Two booking platforms. One built around your boats.
FareHarbor is a large, established booking platform used by tour and charter businesses worldwide. VrixPlay is charter software: trips, deposits, boat availability, crew assignments, manifests, and tip requests, at $0 per month with a flat 3% booking fee. This page lays both out for a fishing charter operation.
No credit card required. Free software. Flat 3% per booking.
Quick verdict
If you run a small to mid-size charter fleet, want your pricing published up front, and want your bookings coming through your own site and repeat anglers, VrixPlay is the simpler fit. If you need heavy OTA and reseller distribution, complex shared inventory across many activity types, and 24/7 phone support, FareHarbor is the stronger platform.
Which one fits your dock?
VrixPlay
Best for captains and fleet owners who want:
- A published price: $0 per month and a flat 3% per booking
- Setup done for them, not a multi-week implementation
- Deposits and balances on private and shared trips
- Boat availability, crew assignments, and dock manifests in one app
- Payments in their own Stripe account, in their business name
- Native HighLevel automations for reminders and review requests
FareHarbor
Best for charter businesses that want:
- A long-established platform with a large operator base
- Extensive OTA, reseller, and affiliate distribution
- Deep shared inventory and resource controls
- 24/7 phone and email support
- A dedicated native mobile app
- International and multi-language operations
VrixPlay and FareHarbor, line by line.
| Charter need | VrixPlay | FareHarbor |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software fee | $0 per month | No mandatory monthly platform fee. Per-booking fee model quoted per operation |
| Booking fee | Flat 3% per booking, published publicly | Quoted per operation and not published. Around 6% on direct bookings is commonly reported |
| Card processing | Stripe's standard card rates, billed by Stripe on your own account | Integrated payment processing through FareHarbor |
| When you get your money | Stripe pays out to your bank on your Stripe schedule, typically within a couple of business days | Payouts handled through FareHarbor's payment processing. Confirm the schedule for your account |
| Half day, full day, custom trips | Half day, three quarter day, full day, overnight, and custom trip lengths with per-trip pricing and add-ons | Flexible activity, duration, and package configuration |
| Private and shared charters | Private whole-boat charters and shared per-seat trips on the same boat calendar | Private bookings and per-seat availability both supported |
| Deposits and balances | Deposits at booking with the balance collected by payment link or on the dock | Deposit and balance collection supported |
| Boat availability and fleet scheduling | Boat-by-boat availability, turnaround gaps, and fleet-wide day view | Advanced resource and inventory management across boats and staff |
| Captain and crew assignments | Assign captain and mates per trip and see who is running what | Staff and resource assignment on bookings |
| Capacity and manifests | Per-boat passenger capacity with live seat counts and USCG-style manifests | Capacity controls and printable or in-app manifests |
| Digital waivers | Digital waivers included, signed on any phone before departure | Available, with regional availability noted in FareHarbor's own materials |
| Trip reminders | Automated email and SMS confirmations, reminders, and dock instructions | Automated email and text notifications |
| Weather cancellations | Reschedule or cancel a trip and notify the whole group in one action, with credits or refunds through Stripe | Rebooking and cancellation tools with guest notifications |
| Payment links and tips | Payment links for balances, add-ons, and last-minute upsells Post-trip tip pages so anglers can tip the crew by card | Payment tools included. Tipping is offered through the TackPay partner integration. Confirm availability for your account |
| Review requests | Automated review requests after the trip, including through HighLevel | Post-experience review requests. Confirm availability for your account |
| Website booking | Hosted booking page plus an embeddable widget for your own site. We also build and host a booking website free of charge while you are on VrixPlay; the site remains VrixPlay property and may not be transferred | Embeddable booking flow and website services |
| Marketplace exposure | No consumer marketplace. VrixPlay drives bookings from your own site, ads, and repeat customers | Large OTA, reseller, and affiliate distribution network |
| Customer data | Your customer list is yours, exportable at any time | Customer records available in FareHarbor. Confirm export terms for your account |
| CRM and HighLevel | Native HighLevel integration for contacts, automations, and review requests. VrixHub white-label CRM is available for an added fee | Confirm integration requirements for your account |
| Stripe | Your own Stripe account, connected directly, in your business name | Payments run through FareHarbor's processing |
