Home › Booking software › Compare › FareHarbor
FareHarbor alternative for fishing charters
No platform or booking fee at your guest’s checkout.
FareHarbor is free for operators because it adds a booking fee to every guest’s checkout. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is $99 a month with no platform or booking fee for anyone, built only for fishing guides and charters.
Free 20-minute demo. Or call 406.730.6690
Built for
Charter captains
Inshore and offshore six-packs or a whole fleet. Sell seats one angler at a time or the whole boat, and balances charge automatically before the trip.
Fishing guides
Drift boat, walk-and-wade and fly trips. Waivers, meeting details and reminders go out for you, and the review request goes out the day after.
Outfitters
Several guides and boats on one calendar, guide assignment, a staff phone app, and marketplace calendars synced so nothing double-books.
Side by side
FareHarbor vs RIVERRISE BOOKINGS.
Facts checked October 28, 2026.
| RIVERRISE BOOKINGS | FareHarbor | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | $99 a month | No subscription |
| Fee added for your guests | None | Booking fee at checkout, reported at 6–8% |
| Built for | Fishing guides, charters and outfitters | All tours and activities |
| Payouts | Your own Stripe account | Through FareHarbor |
| Deposits and automatic balance charges | Yes, balance charged before the trip | Check with FareHarbor |
| Seats by boat and private-boat trips | Yes | Check with FareHarbor |
| Marine forecast and small craft advisory flags | Yes, on the day view | Not listed |
| FishingBooker and Guidesly calendar sync | Yes | Not listed |
| Waitlist, split payments, catch photos, crew tips | Yes | Not listed |
| Reseller network (Viator, GetYourGuide and others) | No | Yes |
| Move your current bookings | Import from FareHarbor included | n/a |
Sources: FareHarbor fees (CaptainBook, Apr 2026), FareHarbor pricing (Levy Fleets). FareHarbor does not publish a fee schedule; figures come from third-party reviews. “Not listed” and “Check with FareHarbor” mean we could not confirm it from public sources. Card processing applies to both.
The short answer: FareHarbor is free for operators because it charges your guests instead, with a booking fee added at checkout, reported at roughly 6–8%. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is $99 a month with no platform or booking fee for anyone, built only for fishing guides and charters, and it runs on the website you already have.
How FareHarbor charges
FareHarbor has no subscription. Each direct booking carries a booking fee that is shown to the guest as its own line at checkout. Third-party reviews put it at roughly 6–8%, depending on the operator’s agreement (CaptainBook, April 2026; Levy Fleets). Card processing is charged on top. FareHarbor does not publish a fee schedule, so confirm your own rate with them.
What that fee adds up to
On a $40,000 season booked direct, a 6% guest fee comes to $2,400 a year, or $7,200 over three seasons, paid by your guests on top of your trip price. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS over the same three seasons is $3,564, and your guests pay exactly what you charge. Try your own numbers in the total-cost calculator.
Built for fishing, not every activity
- Seats by boat: sell per-angler seats or the whole boat, across several boats, with seats filled the way you would fill them.
- Marine forecast: the day view shows the National Weather Service forecast for each launch spot and flags days with a small craft advisory or strong wind.
- Weather cancellations in one step: every guest gets an email and picks a new date or a refund on their own.
- Marketplace calendar sync: FishingBooker and Guidesly bookings block seats automatically, with an alert if something double-books.
- Charter extras: a waitlist on full dates, split payments so each angler pays their own share, catch photos sent with the review email, and tips for the crew.
Your money, your guests
Deposits go straight to your own Stripe account, and balances charge automatically to the saved card before the trip. If a card declines, the guest gets a pay link and 24 hours to pay. You keep the guest list, and an optional email each off-season invites last year’s guests back for the same week.
Where FareHarbor still fits
FareHarbor connects to a large reseller network. If most of your trips come through Viator, GetYourGuide, hotels or other booking partners, or you run kayak rentals, tours and lodging alongside your charters, that reach can justify the fees.
Honest fit
When FareHarbor is the better pick.
No booking system is right for every operation.
Resellers sell most of your trips
FareHarbor’s reseller connections are its strength. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is built for guests who book with you directly.
You sell far more than fishing
Tours, rentals and lodging under one roof fit a general activity platform better.
You want zero monthly cost
If you are fine with guests paying a fee at checkout, FareHarbor costs you nothing up front.
You need its staff and check-in tools
Large multi-dock teams may rely on FareHarbor’s check-in tools.
How much does FareHarbor cost a fishing charter?
FareHarbor has no monthly subscription. It adds a booking fee to each guest’s checkout instead, reported at roughly 6–8% of the booking, with card processing on top. FareHarbor does not publish a fee schedule, so confirm your rate with them. Checked October 28, 2026.
Is there a FareHarbor alternative with no platform or booking fee?
Yes. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is $99 a month with no platform or booking fee for you or your guests. The price a guest sees on your site is the price they pay, and payouts go to your own Stripe account.
Isn't free software better than $99 a month?
Only if the fee your guests pay is smaller. On a $40,000 season booked direct, a 6% guest booking fee adds about $2,400 a year to your guests’ checkouts. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is $1,188 a year. Guests notice the extra line at checkout, and some leave.
Is FareHarbor built for fishing charters?
FareHarbor serves every kind of tour and activity. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS is built only for fishing guides, charters and outfitters: seats by boat, private-boat trips, a marine forecast with small craft advisory flags on the day view, weather cancellations where guests pick a new date, and syncing with FishingBooker and Guidesly calendars.
Can you move my bookings from FareHarbor?
Yes. RIVERRISE BOOKINGS has a one-time import for FareHarbor exports that brings over upcoming bookings, past guests, open gift cards and blocked dates. Balances on imported trips are collected with an emailed pay link before the trip.
When does FareHarbor make more sense?
If most of your trips come through resellers like Viator, GetYourGuide or hotel desks, or you sell many activity types under one roof, FareHarbor’s distribution network may be worth its fees.
Charge your price. Not your price plus a fee.
See RIVERRISE BOOKINGS on a free 20-minute demo built around your trips.