Introduction
If you've shopped for campground management software lately, you've probably experienced sticker shock. Setup fees of $1,000-3,000. Monthly costs that climb into the hundreds. Per-booking fees that eat into every reservation. Training charges, support fees, integration costs.
When did running a campground become a software subscription business?
This article breaks down why campground software costs have spiraled out of control, what you're really paying for, and how to evaluate whether you're getting value for your money.
The Current State of Campground Software Pricing
Let's look at what the major players charge (based on publicly available information and industry research):
Campspot
- Monthly Base: $199-599+/month depending on park size
- Per-Booking Fee: $2.50+ per reservation
- Setup: Typically $1,500-3,000
- Training: Often additional
- Contracts: Usually 1-3 year commitments
Newbook
- Monthly Base: Varies by size, often $300-500+
- Setup: $1,000-3,000 common
- Training: Charged separately
- Enterprise Focus: Pricing climbs quickly for larger operations
CampLife
- Monthly: Percentage-based or flat fee
- Focus: Single-property, simpler operations
- Limitations: Fewer advanced features
RMS
- Enterprise Pricing: Often $500+/month for full features
- Legacy Approach: Desktop-first with cloud add-ons
Why Are Prices So High?
1. Venture Capital Expectations
Many campground software companies have taken venture capital or private equity funding. Campspot, for example, has received significant investment.
What does this mean for you?
Investors expect returns. Often 3-5x their investment. That money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is your monthly bill. Companies must grow revenue aggressively to satisfy investors, which translates to:
- Higher prices over time
- More upsells and add-ons
- Pressure to lock you into long contracts
2. Enterprise Focus
Most campground software started by targeting large chains and enterprise accounts. Big parks with 200+ sites and multiple properties can afford $500+/month.
The problem? These same tools (and price tags) are then sold to 50-site family campgrounds that can't justify the expense. The software was never designed for smaller operations, so you're paying for complexity you don't need.
3. Lack of Competition
For years, the campground software market had limited options. A few established players dominated, and without competitive pressure, prices rose unchecked. Switching costs were high (data migration, staff retraining), so parks stayed even as prices increased.
4. Hidden Cost Structures
The advertised price is rarely the real price:
Setup fees - Often $1,000-3,000 just to get started
Training fees - $500-1,000+ to learn the system you're already paying for
Per-booking fees - $2-3 per reservation adds up fast (at 200 bookings/month, that's $400-600 extra)
Support tiers - Basic support included, but "priority" support costs extra
Integration fees - Want to connect your accounting software? That'll be extra
Contract penalties - Try to leave and you'll pay
What You're Actually Paying For
Let's break down where your software dollars go:
The Good (Real Value)
- Server infrastructure - Hosting, security, backups
- Development - New features, bug fixes, updates
- Support staff - Help when things break
- Payment processing - Secure transaction handling
The Questionable (Overhead)
- Sales team commissions - Someone sold you this software
- Marketing spend - Those conference booths aren't cheap
- Investor returns - VCs want their cut
- Management layers - Enterprise software companies have enterprise overhead
The Unnecessary (For Most Parks)
- Enterprise features - Multi-currency, complex org hierarchies, enterprise reporting
- Unused modules - Paying for features you'll never touch
- Complexity overhead - Systems built for 500-site resorts, not 50-site campgrounds
The Real Cost: A Case Study
Let's calculate what a medium-sized campground (100 sites, 3,000 bookings/year) might actually pay:
Traditional Enterprise Software:
| Cost | Monthly | Annual | | --------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------ | | Base subscription | $399 | $4,788 | | Per-booking ($2.50 x 250/mo) | $625 | $7,500 | | Credit card fees (passed through) | ~$800 | ~$9,600 | | Support upgrade | $99 | $1,188 | | Annual training refresh | N/A | $500 | | Total | ~$1,923 | ~$23,576 |
Add the first-year setup fee ($2,000), and year one costs $25,576.
That's more than a seasonal employee's wages. For software.
What Fair Pricing Looks Like
Software costs should scale with the value it delivers. A reasonable model:
Base Cost: Cover Operating Expenses
A fair monthly base covers:
- Hosting and infrastructure
- Basic support
- Regular updates
- Core features
For a 100-site campground, $100-150/month is reasonable for a well-built modern system.
Variable Cost: Align with Revenue
Per-booking fees make sense IF they're reasonable. You're generating revenue from each booking; sharing a small percentage is fair.
But $2.50+ per booking is excessive. At 200 monthly bookings, you're paying $500/month before any other fees. A $1-2 per booking fee is more reasonable and still generates good revenue for the software provider.
No Setup Fees: Modern Reality
Cloud software doesn't require on-site installation. Setup fees are a legacy from desktop software days. Today, onboarding should be included because:
- Getting you set up correctly benefits the software company (you'll stay longer)
- Data migration can be largely automated
- Self-service setup is possible with good UX
Transparent Total Cost
You should be able to calculate your exact monthly cost before signing. No surprises. No "call for pricing" hiding enterprise-level fees.
Questions to Ask Before Signing
About Pricing
- What's the TOTAL monthly cost including all fees for my park size?
- What's the per-booking fee, and is there a cap?
- Are there setup or onboarding fees?
- What's included in the base price vs. add-on modules?
- How have prices changed over the past 3 years?
About Contracts
- What's the minimum commitment?
- What happens if I need to cancel early?
- How much notice to cancel at renewal?
- Will my rate increase at renewal?
About Hidden Costs
- Is training included or extra?
- What support level is included? What costs more?
- Are there per-user fees?
- What integrations are included vs. paid?
Signs You're Overpaying
Red Flag 1: You can't get a straight price
If you have to "schedule a demo" just to learn the cost, the price is probably higher than they want to advertise.
Red Flag 2: Long contracts with auto-renewal
Fair software earns your business monthly. Lock-in periods protect the vendor, not you.
Red Flag 3: Features you don't use
If you're paying for enterprise features you'll never touch, you're subsidizing larger customers.
Red Flag 4: Prices have increased significantly
If your costs have risen 20%+ over a few years without corresponding value, the company is extracting, not providing value.
Red Flag 5: Support costs extra
You're already paying monthly. Help using the product you're paying for should be included.
The Market Is Changing
New entrants are challenging the status quo:
- Modern cloud-native architecture reduces infrastructure costs
- Open-source components reduce development costs
- Automated onboarding eliminates setup fees
- AI features included rather than upsold
- Transparent pricing that you can calculate yourself
The old guard charges what they do because they've always charged that, and switching was painful enough that parks stayed.
That's changing. Data portability is improving. New options are emerging. And parks are starting to ask hard questions about whether their software costs make sense.
Key Takeaways
- Most campground software is overpriced relative to the value delivered
- Setup fees are outdated for modern cloud software
- Per-booking fees should be reasonable ($1-2), not excessive ($2.50+)
- Ask for transparent total cost before signing anything
- Avoid long contracts that lock you in
- Compare actual costs not just advertised prices
Conclusion
The campground software industry has gotten away with high prices because options were limited and switching was painful. But that's changing.
As a campground owner, you deserve software that's priced fairly, operates transparently, and delivers value without hidden fees or lock-in contracts. Don't accept "that's just what it costs" as an answer.
Modern software should cost less, not more. The technology has gotten cheaper. Cloud hosting is a commodity. AI tools are accessible. If your software costs are increasing year over year, something's wrong.
Keepr offers transparent pricing: $100/month base + $2.30 per booking, with AI features included and no setup fees. Calculate your actual cost in seconds. See the difference at campeveryday.com