Software prices range widely, and the cheapest or the most expensive is rarely the right answer. Here is how to judge cost against what the tool actually does for you.
Short answer: Judge travel agent software by the total yearly cost for your actual use against the time and mistakes it saves, not by the headline monthly price. Check the pricing model, payment fees, per-user charges and limits on the free or lowest plan, start monthly, and test with real clients before paying for a year.
Updated October 2026. This article gives a method rather than prices, because prices change and differ between products. Check each vendor's current pricing page.
Price comparisons mean little until you know what you are buying. Write down the jobs you want the software to do:
Then mark which are essential and which are nice to have. A tool that does five things you do not need is not cheap at any price.
| Model | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Per user per month | You pay for each person using it | Costs rise as the team grows |
| Tiered plans | Features and limits rise with the plan | The feature you need may sit in a higher tier |
| Usage based | You pay by number of trips or proposals | Busy months cost more |
| Transaction fees | A percentage of payments collected | Fees on top of the payment provider's own |
| Free plan with limits | Basic use costs nothing | Branding, limits or missing features |
Add up the real total for your situation:
Compare totals, not monthly sticker prices. A cheaper plan with a payment surcharge may cost more than a dearer one without.
A simple way to test value. Estimate honestly:
| Question | Example |
|---|---|
| Hours saved per proposal | 1 hour |
| Proposals per month | 15 |
| Hours saved per month | 15 |
| Value of an hour | 25 |
| Monthly value of time saved | 375 |
The figures are invented to show the method. Use your own. Then add the harder-to-measure gains: faster replies, fewer mistakes, fewer missed payments, and the effect of a more professional proposal on bookings. If the monthly value is clearly above the monthly cost, the tool pays for itself. If it is close, ask what else it would need to do.
Story of a Trip offers a way to start without paying; check the pricing page for current plans. See also how to compare proposal software.
A solo agent compares two tools. Tool A costs 30 a month and has no payment features, so the agent still sends bank details and reconciles by hand, about two hours a month. Tool B costs 60 a month, takes payments inside the proposal, and adds a payment-provider fee on each deposit that the agent's provider would have charged anyway.
At 25 an hour, the two hours saved are worth 50 a month. The difference in subscription is 30, so Tool B costs 30 more and saves 50 of time, a net gain of 20 a month before counting the smaller benefit of fewer late payments. If instead the second tool also charged an extra 1 percent of every payment, and the agent collects 8,000 a month, that is 80 a month more, and the answer reverses. The method is the point: put everything in the same units and see which number is bigger.
A vendor who answers these directly is usually one worth working with.
If you are new, handle a handful of clients a month, and send mostly simple trips, a free or low-cost plan may be all you need. The aim is to test whether better proposals help you win bookings before you commit to a larger spend. Many agents start free, upgrade when they hit a limit they actually feel, and avoid paying for features they never use.
When your volume rises, the picture changes. At twenty or thirty proposals a month, an hour saved on each is worth more than a year of subscription, and the cost of a missed payment or a lost acceptance becomes more significant. Revisit the calculation every six months, because both your volume and the vendors' prices will move.
Also think about team growth. A tool that is cheap for one person can become expensive at five. Ask how the price changes when you add a colleague, and whether there are plans designed for small teams.
Finally, remember that the cheapest tool is the one you keep using. A package that is slightly dearer but fits how you already work, and that your clients enjoy opening on their phones, will earn its cost back faster than a bargain you abandon after two months. Treat the first month as a trial with a clear question to answer: did it save me time, and did clients respond better?
Prices vary widely: some tools charge a monthly fee per user, some charge by features or number of trips, and some add transaction fees on payments. Compare the total yearly cost for your actual use, not the headline monthly price.
Often it is a fair way to start, provided it lets you send real proposals to real clients. Check what is limited, such as branding, number of proposals, or payment features, and whether the paid plan fits when you grow.
Per-user fees as your team grows, payment processing fees, charges for extra storage or branding, setup or migration costs, and fees for features you thought were included. Ask for a full price in writing.
Estimate the hours it saves each month and what they are worth, plus any extra bookings from faster, better proposals. Compare that figure with the yearly cost. Also count the cost of mistakes it prevents.
Start monthly until you are sure the tool fits your work, then consider annual if there is a worthwhile discount. Check cancellation and refund terms before committing.
Story of a Trip is free to start. No credit card, no setup fee. Used by travel professionals across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond.