Last updated: October 2026
Quick answer
If your business runs on the water, WaveRez is the stronger choice. Most booking platforms were built to sell any kind of activity, from escape rooms to cooking classes, and added watersports later. WaveRez was built by watersport operators for boats, jet skis, pontoons, charters and water tours, and nothing else. Every boat gets its own row on one fleet calendar, so your website, dock, call center and resellers can never sell the same boat twice. Waivers, boater education, deposits, weather broadcasts and reseller connections are built in. There’s no monthly subscription, the 6% booking fee is published, and when you call for help, you reach people who have run watersport operations.
Comparing WaveRez with Peek specifically? See our WaveRez vs Peek Pro comparison.
Why watersport operators choose WaveRez
General booking platforms can sell a boat tour. Running a rental fleet on a busy Saturday is a different job. Here is what you get with WaveRez that general platforms weren’t designed around.
1. A fleet calendar built from a real dock board
The WaveRez matrix calendar gives every boat and jet ski its own row, the way operators have always run the dock on a whiteboard. It started as a digital version of the hand-drawn daily grid Xtreme H2O used to manage its jet skis. Staff can move a late party, swap a boat or pull a broken one out of service from the matrix in seconds, and every sales channel updates at once. Hourly, half-day, full-day and multi-day rentals share the same boats without overlapping.
2. Built by watersport operators, for water-based businesses only
WaveRez began in 2014 when a Destin watersport operator built a rental scheduling system to replace his magnet board. It has served water-based businesses ever since: boat and jet ski rentals, pontoons, parasailing, fishing and private charters, dolphin cruises, snorkel boats, paddle rentals and marinas. Every feature on the roadmap is aimed at the same customer, so you aren’t waiting behind zipline parks and museums for the tools you need.
3. Dockside tools in the box, not add-ons
- Digital waivers included at no extra cost, signed before arrival and synced to the manifest.
- Boater education through Take My Boat Test, sent automatically after booking so renters finish it at home, not at the counter.
- Deposits, card holds and damage protection at checkout, plus payment requests by email, SMS or QR code after the trip.
- Renters insurance through vQuip, which Florida liveries use for compliance.
- Boarding passes and dockside check-in, so lines move fast.
- Broadcast SMS and email to reach every guest on the day’s schedule when weather moves the plan.
- Crew management and crew tipping before, during and after the trip.
4. Simple, published pricing with no monthly bill
WaveRez has no monthly subscription and no long-term contract. A 6% booking fee applies to online reservations and is usually passed to the customer at checkout. Setup starts at $300. You don’t pay extra for waivers, and you don’t pay API fees to connect resellers. In January, when the boats are on trailers, your software bill is zero. Compare that with plans that charge $49 to $500 a month whether or not you’re booking (see the pricing table below).
5. Every sales channel, one calendar, no API fees
Sell on Viator/Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide, Google Things to Do and the TripShock reseller marketplace from the same fleet calendar as your website, phone and walk-ups. Reseller bookings land on the right boat automatically. WaveRez charges no API or connection fees for any of them. Xtreme H2O runs four offices and a call center on WaveRez, and owner Jason Schilder says they book equipment “in real time without any fear of double-booking.”
6. Support from people who have worked the dock
WaveRez support comes by phone, chat and email from people with watersport operations experience. There are no offshore call centers and no explaining what a weather hold or a pontoon turnaround is. Your setup team builds your trips and schedules, moves your upcoming reservations over from your old system and trains your staff before you go live.
7. Tools that sell more, not just book more
Dynamic pricing and promo codes help you earn more on peak days and fill slow ones. Add-ons and upsells at checkout raise the average ticket. Automated reminders cut no-shows, cart abandonment emails recover guests who didn’t finish booking, and review requests go out after every trip. Reporting shows which channel drove each booking, with GA4, Meta Pixel and Google Ads tracking built in. You can even ask questions about your booking data in Claude or ChatGPT through a read-only connector.
