Key Things to Know Before Switching from Checkfront
Before going into the alternatives, let’s lay out the things to consider before making your choice. Switching from Checkfront requires preparation to ensure a smooth transition and a better fit for your tour business. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Current Pain Points: Identify what’s not working with Checkfront. Whether it be high fees, complex setup, or limited features, target solutions that address those gaps.
- Data Migration: Checkfront holds your bookings and customer data. Confirm that alternatives offer import or export tools to avoid starting from scratch.
- Staff Training: New software means a learning curve. Look for intuitive interfaces or easy onboarding to cut downtime.
- Cost Trade-Offs: Checkfront’s 3% fee and $42/month fee might be swapped for no-fee subscriptions or lower rates—calculate long-term savings.
- Customer Impact: Prioritize platforms with a seamless front-end experience. A clunky booking switch could frustrate guests and lose customers.
- Trial Commitment: Leverage free trials (e.g., 14 or 30 days) to test actual workflows—don’t just browse demos.
- Contract Terms: Checkfront’s plans are month-to-month—verify if alternatives lock you in or charge cancellation fees.
- Peer Feedback: Search forums or ask fellow operators about their switch experiences to spot red flags or hidden perks.
With these factors in focus, you’ll be ready to test the alternatives and make a more confident move.
Better Alternatives to Checkfront
Tripcart
Tripcart is the ideal checkfront alternative for every tour operator. Setting it up is straightforward, and onboarding is as easy as a few clicks. Plus, their support team is always available for any assistance needed.
Tripcart offers a tour booking engine and a website builder. You can craft a fast and eye-catching travel platform to showcase your tours. This integrated approach simplifies the process of presenting your offerings online.
You can create unlimited tour packages and unlimited itineraries for them. This helps customers visualize their experience before making a successful booking. Tripcart also supports multiple payment gateways, giving you flexibility in booking management.
Moreover, Tripcart also offers advanced features like extra services, coupon codes, custom pricing, and abandoned cart recovery. These help add to your revenue by increasing your tours’ average order value (AOV).
Unlike Checkfront, customizing packages is easy, allowing businesses to adapt to trends and customer needs. With little effort, you can create single-day or multi-day adventures.
Other highlights include team member access, custom email automation, and SEO content analysis. All these features allow you to create and market your tour packages more efficiently.
Best For: Operators wanting a standalone, cost-effective solution with growth potential.
Key Features:
- Integrated Website Builder: Create a branded, SEO-friendly site with drag-and-drop ease—no separate hosting required.
- Booking Management: Handle reservations, cancellations, and itineraries from one dashboard.
- Revenue Boosters: Upselling, cross-selling, and abandoned cart recovery tools to increase average order value (AOV).
- Data & Analytics: Track booking trends and customer behavior for data-driven decisions.
- Email Automation: Set up email confirmations, reminders, and follow-ups to automatically be sent to customers.
Pricing: 30-day free trial (no credit card needed), then $29 monthly—no booking fees!
Pros
- No commission fees—just a flat subscription.
- Free hosting and SEO tools simplify setup and visibility.
- Quick and helpful customer support.
- Scalable for small to mid-sized operators.
Cons
- Lacks deep OTA integrations compared to Checkfront.
Tripcart’s no booking fees + included hosting undercut Checkfront’s 3% fee and $42/month base cost.
WP Travel Engine
WP Travel Engine combines powerful travel management tools with an efficient booking system. It helps small-scale businesses with niche tour activities thrive.
WP Travel Engine is a leading WordPress plugin designed for tour operators. It has been used on over 20,000+ travel websites, has countless positive reviews, and is a powerhouse software for tour booking.
WP Travel Engine offers a free-to-use version with basic capabilities such as unlimited tour listing, advanced trip search, discount coupons, etc. The paid version starts at $12/month to add even more features to help manage your website.
Like Tripcart, it also doesn’t charge any booking or service fees. This lets you keep 100% of all booking transactions, helping optimize savings and revenue.
Furthermore, WP Travel Engine features endless integration options. Mix and match any extensions available on WordPress to add even more functionality to your travel platform.
The plugin also features customization options such as unlimited itineraries, custom widgets, and SEO tools. WP Travel Engine is also optimized and schema-ready for core web vitals to help boost your platform to a broader audience.
Best For: Small operators or agencies with WordPress sites seeking flexibility on a budget.
Key Features:
- Tour Management: Create detailed itineraries, pricing, and availability schedules.
- Payment Gateways: Supports PayPal, Stripe, and more with multi-currency options.
- Booking System: Seamless integration into WordPress sites.
- SEO-Friendly: Boosts visibility with schema-ready templates.
- Add-Ons: Extend functionality (e.g., group discounts, trip extras) with premium options.
Pricing: Free core plugin; premium plans start at $12/month for a single site.
Pros
- Free version covers basics—ideal for startups.
