Self-installed booking software · Reviewed Oct 18, 2026
VikBooking
A booking engine plugin for your own WordPress site.
At a glance
- Runs on
- Your domain and your hosting
- Versions
- Free Basic, paid Pro (€149, license key runs 1 year)
- OTA sync
- Vik Channel Manager + e4jConnect, priced per channel
- Bookings export
- CSV, calendar (ICS) and a full backup
- Try it
- 30-day trial of the full set, no upfront payment
On this page
What it is
VikBooking is a WordPress plugin from E4J. It adds a full booking engine to your own website: guests check dates, see the price and book on your domain.
Free and Pro. The free Basic version takes bookings. Pro (vikwp.com/plugin/vikbooking) adds seasonal prices, minimum stays, coupons, invoices, customer management, online check-in and payment gateways.
What ASTRO looked at. The guest and owner screens below come from a member owner's working site on licensed VikBooking Pro. ASTRO's export and restore test ran on a separate disposable install of the free version, with fictional data.
Vik Channel Manager is a separate paid plugin that connects your site to OTAs. E4J states it needs an active e4jConnect subscription (vikwp.com/plugin/vikchannelmanager).
What a guest sees
The whole booking happens on your own domain. There is no redirect to a separate booking platform.
How a guest books:
- Pick datesOn your home page or any page with the widget.
- Choose a roomOpen dates nearby are offered if theirs are taken.
- See the totalNightly rate, fees and tax, before any details.
- Check outDetails and payment on your own site.
What you see when a booking lands
Every booking lands in your WordPress dashboard. It blocks its dates on the calendar straight away.
From the dashboard you can:
- search bookings by guest name or confirmation number
- add a phone booking by hand on the calendar
- email the guest from the booking page (text too, with an SMS gateway set up)
- export bookings as a CSV or calendar (ICS) file
- On Pro: generate invoices and run online check-in.
What you own
VikBooking runs on your own WordPress site. The domain, the booking pages and the database holding every booking sit on hosting you control.
Why a direct site on your own domain matters, whichever booking software runs it:
- Your domain
- Search authority builds your site, not a platform's. Past guests find you again without a fee in between.
- Your guest list
- Reservations and guest details sit in your own database, for your own tools, within what guests agreed to.
- Guest privacy
- Guests book on your site, not a third-party booking platform, so fewer parties see their details.
- Your independence
- Change providers or redesign later and the site, content and data stay yours.
What you can take with you, item by item, is in the Owner Portability Baseline below.
Keep your Airbnb and VRBO listings
A direct site sits alongside your OTA listings; it doesn't replace them. E4J's Vik Channel Manager is what keeps the calendars in step.
What OTA sync takes:
- VikBooking ProThe booking engine on your site.
- Vik Channel ManagerA one-time paid plugin.
- e4jConnectA subscription for each channel you connect.
If the e4jConnect subscription ends, E4J's FAQ (vikwp.com/faq) states:
- "the entire connection with the Channel Manager will drop and will stop working"
- "your website with the booking engine Vik Booking will keep working regularly"
Payments
Payment gateways are a Pro feature. E4J's Stripe add-on (vikwp.com/payment-gateways/stripe) connects your own Stripe account, so guest payments go to you, less Stripe's fees.
Virtual terminal. VikBooking states it supports Stripe's Raw Card Data APIs, so you can take a card for a phone booking inside VikBooking, without logging into your bank each time. Stripe grants those APIs on request and they carry extra card-security (PCI) obligations, so check with Stripe first. ASTRO did not test it.
AI features
E4J sells an optional AI Service through e4jConnect, at €15 (about $17) a month for up to 3 units. ASTRO did not test it.
E4J states it covers:
- Translations and writing for listing text and guest messages.
- An autoresponder set up with your property's own details, so routine questions get a first reply.
- A website chatbot that answers prospective guests before they book.
Who it suits
A direct site is not only for owners who already have a following. A well-optimised site also reaches travelers searching by area, event or amenity, people who would otherwise only meet you on an OTA.
That takes time and steady optimisation, and results depend on local competition.
A good fit if you:
- want your own booking site and guest list alongside your OTA listings
- are comfortable running a WordPress site, or have someone who is
- get repeat guests and referrals, or want to be found directly by travelers searching your area
- are happy to keep OTAs for discovery and add a direct channel next to them
Probably not the right fit if you:
- want hosted software that someone else runs for you
- would rather not be responsible for a WordPress site, its hosting and updates, and have no one to do that for you
- are content to rely on OTA search and would rather not put time into your own site
What it does well
- Guests book on your website. From dates to checkout, the whole booking runs on your own address, with no hand-off to a booking platform.