What operators say after switching
“Most platforms are trying to be everything for everyone. WaveRez is focused on boat rentals and tours, and that focus makes a huge difference in how well the software actually works for our business.”
Jason Olewinski, Riverwalk Boating Company, after nearly seven years on FareHarbor (read the story)
“It’s built specifically for what we do. Other software companies try to serve 100 different industries. WaveRez focuses exclusively on watersports and boat tours.”
Jason Schilder, Xtreme H2O, Destin X and Gilligan’s Water Sports (read the story)
“If you’re in water sports or marine tours and you’re not using a system built specifically for our industry, you’re wasting your time and probably losing money.”
Jeremy Perry, Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruises (read the story)
What’s included with WaveRez, and what to ask everyone else
| What you need on the water | WaveRez | Ask any other provider |
|---|---|---|
| One calendar row per boat and jet ski | Included: matrix fleet calendar | Can my staff see and move every boat on one screen? |
| Digital waivers | Included at no extra cost | Are waivers built in, or a separate paid service? |
| State boater education | Take My Boat Test, sent automatically | Can the course go out with the booking confirmation? |
| Deposits, card holds and damage protection | Included | Can I hold a card and charge for damage after the trip? |
| Viator, GetYourGuide, Google Things to Do | Included, no API fees | Are there channel, API or OTA fees? |
| Monthly subscription | None | What do I pay in a month with no bookings? |
| Booking fee | 6%, published, usually paid by the customer | Is your rate published, and who pays it? |
| Support | Phone, chat and email from people with watersport operations experience | Who answers on a Saturday in July, and have they run a dock? |
Booking software for watersports at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Pricing model (as reported, with source) | Built for water-based businesses? |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaveRez | Any water-based business: boat, jet ski and pontoon rentals, charters, parasailing, dolphin cruises and water tours. Fleet calendar, waivers, boater education and resellers included | No monthly subscription. 6% booking fee on online reservations, usually paid by the customer. Setup from $300 (WaveRez pricing) | Yes, water-based businesses only |
| FareHarbor | Tour, activity and rental companies of many types and sizes | No public rate card. Reported as no monthly fee plus a 6–8% booking fee, usually paid by the customer (CaptainBook) | No, general (has a boat tours solution) (FareHarbor) |
| Peek Pro | Multi-activity operators that want AI automation and native mobile apps | Quote-based. Reported at up to 6% per online booking plus processing (TrekkSoft) | No, general (has a watersports vertical) (Peek) |
| Xola | Attractions and activity providers, including fishing charters and water sports | No subscription. A partner fee charged to customers, amount not listed (Xola) | No, general (has water sports and fishing charter pages) (Xola) |
| TripWorks | Tours, activities and attractions, including air and sea tours | $0/month Platform plan with a 6% booking fee plus card fees (TripWorks) | No, general (has an air and sea tours category) (TripWorks) |
| Starboard Suite | Passenger vessels, cruises and water sports operators | $500/month under $200K a year; 3% of booking revenue from $200K to $1M (Starboard Suite) | Yes, passenger vessels and water sports (Starboard Suite) |
| Bookeo | Small businesses that need simple appointment, class or tour booking | Monthly plans; Tours & Activities plan listed at $39.95/month (Capterra) | No, general |
| Checkfront | Tours, activities, rentals and accommodation | $99/month plus a 3% online booking fee (Checkfront) | No, general (Checkfront) |
| Rezdy | Tour and activity operators that sell heavily through resellers | Plans from $49/month plus a 3% online booking fee (Rezdy) | No, general (Rezdy) |
Fee figures for FareHarbor and Peek come from third-party articles written by competing software companies, because neither publishes a rate card. Prices may vary by region and currency. WaveRez also charges a 6% booking fee, so compare the total cost and the tools you get, not the headline rate alone.
Xola alternative
Xola describes itself as “an elegant and powerful online booking and distribution system” for tour and activity providers (Xola). Its solutions cover attractions, helicopter and aerial tours, indoor experiences, ziplines, escape rooms, fishing charters and water sports. Xola’s pricing page says there are no subscriptions and that it charges a small partner fee to your customers on every purchase, without listing the amount (Xola pricing).