- Highly customizable within WordPress ecosystems.
- Affordable annual pricing compared to monthly subscriptions.
Cons
- Requires WordPress familiarity and hosting.
WP Travel Engine’s free tier and lower annual cost beat Checkfront’s monthly fees, but it’s less robust for non-WordPress users or complex operations.
Bókun
#3 on the Checkfront alternatives list is Bókun. It is a booking management platform designed to help you run and manage your tour business with minimal effort.
Bókun shines with its deep integration into OTAs like Viator and Expedia. This makes it an ideal tour booking software for operators looking to resell and cross-sell their offerings.
Moreover, its automated booking system cuts down on manual tasks like scheduling and email notifications. It also lets you tweak rates, lowering them for budget travelers in off-seasons or hiking them during peak demand.
Users praise its customer support for quick resolutions, a standout perk.
However, drawbacks include an interface often described as clunky and unintuitive, burying its robust features behind a steep learning curve. This complexity makes crafting an easy-to-navigate booking site challenging, harming customer experience.
Still, Bókun’s OTA prowess and revenue-focused tools make it a premium alternative to Checkfront, despite its higher cost.
Best For: OTA-reliant operators on a tight budget.
Key Features:
- Website Widgets: Embed booking tools on your site.
- OTA Sync: Free Viator integration, plus Expedia and others.
- Low Fees: 1%–1.5% per online booking.
- Availability Sync: Prevents overbooking across channels.
- CRM Tools: Automate customer interactions.
Pricing: Free to start with 1%–1.5% booking fees; premium plans are custom-priced.
Pros
- Low entry cost for small operators.
- Extensive OTA connectivity.
- No subscription unless scaling up.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Setup can be technical.
Bókun’s lower fees and OTA focus outshine Checkfront’s broader feature set and higher costs.
TicketingHub
TicketingHub can be a very good fit for you if you are looking for a budget-friendly option to start your tour business. It offers real-time insights and data about revenue, customer behavior, and booking trends.
One of the strongest features TicketingHub offers is its point-of-sale (POS) system. Along with its automated booking process, it lets you automatically book tours online or manually do it offline.
Moreover, you can also create customizable itineraries to help customers book their ideal tour package. You can also create dynamic pricing strategies, optimizing your tours to generate maximum revenue.
It is perfect as an online ticketing system and is better at the more ticket-centric aspects of tours than Checkfront.
Best For: Small operators avoiding subscriptions.
Key Features:
- Central Dashboard: Manage bookings and sales.
- No Monthly Fees: 3% per booking only.
- Automation: Emails, reviews, and cart recovery.
- OTA Integration: Syncs with major platforms.
- Mobile App: On-the-go access.
Pricing: No subscription; 3% fee per booking.
Pros
- Budget-friendly with no fixed costs.
- Solid support.
Cons
- Fees stack up with volume.
- Lacks advanced tools.
TicketingHub’s no-base-cost model contrasts with Checkfront’s flat rate, though it’s lighter on features.
Rezdy
Rezdy is a strong choice for operators that need a straightforward booking platform with OTA integration. It is an alternative that simplifies bookings for tour and activity operators.
With its merger with Checkfront, Rezdy has almost everything Checkfront offers and more. It supports real-time availability and integrates with OTAs like GetYourGuide and Viator. It also provides a marketplace to connect users with resellers and distributors.
Moreover, it offers a centralized dashboard that helps manage bookings, inventory, and customer data more effectively.
Save time and ensure consistent customer communication with the automated communication system. It handles booking confirmation, reminders, and follow-up emails, helping enhance customer experience.
Best For: Mid-to-large businesses with complex needs.
Key Features:
- Booking Tools: Multi-day tours and real-time updates.
- Channel Manager: OTA and reseller sync.
- Payments: Stripe, PayPal, and more.
- Reports: Sales and performance insights.
- Mobile Access: App-based management.
Pricing: $49/month + 2% booking fee; custom enterprise options.
Pros
- Scales well for larger operations.
- Strong B2B features.
- Flexible tiers.
Cons
- Higher cost with fees.
- Overkill for solo operators.
Rezdy’s B2B edge and merger overlap make it a close cousin, but its fees tip the scale.
FareHarbor
FareHarbor, under Booking Holdings, is a very good alternative to Checkfront. It offers a polished, user-friendly experience that revolves around its dashboard, centralizing your operations.
With FareHarbor, you can manage reservations, staff assignments, and more—all in a snap.
It offers a website builder with templates and SEO optimization, helping you quickly launch a professional booking site. This allows you to create a travel brand that users love and trust.
Moreover, FareHarbor also offers a POS system that lets you capture in-person bookings anywhere, a boon for local travel operators. It also features a mobile app that adds convenience, keeping you in control on the move.
While FareHarbor offers a free version to test its capabilities, it’s limited, nudging you toward their paid plans. The catch?