- The price is clear before the guest commits. Nightly rate, cleaning fee, tax and total show before any details are entered.
- Full dates don't lose the guest. When the dates asked for are taken, Vik offers the nearby dates that are open.
- One dashboard for every reservation. Online bookings, phone bookings you add by hand and guest emails all sit in your own WordPress dashboard.
- Your bookings stay yours. Paid, part-paid, stand-by and cancelled test bookings kept their status and amounts through export, backup and a restore onto a fresh site.
Things to plan for
- Hotel vocabulary. A property is a "room" and pricing periods are "seasons", because VikBooking grew out of hotel software. It's an adjustment, not a limitation.
- Budget for Pro and add-ons. Seasonal pricing, payments and OTA sync need Pro and paid add-ons. OTA sync also runs on a recurring e4jConnect subscription per channel.
- Keep your own copies. Email templates and a few settings needed redoing after ASTRO's fresh-site restore, and moving to other software is a developer job. The Baseline below has the detail.
Owner Portability Baseline
ASTRO's Owner Portability Baseline v1 asks what you keep if you ever change software. Each line comes from an export ASTRO ran itself or the maker's published terms; “Plan for this” marks a step worth taking early.
Because VikBooking runs on your own site, you already hold the domain, the guest links and the database. These lines cover what moves cleanly if you change software, and what to keep a copy of.
- B1Owner-created content and original media files, plus a complete URL map for redirects
Plan for this. Your pages, posts and photos come with you. Give each room its own WordPress page so its address moves too.
- B2The domain: it stays with the owner, or a published transfer process exists
Yes. Your domain stays yours, because the booking engine runs on your own site.
- B3Reservations, past and future, including payment status for future bookings (paid, balance due, deposits held)
Yes. Your bookings come with you, status and amounts intact, from paid in full to cancelled.
- B4OTA references: channel listing IDs and reservation confirmation codes
Not tested. A simulated OTA booking kept its OTA ID and channel. Live OTA bookings run through the Channel Manager, which ASTRO did not test.
- B5Guest records together with consent evidence (scope, policy version, source, timestamp)
Plan for this. Guest records come with you. In the free version tested, the terms tick-box is not stored, so keep your own record of what guests accepted.
- B6Full message history, including guest replies
Not tested. Emails you send stay with each booking and guest replies land in your own inbox; guest chat was not tested.
- B7Pricing and configuration in readable form: rate plans, pricing rules, minimum stays, fees, taxes, automations
Plan for this. Rates and taxes restored exactly. On a brand-new site, custom email templates and five settings came back at defaults, so keep a copy of those.
- B8Guest-facing links on the provider's own domains keep working, or redirect, for a stated window after exit
Yes. Guest links live on your own site, so they keep working.
- B9No exit fee, and a documented exit process with a stated timeline
Not tested. Your site and database stay on your hosting whatever happens to the Pro key. E4J's pages word Pro after a lapse differently, so ask E4J how updates work before letting it lapse.
- B10Open formats (CSV or JSON) with a manifest of every file
Plan for this. Bookings export as CSV and calendar files, with a manifest in the backup. Guests, rates and settings come out as a database file a web developer can read.
How we tested: method and evidence, item by item
B1. Owner-created content and original media files, plus a complete URL map for redirects
Plan for this. With pretty permalinks, the WordPress export carried every page, post and media permalink, and VikBooking's backup carried the room photo, which came back byte-identical after a restore. Room pages without a WordPress page of their own use a query-string address (?roomid=N), which the exports do not list; giving each room its own WordPress page keeps its address in the export.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: the WordPress (WXR) export and VikBooking's full backup.
B2. The domain: it stays with the owner, or a published transfer process exists
Yes. VikBooking runs on the owner's own WordPress site, so the domain is the owner's own.
Evidence: Self-installed software: met by the owner's own hosting.
B3. Reservations, past and future, including payment status for future bookings (paid, balance due, deposits held)
Yes. Seven bookings created in VikBooking (past, paid in full, part-paid, balance due, stand-by and cancelled) kept their status and amounts through the CSV export, the full backup and a restore into a fresh site. The calendar (ICS) export shows total and amount paid, for example "EUR 120 (40)".
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: the bookings CSV and ICS files, VikBooking's full backup and the restore comparison.