Best for: operators that run a mix of attractions and activities and want one system across all of them.
Why operators choose WaveRez over Xola:
- Fleet-first, not attraction-first. Xola’s lineup spans escape rooms, ziplines and helicopter tours. WaveRez gives every boat and jet ski its own row on one matrix calendar, shared across rentals, tours and resellers.
- A published rate. Xola doesn’t list its customer fee. WaveRez publishes its 6%, so you can quote guests and plan margins with no surprises.
- Dock tools included. Built-in waivers, Take My Boat Test boater education, deposits and card holds come standard.
TripWorks alternative
TripWorks says it “unifies bookings, payments, scheduling, waivers” and other tools, and that it “was made by operators, for operators” (TripWorks). It serves air and sea tours, sightseeing, adventure and outdoor activities, and attractions. Its pricing page lists a $0/month Platform plan with a 6% booking fee plus credit card fees, and a custom Enterprise plan (TripWorks pricing).
Best for: tour and attraction businesses that want an AI-focused platform with a published, fee-based price.
Why operators choose WaveRez over TripWorks: the pricing model is similar, so the difference is what you get for it.
- Built only for the water. TripWorks spreads its focus across air tours, attractions and outdoor adventures. Everything in WaveRez is designed for boats, jet skis, charters and water tours.
- Rentals as well as tours. The matrix calendar runs hourly, half-day and multi-day rentals on the same boats as your scheduled trips, with deposits, card holds and damage protection at checkout.
- Compliance in the box. Take My Boat Test boater education and vQuip renters insurance connect directly to each booking.
- Support that knows boats. The people who answer have run watersport operations.
Starboard Suite alternative
Starboard Suite calls itself “mobile-friendly reservation software for passenger vessels and water sports operators” (Starboard Suite). It lists dinner and sightseeing cruises, private charters, whale and dolphin tours, tiki boats, party pontoons, banana boats and parasailing. Features include contracts, kiosk and ticket scanning, and integrations with SmartWaiver, Viator and GetYourGuide. Its pricing page lists a $500/month service fee for businesses under $200K a year and 3% of booking revenue from $200K to $1M (Starboard Suite pricing).
Best for: passenger vessels and cruise operators selling tickets by the seat.
Why operators choose WaveRez over Starboard Suite:
- No $500 monthly bill. Under $200K a year, Starboard Suite lists a $500/month service fee, which is $6,000 a year whether or not the boats are running. WaveRez has no monthly subscription.
- Rentals and tours on one calendar. Starboard Suite’s focus is ticketed passenger vessels and cruises. WaveRez runs seat-based cruises and boat-by-boat rentals side by side on the matrix calendar.
- Waivers built in. Starboard Suite integrates with SmartWaiver. WaveRez includes digital waivers at no extra cost.
Bookeo alternative
Bookeo is a general online booking system. Capterra lists three monthly plans: Appointments at $14.95, Classes & Courses at $39.95, and Tours & Activities at $39.95 (Capterra). That range of plans shows its broad audience, from service appointments to group tours.
Best for: small businesses that want a simple, low fixed monthly price and don’t need fleet-level scheduling.
Why operators choose WaveRez over Bookeo:
- Built for a fleet, not appointments. Bookeo’s plans are organized around appointments, classes and tours. WaveRez tracks each boat and jet ski individually and prevents double-booking across your website, walk-ups and resellers.
- Reseller reach with no API fees. WaveRez connects to Google Things to Do, Viator, GetYourGuide and the TripShock marketplace from the same calendar.
- No monthly plan. You pay nothing in the months you aren’t booking.
Checkfront alternative
Checkfront says its software “helps you sell experiences, manage your resources, and grow your business” (Checkfront). It serves tours, activities, rentals and accommodation, with examples ranging from kayak rentals to axe throwing. Its pricing page lists one plan at $99/month plus a 3% online booking fee that the business can absorb or pass to guests (Checkfront pricing).
