CaptainBook.io
Xola
VS.
Xola markets itself as a no-subscription booking platform with “industry-low” credit card rates. On the surface, 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction sounds cheap. But once you add the undisclosed partner fee passed to your customers and the lack of transparent pricing, the picture changes.
If you’re looking for a Xola alternative, here’s how CaptainBook and Xola actually compare.
CaptainBook vs Xola: The Xola Alternative Without Customer Fees
CaptainBook.io
Xola
Starting price
$54/mo, 0% on direct bookings
No subscription, 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction
Fee added to your customer’s checkout
None. Your customers pay the price you set
A partner fee on every purchase (Xola has said 6% on online bookings)
Pricing transparency
Every plan and fee published on our website
Card rate shown; partner fee requires a sales call
Free trial
14 days, no credit card
Free demo
Why Operators Switch to CaptainBook from Xola
Zero direct booking fees. The price you set is the price your customer pays. No surcharges and no hidden markups, on every plan.
Predictable costs. A published plan price instead of a percentage plus a fee on every booking.
Guide and resource scheduling. Assign guides, boats and equipment to specific time slots, so you prevent overbooking at the resource level, not just the calendar level.
Multi-language from day one. Talk to guests in their own language without workarounds or third-party tools.
1
Xola advertises 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction as its pricing. But that’s just the credit card processing rate. On top of that, Xola charges a “small partner fee” to your customers on every purchase.
How much is that fee? It isn’t on Xola’s website. You need a sales call to find out. In a public reply to a review on Capterra, Xola has said it charges a 6% guest fee on online bookings.
This is the same model FareHarbor and Peek Pro use: no monthly fee, but a customer-facing surcharge on every booking.
The problem? Your customers see a higher price at checkout than the one you advertised, and you don’t fully control how big that markup is.
Operators have noticed. One reviewer said Xola “is more expensive than some of the other options”. Another left Xola after it “changed their plan to get 6% of my customers money with their fees”, because they didn’t want to pass fees on to their customers.
2
Xola passes its partner fee directly to the customer at checkout.
That means the price your customer sees is higher than the one you set. FareHarbor works the same way. Baymard Institute’s checkout research found that 48% of online shoppers who abandon a purchase do so because extra costs like fees were too high.
Picture a customer comparing your $50 boat tour (with Xola’s fee added) to a competitor’s $50 tour on a platform without customer-facing fees. Yours looks more expensive.
You didn’t raise your price. Xola did.
CaptainBook charges 0% on direct bookings across all plans. The price you set is the price your customer pays. No surprises at checkout.
“With CaptainBook.io our daily booking operations are easier than ever. Our customers are thrilled when they call us for an experience and we send them the link to make the reservation. We save precious time and our customers are much more happy.”
Dreamland
Travel Agency in Corfu, Greece
3
What Xola Is Missing
Flexible guide scheduling. Xola offers equipment management, but operators say guide assignment and staff scheduling can feel rigid, and one keeps guide bookings in a separate spreadsheet because Xola’s guide management doesn’t fit how they work. CaptainBook lets you assign specific guides, boats, vehicles and equipment to each time slot.
Published pricing. You can’t see Xola’s full cost without a sales conversation. CaptainBook’s pricing is on the website, with every plan visible.
Fee-free checkout for your customers. Xola’s partner fee means your customers pay more than the price you set. That’s a conversion killer.
“The CaptainBook Team are always super fast to respond and to resolve each little issue I have encountered during use. The system is very user-friendly and easy to use. I feel their personal attention on making the system fit with my business and my needs.”
Philema Food Tours
Travel Operator in Naxos Island, Greece
Frequently asked questions
How much does Xola cost?
Xola has no subscription and advertises 2.39% + $0.30 per transaction, which is its card processing rate. On top of that, it charges your customers a partner fee on every purchase. The amount isn’t on Xola’s website, but Xola has said in a public reply on Capterra that it charges a 6% guest fee on online bookings.
Does CaptainBook add a fee at checkout?
CaptainBook never adds a fee at checkout. The price you set is the price your customer pays, on every plan, and you pay 0% on direct bookings.
How much does CaptainBook cost?
Plans start at $54 a month, or $46 a month billed yearly, with 0% on direct bookings. Every plan and fee is published on our pricing page.
Can I try CaptainBook before I switch?
You can try CaptainBook free for 14 days, no credit card required, and cancel anytime. When you sign up, our AI agent visits your website and sets up starter products from it, so you can try the platform straight away, and you can book a demo if you’d like a walkthrough first.
Any further questions?
If you have any further questions or need more information about CaptainBook.io, contact us. We’re a click away.