B4. OTA references: channel listing IDs and reservation confirmation codes
Not tested. A simulated OTA booking kept its OTA booking ID and channel through the CSV export, the backup and the restore. Channel listing IDs were outside the test. A live OTA round trip runs through the Channel Manager, which ASTRO did not test, so real OTA bookings are not verified.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: a simulated OTA booking, checked in the exported data only.
B5. Guest records together with consent evidence (scope, policy version, source, timestamp)
Plan for this. In the free version tested, guest records are in the full backup and survive a restore, and the checkout terms checkbox is not recorded with the booking or the guest, so keep your own record of the terms guests agree to. The Pro customers export was outside the test.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: the booking and guest records in VikBooking's full backup.
B6. Full message history, including guest replies
Not tested. Emails the owner sent with Send Custom Email, the only messaging path tested, were kept in full in the booking history and survived the backup and a restore. Guest chat requires the Channel Manager, which ASTRO did not test, and guest replies arrive by ordinary email, so they stay in your own inbox rather than in VikBooking.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: VikBooking's full backup and the restore comparison.
B7. Pricing and configuration in readable form: rate plans, pricing rules, minimum stays, fees, taxes, automations
Plan for this. In the free version tested, a tax rate and a base-rate change made in the dashboard were in the backup as readable SQL and restored exactly, and the backup holds every setting as readable text. In ASTRO's fresh-site restore, the custom email templates were not carried over and five other settings came back at their defaults. Seasons, restrictions, minimum stays, extras, fees, Scheduled Actions and other Pro settings were outside the test and are not tested; this result rests on the email templates, so keep your own copy of them.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: VikBooking's full backup and the restore comparison.
B8. Guest-facing links on the provider's own domains keep working, or redirect, for a stated window after exit
Yes. Guest-facing links are on the owner's own site, so they stay with the owner.
Evidence: Self-installed software: met by the owner's own hosting.
B9. No exit fee, and a documented exit process with a stated timeline
Not tested. E4J's VikBooking page says of the Pro license key: "Renewals are not mandatory, this is not a subscription, but Patches and Updates can only be installed if you have an active License Key for your domain." E4J's Terms and Conditions say of the License Key: "Renewing and keeping active the License Key is necessary to install future updates and to keep using the Pro version of the Plugin, but it is not mandatory." Of the separate Support License, they say: "Having an expired Support License will not affect in any way the license of your Plugin/Product, which will obviously work as before." E4J's FAQ says of the Support License: "Once it expires, you are not required to renew it in order to continue using the plugin." Of the Channel Manager subscription, it says: "your website with the booking engine Vik Booking will keep working regularly". E4J's Vik Channel Manager page says: "If your e4jConnect subscription expires or is not activated, the License Key becomes invalid and you will no longer be eligible for free updates." The VikBooking page and the Terms and Conditions describe what happens to Pro after the license key lapses in different words, so ASTRO could not verify which reading applies.
Evidence: vikwp.com/plugin/vikbooking, vikwp.com/terms-and-conditions, vikwp.com/plugin/vikchannelmanager and vikwp.com/faq, fetched by ASTRO on Oct 18, 2026.
B10. Open formats (CSV or JSON) with a manifest of every file
Plan for this. In the free version tested, bookings export as CSV and calendar (ICS) files, and the full backup includes a JSON manifest. The full data is SQL in VikBooking's own format; guests, settings and rates come out in that SQL rather than as JSON or CSV. The Pro customers export was outside the test.
Evidence: ASTRO-run export and restore of VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version) on disposable installs with fictional data, Oct 18, 2026: the bookings CSV and ICS files and VikBooking's full backup.
Reported, not scored
OTA integration and calendar sync
OTA sync takes Vik Channel Manager plus an e4jConnect subscription per channel. E4J's FAQ (vikwp.com/faq) states the connection stops when the subscription expires.
Onboarding
VikBooking is installed into your own WordPress site and configured there. A 30-day trial of the full set is described under What it costs.
AI, and where the owner stays in control
The AI Service is an optional paid add-on. ASTRO did not test it.
Compliance handling
In the free version tested, taxes were configured by the owner and included in the stay total.
Pricing and terms
The VikBooking Pro license key runs for one year; Vik Channel Manager and the Stripe gateway are one-time payments with no license key. e4jConnect channels are a prepaid subscription per term with optional auto-renew. Prices are in the costs section below.
Stated exclusions
- ASTRO found no export exclusions stated on E4J's pages.
What it costs
Pricing as of Oct 18, 2026
- €298 (~$334)
- Plugins, one time
- €11 to €20 a month
- OTA sync, per channel
- 30-day full trial, or the free Basic version
- Free to start
Two costs: one-time plugins, then a recurring e4jConnect subscription per channel. Prices are from vikwp.com and e4jconnect.com, converted at the ECB rate of Oct 11, 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1206 USD).