Best for: businesses with mixed inventory, such as rentals plus lodging, that want a flexible general system.
Why operators choose WaveRez over Checkfront:
- No $99 monthly bill. Checkfront lists $99/month plus a 3% booking fee, so you pay $1,188 a year before your first booking. WaveRez has no monthly subscription.
- Made for the dock, not lodging and axe throwing. Waivers sync to the manifest, boarding passes speed up check-in, and broadcast texts reach every guest when weather moves the schedule.
- Boater education built in. Take My Boat Test goes out with the booking, so renters arrive ready to drive.
Rezdy alternative
Rezdy describes itself as “online booking software designed for tour operators, activity providers and resellers” (Rezdy). Its channel manager connects operators with resellers such as Viator and Google Things to Do. Its pricing page lists Foundation, Accelerate and Expansion plans from $49 to $249 a month, each with a 3% online booking fee, plus a 21-day free trial (Rezdy pricing).
Best for: tour operators whose growth depends on a large reseller and agent network.
Why operators choose WaveRez over Rezdy:
- Reseller reach without a monthly plan. Rezdy’s plans run $49 to $249 a month on top of a 3% booking fee. WaveRez connects to Viator/Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide, Google Things to Do and TripShock with no monthly subscription and no API fees.
- Every channel books the right boat. Reseller bookings land on the same fleet calendar as direct ones, so a boat sold on Viator can’t be sold again at the dock.
- Rentals, not just tours. Hourly and multi-day boat and jet ski rentals run next to scheduled trips, with deposits and damage protection built in.
How to choose
- Fleet or seats? If you rent and schedule individual boats and jet skis, test how each tool prevents double-booking across trips, walk-ups and resellers.
- Total cost. Add the monthly fee, booking fee, card processing and any channel or API fees. Ask who pays the booking fee: you or your guest.
- Waivers and boater education. Check whether waivers are included or a separate paid service, and whether state boater education can be sent automatically.
- Support in season. Ask who answers the phone on a busy Saturday in July.
Booking Software Alternatives Questions & Answers
What is the best FareHarbor alternative for boat rentals?
For boat and jet ski rentals, WaveRez. FareHarbor serves tour operators and rental companies of many kinds (FareHarbor). WaveRez was built only for water-based businesses, with a matrix fleet calendar that gives every boat its own row, built-in waivers, Take My Boat Test boater education, deposits and card holds, and reseller connections with no API fees. Riverwalk Boating Company switched to WaveRez after nearly seven years on FareHarbor; read why.
Is there booking software with no monthly fee?
Yes. WaveRez has no monthly subscription and charges a 6% booking fee on online reservations. TripWorks lists a $0/month Platform plan with a 6% booking fee (TripWorks), Xola says it has no subscriptions (Xola), and Peek’s watersports page says “No Monthly Fees” (Peek). These tools earn their revenue from per-booking fees instead.
Why do operators switch from FareHarbor or Peek to WaveRez?
Focus, transparency and support. FareHarbor and Peek serve many kinds of activities and don’t publish rate cards. WaveRez is built only for water-based businesses, publishes its 6% booking fee, charges no API fees for resellers and includes waivers at no extra cost. Support comes from people who have run watersport operations. The booking fee is in a similar range to what third-party articles report for FareHarbor and Peek, so you get more watersport-specific tools for the same kind of pricing.
Which booking software is built specifically for watersports?
WaveRez is built only for water-based businesses, including boat and jet ski rentals, charters, parasailing and water tours. Starboard Suite focuses on passenger vessels and water sports operators (Starboard Suite). Peek, Xola and TripWorks are general platforms with watersports pages.
Can I keep selling on Viator, GetYourGuide and Google if I switch?
Yes. WaveRez connects to Viator/Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide, Google Things to Do and the TripShock marketplace with no API fees. Reseller bookings land on the same fleet calendar as your direct bookings, so a boat sold on one channel can’t be sold twice.
Competitor details are based on publicly available information as of October 2026 and may change. Check each provider’s site for current pricing.
