Three ways to get a direct-booking website
Every short-term rental host who is tired of platform fees ends up at the same fork: software you drive yourself, a built-for-you website with training, or an agency that runs the whole thing. All three are legitimate. Here is the honest map — including when Cavmir is not the right answer.
The fork, plainly
DIY software
Lodgify, OwnerRez, Hostaway and similar
You subscribe to a platform that bundles a website builder, booking engine, and channel manager. Entry pricing runs roughly $16 to $59 a month for one property (per lodgify.com, July 2026), with a booking fee on the cheapest tiers. You build, write, photograph, and market everything yourself.
Right for tech-comfortable self-managers with more time than budget. Cavmir vs Lodgify →
Done-for-you build + training
Boostly and similar
A team builds your direct-booking website, then teaches you to drive the marketing through training and community — Boostly pairs its builds with an academy of 80+ hours of coursework and weekly calls (per boostly.co.uk, July 2026; build pricing by sales call).
Right for hosts who want a pro build and enjoy running their own marketing. Cavmir vs Boostly →
Full-service agency
Cavmir
The website gets built for you and the marketing gets run for you — listing optimization, SEO, content, social, and ads, month after month. You approve; the agency operates. Plans are published openly on the pricing page.
Right for owners and boutique hotels who want outcomes without a second job. That is us — and the two comparison pages above are honest about when we are not the fit.
Fee context for all three: most software-connected Airbnb hosts now pay a 15.5% host-only service fee, and split-fee guests pay 14.1%–16.5% on top of the nightly price (Airbnb Help Center, July 2026). A direct booking runs about 3% in card processing. Run your own numbers in the Airbnb fee calculator.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to get a direct-booking website?
DIY software. Lodgify's entry plan starts around $16 a month on yearly billing plus a 1.9% booking fee (per lodgify.com, July 2026), and competitors sit in the same range. The trade is your time: you build the site, write the copy, and run every bit of the marketing yourself.
Why do hosts want direct bookings at all?
Fees and the guest relationship. Most software-connected Airbnb hosts now pay a 15.5% host-only service fee (per Airbnb's Help Center, July 2026), and the platform keeps the guest's contact details. A direct booking costs roughly 3% in card processing, and the repeat guest is yours.
Does a direct-booking website replace Airbnb?
No, and anyone who tells you it will is selling too hard. The platforms remain the biggest source of first-time guests. The direct channel is where repeat guests, referrals, and search traffic land — hosts run both, and shift share over time.
Which option is right for a boutique hotel or multi-property manager?
At that scale the marketing workload is the real cost, not the software bill. Most operators either hire in-house or use an agency; the software-only route works when someone on your team genuinely owns marketing as a job.
Not sure which you are?
Run your current website through our free grader. If the report says a $16-a-month tool and a weekend of work will fix you, that is what we will tell you.