| Mobile | Installable mobile PWA for captains, mates, and office staff | Dedicated native mobile app |
| Support | US-based team in Destin, Florida by phone and email, with guided onboarding | 24/7 phone and email support |
| Setup | Self-service signup in about 15 minutes, or send us your trips and we do the setup | Demo and guided onboarding |
Monthly software fee
- VrixPlay
- $0 per month
- FareHarbor
- No mandatory monthly platform fee. Per-booking fee model quoted per operation
Booking fee
- VrixPlay
- Flat 3% per booking, published publicly
- FareHarbor
- Quoted per operation and not published. Around 6% on direct bookings is commonly reported
Card processing
- VrixPlay
- Stripe's standard card rates, billed by Stripe on your own account
- FareHarbor
- Integrated payment processing through FareHarbor
When you get your money
- VrixPlay
- Stripe pays out to your bank on your Stripe schedule, typically within a couple of business days
- FareHarbor
- Payouts handled through FareHarbor's payment processing. Confirm the schedule for your account
Half day, full day, custom trips
- VrixPlay
- Half day, three quarter day, full day, overnight, and custom trip lengths with per-trip pricing and add-ons
- FareHarbor
- Flexible activity, duration, and package configuration
Private and shared charters
- VrixPlay
- Private whole-boat charters and shared per-seat trips on the same boat calendar
- FareHarbor
- Private bookings and per-seat availability both supported
Deposits and balances
- VrixPlay
- Deposits at booking with the balance collected by payment link or on the dock
- FareHarbor
- Deposit and balance collection supported
Boat availability and fleet scheduling
- VrixPlay
- Boat-by-boat availability, turnaround gaps, and fleet-wide day view
- FareHarbor
- Advanced resource and inventory management across boats and staff
Captain and crew assignments
- VrixPlay
- Assign captain and mates per trip and see who is running what
- FareHarbor
- Staff and resource assignment on bookings
Capacity and manifests
- VrixPlay
- Per-boat passenger capacity with live seat counts and USCG-style manifests
- FareHarbor
- Capacity controls and printable or in-app manifests
Digital waivers
- VrixPlay
- Digital waivers included, signed on any phone before departure
- FareHarbor
- Available, with regional availability noted in FareHarbor's own materials
Trip reminders
- VrixPlay
- Automated email and SMS confirmations, reminders, and dock instructions
- FareHarbor
- Automated email and text notifications
Weather cancellations
- VrixPlay
- Reschedule or cancel a trip and notify the whole group in one action, with credits or refunds through Stripe
- FareHarbor
- Rebooking and cancellation tools with guest notifications
Payment links and tips
- VrixPlay
- Payment links for balances, add-ons, and last-minute upsells Post-trip tip pages so anglers can tip the crew by card
- FareHarbor
- Payment tools included. Tipping is offered through the TackPay partner integration. Confirm availability for your account
Review requests
- VrixPlay
- Automated review requests after the trip, including through HighLevel
- FareHarbor
- Post-experience review requests. Confirm availability for your account
Website booking
- VrixPlay
- Hosted booking page plus an embeddable widget for your own site. We also build and host a booking website free of charge while you are on VrixPlay; the site remains VrixPlay property and may not be transferred
- FareHarbor
- Embeddable booking flow and website services
Marketplace exposure
- VrixPlay
- No consumer marketplace. VrixPlay drives bookings from your own site, ads, and repeat customers
- FareHarbor
- Large OTA, reseller, and affiliate distribution network
Customer data
- VrixPlay
- Your customer list is yours, exportable at any time
- FareHarbor
- Customer records available in FareHarbor. Confirm export terms for your account
CRM and HighLevel
- VrixPlay
- Native HighLevel integration for contacts, automations, and review requests. VrixHub white-label CRM is available for an added fee
- FareHarbor
- Confirm integration requirements for your account
Stripe
- VrixPlay
- Your own Stripe account, connected directly, in your business name
- FareHarbor
- Payments run through FareHarbor's processing
Mobile
- VrixPlay
- Installable mobile PWA for captains, mates, and office staff
- FareHarbor
- Dedicated native mobile app
Support
- VrixPlay
- US-based team in Destin, Florida by phone and email, with guided onboarding
- FareHarbor
- 24/7 phone and email support
Setup
- VrixPlay
- Self-service signup in about 15 minutes, or send us your trips and we do the setup
- FareHarbor
- Demo and guided onboarding
FareHarbor does not publish a public rate card. Its demo FAQ describes a per-booking fee model with no large upfront license or mandatory monthly platform fee, quoted per operation. Figures around 6% on direct bookings are commonly reported and are not a rate every FareHarbor account pays. Where FareHarbor's public materials do not confirm a capability, the cell reads confirm for your account rather than claiming the feature is missing.