The Pro license. Only the VikBooking Pro license key runs a year. E4J states renewal is not mandatory and not a subscription, but updates need an active key; with Vik Channel Manager and an active e4jConnect subscription, it states the license has no expiration.
On the full package, E4J confirmed to ASTRO in writing (Oct 27, 2026) that Pro needs no separate yearly renewal while the e4jConnect subscription stays active. If that subscription ends, the standalone Pro license terms apply.
No license key needed for Vik Channel Manager or the Stripe gateway, which are one-time payments. E4J's Terms state payment gateways always include free updates.
Per-channel pricing. A recurring connectivity fee is standard across channel managers. Here it is priced per channel, so you pay only for the channels you connect.
Longer terms cost less. 24 months takes a channel from €20 to €11 a month. Each term is paid up front and can lapse and restart later; each extra channel carries a cumulative reduction of up to 35%.
On top: rates step up past 3 units, Stripe's card fees apply, and hosting, a domain and the website itself are separate.
Free version. VikBooking Basic is free and is a working introduction to the basics: you can take bookings on your own site with it before buying anything.
| Item | EUR | USD |
|---|---|---|
| VikBooking Pro | €149 | ~$167 |
| Vik Channel Manager | €89 | ~$100 |
| Stripe payment gateway add-on | €60 | ~$67 |
| Total | €298 | ~$334 |
| Term | One channel, per month | One channel, billed per term |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | €20 (~$22) | €20 (~$22) |
| 3 months | €17 (~$19) | €51 (~$57) |
| 6 months | €14 (~$16) | €84 (~$94) |
| 12 months | €12 (~$13) | €144 (~$161) |
| 24 months | €11 (~$12) | €264 (~$296) |
Other channels and add-ons (same billing model, per month for the smallest unit tier) (21)
| Channel or add-on | Smallest tier | 1-month term | 12-month term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expedia Network | up to 3 units | €20 (~$22) | €12 (~$13) |
| Google Vacation Rentals | up to 3 units | €16 (~$18) | €10 (~$11) |
| Google Hotel | up to 3 units | €16 (~$18) | €10 (~$11) |
| Trip.com - cTrip | up to 3 units | €16 (~$18) | €10 (~$11) |
| Agoda | up to 20 units | €25 (~$28) | €17 (~$19) |
| Despegar.com | up to 20 units | €23 (~$26) | €15 (~$17) |
| Hostelworld | up to 20 units | €23 (~$26) | €12 (~$13) |
| TripAdvisor (TripConnect) | up to 20 units | €19 (~$21) | €9 (~$10) |
| trivago Rate Connect | up to 20 units | €15 (~$17) | €5 (~$6) |
| Pitchup.com | up to 20 units | €23 (~$26) | €15 (~$17) |
| Campsites.co.uk | up to 5 units | €12 (~$13) | €5 (~$6) |
| bedandbreakfast.eu | up to 20 units | €21 (~$24) | €13 (~$15) |
| bedandbreakfast.nl | up to 20 units | €21 (~$24) | €13 (~$15) |
| Bed-and-breakfast.it | up to 20 units | €21 (~$24) | €13 (~$15) |
| Otelz.com | up to 20 units | €19 (~$21) | €9 (~$10) |
| Feratel | up to 20 units | €21 (~$24) | €13 (~$15) |
| iCal sync (any calendar feed) | up to 5 units | €15 (~$17) | €7 (~$8) |
| Mobile App | up to 10 units | €18 (~$20) | €8 (~$9) |
| AI Service | up to 3 units | €15 (~$17) | €15 (~$17) |
| WhatsApp Messaging | up to 3 units | €12 (~$13) | €12 (~$13) |
| Door Access Control | up to 3 units | €3 (~$3) | €3 (~$3) |
Sources: VikBooking · Vik Channel Manager · Stripe gateway · Terms and Conditions · FAQ · e4jConnect pricing · ECB reference rates
About this review
- Reviewed: Oct 18, 2026
- Version tested: Export and restore test on VikBooking 1.8.15 (free version), WordPress 6.9.4; guest and owner screenshots from a member owner's site on licensed VikBooking Pro
- Affiliation: No affiliation or commercial interest connects VikBooking to ASTRO or its principals.
- Evidence: An export ASTRO ran itself, on a disposable install with fictional data.
Reviews cover portability and terms, not uptime or support.