Planyo vs FareHarbor: What Are The Main Differences?

Choosing an online booking system for your business is often a complicated and time-consuming task. You need to assess your business needs, set a budget, and then spend a lot of time comparing different booking systems.

To make your task easier, we’re taking a look at Planyo and FareHarbor, which are both online booking solutions for business in the tourism and hospitality industry. We’ll outline what Planyo and FareHarbor have to offer and what their main differences are. 

We’ll also suggest some alternative management programs so you can find the best booking solution for your business

Features

Every reservation system offers a slightly different management system and booking website. This includes back-end solutions, such as booking details, payments, integrations, and tracking. It also includes front-end solutions, which your users will see: the booking widget itself, live availability online, and automated emails.

Here’s how Planyo and FareHarbor’s management tools measure-up on these kinds of features.

Planyo

• Quick set-up and easy integration with existing or new online websites.
• Customizable for scheduling any rental, booking, or appointments (for days, nights, hours, or events).
• The entire website is already built for you.
• Supports Web, iPhone, and Android platforms for scheduling.
• Real-time availability calendar can be embedded on your website.
• Customizable reservation form.
• Over 70 payment gateways accepted, and no extra charge for credit card bookings.

FareHarbor

• Intuitive dashboard for scheduling and managing your bookings online.
• Supports Web, iPhone, Android, and Windows phone platforms.
• ‘Lightframe’ overlay over any of your online pages to let customers check out without leaving your site.
• Comprehensive management reports provided for online bookings, operations, and accounting.
• Real-time availability 24/7 to take bookings outside of business hours.
• Excellent affiliate program to track and get paid for online reservations made with partners.
• Set up your personalized email and text booking confirmations.

Pricing

Cost is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting an online booking management system. The payment models vary widely between providers, and you’ll want to check the terms and conditions carefully to make sure there are no hidden costs later down the line. Some ask for a one-off up-front payment, whereas others work on a commission basis.

Planyo

Planyo’s management software comes in two different pricing packages: Planyo PRO and Planyo PRO-COMM.

• Planyo PRO starts at £18.99 per month at a fixed rate. With this package, you don’t have to pay for months without rentals, and you get a 10% discount when you make up-front payments for 12 months.

• Planyo PRO-COMM works on a commission basis rather than a monthly charge. Commission ranges from 0.5-1.5% on online reservations made by customers, while admin-entered reservations are free.

You get a 30-day free trial for both booking management packages, which means you can test out the online booking software before committing to a monthly price plan.

FareHarbor

FareHarbor has a completely different pricing structure. Rather than charging tour operators on a subscription-based plan, the company charges a ‘pay-as-you-go’ flat rate of 1.9% + 30 cents to your credit card. This means that you can access all of its features with no strings attached.

You can use a free demo of the software without entering card details, which is a bonus if you want to try out different reservation software.

Support

If you’re operating a business that relies on taking bookings, you understand how important it is to avoid complex reservation processes, errors, overbooking, and website problems.

Therefore, good support is an important factor when choosing your reservation management software so that any problems can be fixed quickly.

Planyo

Planyo is a complex booking software package, so you’ll likely need some support in getting set-up if you choose to use this software. The support services include:

• 24/7 email support for all your queries, with a guaranteed response time of 24 hours or less (excluding weekends).
• Extensive user guides for each part of the process of setting up your Planyo site.

FareHarbor

FareHarbor offers excellent support services, with the bonus of a dedicated training session when you sign-up. The support services cover:

• One-to-one training session with an onboarding executive when you join. This provides an opportunity to learn how to navigate the software and ask any questions.
• 24/7 support is provided to answer all your questions and queries on its management system.
• No extra cost for hands-on support or onboarding training.

What's the Alternative?

Planyo is a great management software for businesses taking any appointments for days, nights, hours, or events, while FareHarbor is a great package for small businesses with competitive pricing.

However, these services are not without their drawbacks. While FareHarbor is great for small businesses and start-ups, the management system isn’t sophisticated enough to meet more complex requirements. Meanwhile, Planyo’s price structures are complex, and its complicated user interface is difficult to navigate unless you’re a pro. 

You may find that management alternatives like Roverd are better for managing your reservations and onboarding new customers. Our software is easy to use for beginners and efficiently designed to handle types of bookings.

Contact our team of tour management experts at Roverd today!