OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) vs Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine
Estimate what moving from OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) to Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine costs over 12 to 36 months, including the one-time switch. Then remap your exported CSV headers.
Why teams look at this switch: Paying 15%–18% OTA platform commissions on repeat direct-booking guests
Cost calculator
Reference price ladder
Illustrative estimate, edit the rates to match your quote. List prices in USD; converted prices are explained in the assumptions. Prices change and differ by region, tax and contract. Confirm on the vendor's page before you decide.
Assumptions
- Only bookings that can realistically move to your own site are counted (for example repeat guests). Booking and Airbnb also bring new guests: without them part of that demand may not come direct, and direct bookings need your own marketing. Enter that monthly cost under “Extra monthly cost after switching”.
CSV header mapper
Rename exported OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) column headers to suggested Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine column names, for reporting or manual data preparation. Not an official Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine import format. It runs in your browser; only headers change.
Renamed headers do not make a file import-ready. Compare the result with Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine's import template and create any custom fields there first.
| OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) column | Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine column | Field type |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation_Code | booking_id | Suggested |
| Guest_Name | guest_full_name | Suggested |
| Check_In | arrival_date | Suggested |
| Check_Out | departure_date | Suggested |
| Payout_Amount | net_revenue | Suggested |
| Local_Tax | fee_tax | Custom field, create it first |
When moving to Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine makes sense
- Your main cost driver is Paying 15%–18% OTA platform commissions on repeat direct-booking guests, and your volume is past the break-even point above.
- Your team can finish the CSV import and onboarding within the switching budget you entered.
- You have checked that Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine's plan covers the integrations and compliance rules you need.
When staying on OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) is the better call
- The one-time migration, re-integration or retraining cost is larger than 12 to 24 months of savings.
- You are inside a multi-year OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) contract with early-termination fees.
- Your workflow relies on add-ons or features Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine does not support yet.
How the result changes with volume
Twelve-month totals at half, default and double volume, using the default pricing model and a $150 switching cost.
| Volume (Monthly Bookings That Can Move Direct (€/$)) | OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) | Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine | 12-month difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% volume (1,500) | $240/mo | $63/mo | +$1,974 |
| Default volume (3,000) | $480/mo | $91/mo | +$4,518 |
| 200% volume (6,000) | $960/mo | $148/mo | +$9,594 |
Questions
How is the total cost of OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) and Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine compared?
Each side's monthly cost is multiplied by the months in the horizon, and the one-time switching cost is added to Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine. At the default volume (Monthly Bookings That Can Move Direct (€/$): 3,000), the model gives about $480 per month for OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) and $91 per month for Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine.
How do OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) CSV headers map to Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine?
The mapper renames OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb) columns (Reservation_Code, Guest_Name, Check_In, Check_Out, Payout_Amount, Local_Tax) to Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine columns (booking_id, guest_full_name, arrival_date, departure_date, net_revenue, fee_tax) in your browser. Custom fields must exist in Lodgify / Smoobu Direct Booking Engine before you import.
When should a company stay on OTA Marketplace Commissions (Booking / Airbnb)?
Stay if the one-time switching, integration or contract-exit cost is larger than the savings over the horizon you care about. The calculator shows that case as a negative result.