What each platform costs you.
Neither platform charges a mandatory monthly subscription, so the difference shows up in the per-booking fee. VrixPlay publishes 3%. FareHarbor quotes its fee per operation, and the widely reported figure for direct bookings is around 6%. Use the calculator as an estimate, then ask FareHarbor for your actual quote.
VrixPlay
- $0 per month for the software, no per-user fee and no minimums
- Flat 3% per booking, published publicly
- Card processing is billed separately by Stripe at Stripe's standard rates
- No setup fee. We migrate your trips, pricing, and availability for you
- No contract and no long sales cycle
FareHarbor
- No mandatory monthly platform fee, per FareHarbor's demo FAQ
- Per-booking fee quoted per operation, based on volume and setup
- Around 6% on direct bookings is commonly reported, not officially published
- Payment processing included in FareHarbor's own processing
- OTA and reseller bookings carry their own commercial terms
Card-processing charges are excluded from both estimates below. This is an estimate, not a quote.
VrixPlay at 3%
$7,500
Estimated per year
FareHarbor at 6% · Illustrative
$15,000
Estimated per year
Estimated difference
$7,500
About $625 per month
Illustrative estimate using a commonly reported 6% direct-booking figure for FareHarbor. FareHarbor does not publish a public rate card and quotes pricing per operation, so your actual agreement may differ. Payment-processing charges are not included for either platform. This is an estimate, not a quote.
From the booking request to the tip request.
How each platform handles the day a charter business actually runs.
An angler books a half day
VrixPlay
Books on your page or embedded widget, pays the deposit into your Stripe account, and gets a confirmation and waiver link immediately.
FareHarbor
Books through the FareHarbor booking flow on your site or through a distribution partner, with payment processed by FareHarbor.
Whole-boat versus by the seat
VrixPlay
The same boat can sell as a private charter one day and as per-seat shared trips the next, without double booking.
FareHarbor
Private and per-seat availability are both supported through FareHarbor's inventory model.
Collecting the balance
VrixPlay
Balance due goes out as a payment link before the trip, or you take it at the dock.
FareHarbor
Balance collection is supported through FareHarbor payments.
Assigning the boat and crew
VrixPlay
Pick the boat and the captain on the booking. The day view shows every hull and who is running it.
FareHarbor
Resources and staff are assigned through FareHarbor's resource management, which is built for complex shared inventory.
Waivers and the manifest
VrixPlay
Guests sign on their phones. The mate opens the manifest with names, counts, and waiver status at the slip.
FareHarbor
Waivers are available in FareHarbor with regional notes, and manifests are included.
Weather blows out the morning
VrixPlay
Reschedule the trip and every guest is notified by email and SMS in one action, with credits or refunds through Stripe.
FareHarbor
Rebooking and cancellation tools notify guests. Confirm the exact flow for your account.
Tips for the crew
VrixPlay
A post-trip tip page lets anglers tip the mate by card, with the money landing in your Stripe account.