Its steep 6% booking fee—double Checkfront’s 3%—plus credit card charges and recent hosting fee changes make it one of the priciest options. A user review sums it up: “Great features, but the costs creep up fast.”
Best For: Operators prioritizing support over fees.
Key Features:
- Booking Engine: Customizable widgets.
- Resource Tracking: Guides and equipment.
- Marketing: Promo codes and upsells.
- Free Onboarding: Dedicated setup help.
- Mobile POS: On-site payments.
Pricing: No subscription; 6% per online booking.
Pros
- Exceptional support.
- No upfront costs.
- Broad integrations.
Cons
- High booking fees.
- Less pricing flexibility.
FareHarbor’s customer support shines, but its 6% fee dwarfs Checkfront’s 3%.
Peek Pro
Peek Pro targets growth with marketing and pricing tools for larger operations. It combines a sleek booking interface with strong marketing and branding capabilities.
In comparison to Checkfront, Peek Pro operates on a commission-based model. You won’t have to make any upfront payments, making it accessible for businesses of all scales and sizes. This is especially well-suited for small businesses with budget constraints.
Moreover, Peek Pro also offers real-time syncing with popular OTA platforms. This allows you to showcase your offerings to a broader audience. It also offers a mobile app to help you manage your tour business on the go.
Best For: Revenue-driven, growing businesses.
Key Features:
- Dynamic Pricing: Demand-based rates.
- Memberships: Sell packages.
- OTA Sync: Major platform integration.
- Retargeting: Abandoned cart emails.
- Mobile App: Full management.
Pricing: Paid plans start at $26 per agent, with a 2.3% + $0.30 fee per transaction.
Pros
- Revenue-focused features.
- No per-booking costs.
- Strong analytics.
Cons
- High starting price.
- Complex for small setups.
Peek Pro’s marketing tools outpace Checkfront, but its cost is steeper.
TrekkSoft
If you want an option that allows you to cater to the international market, TrekkSoft is a good alternative to Checkfront. It is made for travel agencies that want to make their workflow and operations more efficient.
TrekkSoft offers OTA integration capabilities with channels like Viator and Expedia. This allows you to seamlessly showcase your tours on these channels and get them booked.
Furthermore, TrekkSoft allows you to connect with resellers and distributors to help make your tour packages accessible to a global audience.
One standout feature that TrekkSoft offers is the ability to accept payments directly on their platform. This lets you bypass payment processor fees altogether, letting you keep 100% of the booking transactions.
It also features tools for booking, pricing, and resource management that help you manage your platform and business.
As for its customer support, according to reviews we’ve seen, TrekkSoft’s support team is highly praised. They are quick, polite, and offer all the assistance you need to run a successful travel business.
Best For: Mid-sized, international operators.
Key Features:
- Website Builder: Custom sites or widgets.
- OTA Connections: Viator, Expedia, etc.
- Payments: Multi-currency support.
- Staff Apps: iOS/Android access.
- Customer Support: Quick and helpful.
Pricing: Free-to-use base plan with 5% booking fee & 2.5% + $0.25 credit card fees.
Pros
- Multi-currency strength.
- Scalable options.
Cons
- High booking fees.
- Inactivity fees apply.
TrekkSoft’s global tools edge out Checkfront, but its booking fees are higher.
TRYTN
Last on the list is TRYTN. This simple tour booking solution emphasizes direct bookings with an easy-to-use interface. Its uncluttered platform is made to configure tours and get them booked without hassle.
Their support team is also top-notch. They are always ready to step in with any assistance you need when in a snag. This alone makes it better than Checkfront in terms of onboarding and resources.
TRYTN supports multiple sales channels, helping you capture bookings from different streams—think direct site sales, partners, or even social media.
However, it is last on the list because they don’t make monthly pricing available to the public and charge a 5% booking fee. This can be passed down to the customer, but a 5% fee on every booking isn’t viable for small businesses.
Best For: Direct-booking advocates.
Key Features:
- Booking Engine: Direct-sales optimized.
- Marketing: Subsidized web and campaigns.
- Automation: ERP/PMS integration.
- Analytics: Sales tracking.
- Customer Portal: Easy booking.
Pricing: 5% per online booking, monthly costs not made available.
Pros
- Direct revenue focus.
- Clean interface.
- Marketing support.
Cons
- Higher entry cost.
- Limited OTA emphasis.
TRYTN’s direct focus contrasts with Checkfront’s OTA versatility.
Conclusion
And there it is! 9 of the best options to Checkfront with Tripcart and WP Travel Engine leading the way. Do keep in mind that the alternatives listed here are purely subjective and up for debate.
Some prefer more straightforward tools like TRYTN for simplicity, or something easy to set up and intuitive like Tripcart.
Be mindful of your wants and needs, and select the one that best fits your needs. We hope this article helps you choose the best Checkfront alternative for your business.
Happy bookings!
