HolidayFox vs Bookalet
- HolidayFox
- HolidayFox is a full PMS for independent stays: calendar, bookings, payments, guest messaging, self check-in, a daily agenda, a booking widget or hosted website, after-hours live chat, and Google Hotels.
- Bookalet
- UK PMS: website calendar, invoicing, optional website builder
- Bookalet pricing
- Lite £139 / Pro £189 / Team £239 per year excl. VAT (bookalet.co.uk/pricing, checked 2026-09-11)(checked 2026-09-11)
- HolidayFox pricing
- free for the widget, or from £12.99/month for a full website + 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox
If you run a UK campsite, glamping site or a handful of cottages, Bookalet is one of the names on the shortlist. They sell a booking calendar on your own website, invoicing, automated emails, and they call it an all-in-one property management system.
I run HolidayFox, so this is not a neutral page. Bookalet is a real PMS. HolidayFox is a real PMS. The useful question is which book you want on the site the guest already found — and who answers at 9pm.
What Bookalet is, and what they do well
Bookalet is a UK cloud system for campsites, glamping and self-catering. Their public pitch is direct bookings on your website, payments into your own Stripe or PayPal, calendar sync with portals, and a 30-day trial with no setup fee.
Things Bookalet genuinely does well:
- It is a real PMS. Availability, pricing models (weekly, split-week, short-break, holiday), extras, invoices, payment tracking — not a brochure form.
- Published annual prices. Lite £139, Pro £189, Team £239 per year excl. VAT. Optional website builder from £149/year. Source: bookalet.co.uk/pricing, checked 2026-09-11.
- A widget on your site in your colours. Guests book without going to an OTA.
- Pro and Team add iCal/API channel management, housekeeper/key-holder logins, and (Team) owner accounts and commission reports.
If your priority is “a cheap annual diary with a calendar on my site and I will answer the emails myself,” Bookalet is a credible answer. We will not pretend a 5% commission is cheaper than £139 a year on software cost if you take a lot of direct.
What HolidayFox is, and where we are different
HolidayFox is a full PMS for independent stays: calendar, bookings, payments, guest messaging, self check-in, a daily agenda, a booking widget or hosted website, after-hours live chat, and Google Hotels.
The after-hours live-chat assistant is part of that book. Widget checkout is live. Paying inside the chat thread is still rolling out. You do not need Bookalet as a second diary. If you already have it, iCal can sync — you do not have to.
- Job to be done. Both run a diary and a website calendar. HolidayFox also answers the 9pm enquiry and lists you on Google Hotels.
- How you pay. Bookalet is an annual subscription whether anyone booked or not, plus an optional website builder. HolidayFox: free for the widget, or from £12.99/month for a full website plus 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox. Quiet months cost less.
- Where checkout lives. Both can take payment on your site. HolidayFox also puts a live assistant on that same domain.
- Risk to try. No joining fee. Keep Pitchup via iCal. Cancel if it is not working.
Side by side
| Capability | Bookalet | HolidayFox |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | UK PMS + website calendar | Full PMS for independent stays |
| The diary | Yes | Yes — that is the product |
| Website booking widget | Yes | Yes — Stripe on your domain |
| Live chat that sees stock | Automated emails; not a live booking chat | Yes — part of the book |
| Google Hotels | Not the headline product | Yes — feed included |
| Website if you have none | Builder from £149/year excl. VAT | Website in a Box from £12.99/month |
| Pricing model | £139–£239/year excl. VAT (published) | free for the widget, or from £12.99/month for a full website + 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox |
Bookalet figures from bookalet.co.uk/pricing, checked 2026-09-11. HolidayFox figures from holidayfox.com/en/partners, reviewed 2026-09-11.
Who each one is right for
- • You want a known annual software bill and will handle evening enquiries yourself.
- • You run a small agency and need owner accounts and commission reports (Bookalet Team).
- You want one system for the diary, website bookings, after-hours live chat and Google Hotels.
- You have a brochure or WordPress site and guests still bounce to Pitchup after hours.
- You want to pay mainly when guests book, not a year up front.
Talk to us
15 minutes with Hannah. She will show you the book — calendar, widget, live chat — and ask how evenings are handled. If you already run Bookalet you can keep it. You do not need it for the diary.
Frequently asked questions
Is HolidayFox a Bookalet alternative?
Yes. Both are a PMS. HolidayFox is calendar, bookings, payments, guest messaging, self check-in, a daily agenda, your website or widget, after-hours live chat, and Google Hotels. Bookalet’s extra is a cheap annual plan and (on Team) owner-commission workflows.
Can I keep Bookalet and use HolidayFox?
You can sync via iCal if you already have it. You do not need to. HolidayFox is the diary.
Is Bookalet cheaper than HolidayFox?
On software subscription, often yes — Lite is £139/year excl. VAT. HolidayFox is free for the widget, or from £12.99/month for a full website plus 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox. If you take a lot of direct, 5% can exceed that annual fee. Compare on the guest who writes at 9pm, not only the software invoice.
What does HolidayFox cost?
free for the widget, or from £12.99/month for a full website plus 5% commission on bookings taken through HolidayFox. No joining fee. Bookalet prices: bookalet.co.uk/pricing.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-11