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Tripistic vs spreadsheets vs OTA-only
An honest look at cost, control and guest data ownership. Most operators use all three — the question is what runs your core business.
| Tripistic | Spreadsheets + inbox | OTA marketplaces only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per direct booking | Flat monthly plan; online payments coming soon (0% Tripistic commission on your own gateway when live) | Free, until you count staff hours | 15–25% commission on every booking |
| Guest data ownership | Yours — full CRM export anytime | Yours, but scattered and manual | Marketplace owns the customer relationship |
| Bookings, CRM and operations in one place | Bookings, manifests, guides, fleet, waivers | Five tools that never talk to each other | Only the marketplace listing |
| Your own brand on the booking flow | Custom domains and white label | No booking flow at all | Guests book on the marketplace's brand |
| Digital waivers and guest documents | Built in, signed before arrival | Paper and clipboards | Rarely, and not yours to keep |
| Repeat and direct business | CRM + customer portal drive repeat direct bookings | Possible, all manual | You compete on price next to every rival |
Common questions
Should I stop listing on OTAs?
No — marketplaces bring discovery. The problem is being OTA-only: commissions of 15–25% and no guest relationship. Operators grow by converting marketplace guests into direct repeaters.
Isn't a spreadsheet free?
The software is free; the operator hours are not. Copying names, reconciling payments and chasing waivers is paid staff time — and it breaks exactly when you grow.
How is Tripistic priced?
Flat monthly plans. Online card payments are coming soon; when they launch, your own gateway carries no Tripistic platform commission and the fallback rail is free for the first 50 settled bookings, then 2%. See the savings calculator on the pricing page.