Build Your Own Booking Engine: A Self-Hosted Alternative to FareHarbor, Bókun, Pixo Booking, and PeekPro

Alhamdulillah, today I am excited to announce the completion of a powerful booking engine that works just like top platforms such as FareHarbor, Bókun, Pixo Booking, or PeekPro — but with one major difference: you own it completely.

Unlike traditional booking SaaS systems, this booking engine gives you full control of your data, profit, and customers. Instead of paying monthly subscriptions or sharing commissions on every booking, you make a one-time payment to install it on your own server. That means no recurring costs, no hidden charges, and no third-party snooping into your transactions.

Why Choose a Self-Hosted Booking System?

Most platforms like FareHarbor, Bókun, and others follow a commission-based or subscription-based model:

• FareHarbor: Up to 6% commission per booking.
• Bókun (Tripadvisor): Subscription fees plus transaction costs.
• Pixo Booking / PeekPro: Take a percentage from each activity or charge per month.

This model might be suitable for small operators, but as your business grows, you end up paying thousands in fees every year.

With a self-hosted solution, you:

• Pay only once for setup.
• Keep 100% of your revenue.
• Own all your customer data.
• Have the freedom to customize as you like.

Key Features of the Booking Engine

• Activity Listing: Showcase tours, activities, or rentals directly on your website.
• Calendar & Availability: Real-time booking calendar for customers to choose dates.
• Booking Form: Customers can enter participant details, preferences, and extras.
• Checkout Integration: Accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, NMI, Mollie, or any gateway you prefer.
• Reports Dashboard: Get full insights on booking revenue, profit margins, and customer details.
• Easy Integration: Works seamlessly with WordPress, HTML, or any CMS via a shortcode.
• Branding Freedom: Your brand stays front and center—no third-party logos or redirects.

Example Use Case

Imagine your travel website: travel.com. With this booking engine:

• You can install the system at booking.travel.com.
• Visitors browse your activities, view details, and select dates.
• They fill in participant information and pay securely.
• You get instant booking reports inside your dashboard.

Everything stays within your ecosystem—your brand, your control, your profit.

Technology Stack

This booking engine is built on modern and reliable technologies:

• Backend: Laravel (PHP framework)
• Frontend: Ajax, jQuery, JavaScript
• Integration: Shortcodes for WordPress, or embed into HTML/CMS
• Database & Hosting: Runs on your own server (self-hosted)

Comparison With Other Booking Systems

Who Can Use This System?

• Tour operators
• Travel agencies
• Rental services (boats, cars, bikes, etc.)
• Activity organizers (events, classes, workshops)
• Any business needing online reservations

Why This Matters for Your Business

In today’s world, data is profit. When you use SaaS booking platforms, your customer information and financial transactions pass through third parties. With this self-hosted solution, you:

• Keep customer loyalty data in-house.
• Avoid paying commissions on every sale.
• Run your system under your brand identity.

It’s a long-term investment with no strings attached.

Final Thoughts

If you’re tired of paying commissions or monthly fees to booking software providers, this self-hosted booking engine is the perfect solution. Built with modern technologies like Laravel, Ajax, and jQuery, it’s fast, reliable, and fully customizable. Install it once, integrate it into your CMS, and start managing your bookings, payments, and reports—all under your full control.