FareHarbor
Tipping is offered through the TackPay partner integration. Confirm availability for your account.
Getting them back next season
VrixPlay
Contacts sync to HighLevel so review requests, rebooking offers, and season openers run automatically.
FareHarbor
Marketing tools and customer records are available in FareHarbor. Confirm CRM integration requirements.
Both are direct booking platforms, but they scale different problems
FareHarbor and VrixPlay both power bookings on your own website, so neither one stands between you and your anglers the way a marketplace does. The difference is what each is optimized for.
FareHarbor is built to handle very complex inventory and a wide distribution network across every kind of tour and activity, with an organization large enough to staff 24/7 phone support. That depth is worth paying for when you sell through resellers and OTAs and juggle shared resources across many product types.
VrixPlay is narrower on purpose. It handles the charter fishing day: boats, trip lengths, deposits, crew, capacity, waivers, manifests, weather changes, tips, and repeat customers, with a published 3% fee and a team that sets it up for you.
Pick the platform that matches your operation.
Choose VrixPlay if:
- You want your platform cost published rather than quoted
- Most of your bookings come from your own site, referrals, and repeat anglers
- You want deposits landing in your own Stripe account, in your business name
- You want fleet, crew, capacity, and manifests without configuring an enterprise system
- You use HighLevel, or want reminders and review requests running automatically
- You would rather send us your trip list than sit through an implementation project
Choose FareHarbor if:
- OTA, reseller, and affiliate distribution is a major revenue channel for you
- You manage highly complex shared inventory across many product types
- You need 24/7 phone support as a hard requirement
- You operate internationally or in multiple languages
- You want a dedicated native mobile app rather than an installable web app
- You prefer a guided enterprise onboarding process
Thinking about moving off FareHarbor?
Changing platforms in the middle of a season should not cost you a single trip. Send us your trips, pricing, boats, and availability and we build it out in VrixPlay while your current system keeps running. You review it, we connect your Stripe account and booking page, and you switch when it is right for your calendar.
VrixPlay vs FareHarbor, answered straight.
Is VrixPlay a FareHarbor alternative for fishing charters?
Yes. Charter operators use VrixPlay as a FareHarbor alternative when they want free software with a published flat 3% booking fee, charter-specific tools like whole-boat and per-seat trips, crew assignments, and dock manifests, and setup handled for them instead of a guided sales cycle.
How much does VrixPlay cost?
There is no monthly software fee. VrixPlay charges a flat 3% per booking. Stripe's standard processing fee is billed separately by Stripe for moving the money. No setup cost, no per-user fee, no minimums.
Does FareHarbor charge a monthly fee?
FareHarbor's demo FAQ states that it uses a per-booking fee model with no large upfront license or mandatory monthly platform fee, and that pricing depends on your volume and setup. FareHarbor does not publish a rate card. Figures around 6% on direct bookings are commonly reported, including in a FareHarbor customer story. Confirm current pricing directly with FareHarbor.
Can VrixPlay handle head boats and multi-boat fleets?
Yes. You can sell per-seat trips on a head boat and private whole-boat charters on the same fleet calendar, with per-boat capacity, turnaround gaps, captain assignments, and manifests for each departure.
Do I keep my own Stripe account and customer list?
Yes. Payments run through your own connected Stripe account so deposits land in your bank in your business name, and your customer list is yours to export at any time.
Can I run VrixPlay alongside FareHarbor before switching?
Yes. You can create an account with no credit card, let us build out your trips and availability, and take test bookings while your current system stays live. Switch when your calendar allows.
More on how VrixPlay runs charters.
Ready to run your charters from one screen?
Trips, deposits, waivers, manifests, reminders, and tip requests in one place. We handle the setup, you go fishing.
Free software. Flat 3% per booking. Setup in about 15 minutes.
Sources and review date
Last reviewed: August 2026. FareHarbor information is based on FareHarbor's publicly available materials reviewed in August 2026, and pricing and features can change. Platform fees and card-processing fees are stated separately. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. VrixPlay is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company named on this page.