The verdict in three sentences
For most campgrounds and RV parks in the Lower Mainland, a vertical campground SaaS is the best fit in 2026: roughly 200 to 800 CAD a month, live in 6 to 10 weeks, with an interactive site map and online booking built in. A custom app, around 45 000 to 130 000 CAD as a 2026 market ballpark, only pays off if you run several parks or have booking rules that no vendor will configure, such as your own rolling reservation windows by site class. Whatever you pick, put site map ownership and a full data export in the contract before the first spring booking rush.
The 2026 ranking for a Vancouver area campground
We rank categories of solutions, not brands or agencies. The criteria are stable ones: five year total cost, time to go live before the May long weekend, data portability, support quality in peak season and the type of operation each option suits. Figures are 2026 market ballparks, except the Kolonell row, which shows Kolonell's prices.
| Rank | Option | Cost (2026 market ballpark) | Go live | Portability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vertical campground SaaS | 200 to 800 CAD per month | 6 to 10 weeks | Good if full export is contractual | 80 to 400 sites, one park |
| 2 | Campground SaaS + custom module | Subscription + targeted module | 8 to 12 weeks | Good | One specific gap: seasonal leases, store, guest portal |
| 3 | Hotel PMS adapted to cabins | 250 to 900 CAD per month | 8 to 14 weeks | Medium | Mostly cabins and yurts, few RV pads |
| 4 | Fully custom app, specialist agency | 45 000 to 130 000 CAD | 12 to 20 weeks | Full if you own the code | Multi park operators with unusual rules |
| 5 | Freelance developer | 20 000 to 55 000 CAD | Variable | Key person risk | Small, non critical scope |
| 6 | Spreadsheet + simple booking widget | 40 to 130 CAD per month | 2 to 4 weeks | Full | Under 60 sites |
Kolonell fits rows 2 and 4 as a nearshore option. Kolonell's prices for a simple app run from 3 810 to 6 100 EUR (2 500 000 to 4 000 000 FCFA), and a complex management app from 10 670 to 22 870 EUR and up (7 000 000 to 15 000 000 FCFA and up). Our team works in English and French, which matters for bilingual booking pages.
Features a 180 site park should insist on
Campground software proves itself on the Friday of a long weekend, not in a sales demo. Turn your operation into precise questions.
| Feature | Why it matters | Question for the vendor |
|---|---|---|
| RV site mapping with length and hookups | Matching a 40 foot fifth wheel to a pad that fits | Can you edit the map yourself without a support ticket? |
| Rolling reservation windows | Opening bookings by date, like the public parks system guests know | Can windows differ by site class and season? |
| English and French booking pages | Quebec and European visitors book in French | Is the French interface native or machine translated? |
| Deposits and cancellation rules | Protecting peak weekend revenue | Which payment processors and what per transaction fee? |
| Seasonal and monthly guests | Long stays need recurring billing | Is recurring billing built in or a paid add on? |
| Camp store POS | Charging firewood and propane to the site folio | Native POS or API link? |
| Guest data under PIPEDA and BC PIPA | Private sector privacy duties in British Columbia | Where is data hosted and how is consent logged? |
Tax setup for GST, PST and any municipal accommodation tax should be validated with your accountant against official Canada Revenue Agency and BC government guidance: the software only has to produce the right reports.
Five year total cost by option
The monthly fee is misleading. What counts is what you will have spent by 2031. Assumptions: 180 sites, 25 cabins, season from May to October plus winter monthly guests.
| Option | Setup | Annual recurring | Five year total (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campground SaaS at 500 CAD per month | 4 000 CAD (migration, setup) | 6 000 CAD | 34 000 CAD |
| SaaS + Kolonell module | 4 000 CAD + 6 100 EUR | 6 000 CAD + 1 368 EUR (Kolonell Standard maintenance, 114 EUR a month) | 34 000 CAD + 12 940 EUR |
| Adapted hotel PMS at 700 CAD per month | 8 000 CAD | 8 400 CAD | 50 000 CAD |
| Fully custom at 85 000 CAD | 85 000 CAD | 12 750 CAD (15 % maintenance) | 148 750 CAD |
Full custom costs roughly four times the SaaS route over five years. It only makes sense from three or four parks under one brand, or when stacked subscriptions pass about 20 000 CAD a year.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Megan owns a 180 site RV park and campground near Squamish. Her legacy desktop system costs 6 200 CAD a year and does not sync with online travel platforms, so staff re keys about 10 hours of bookings a week over 24 weeks: 240 hours at 30 CAD loaded cost, or 7 200 CAD a year. She moves to a campground SaaS at 550 CAD a month (6 600 CAD a year) and commissions a seasonal guest billing module for about 6 000 EUR. Year one costs 6 600 CAD + 4 000 CAD migration + the module, roughly 19 400 CAD in total, against 13 400 CAD before. From year two she saves around 6 800 CAD a year and stops the double bookings that cost her two angry families last August.
FAQ
How long does a switch take before the season?
Allow 6 to 10 weeks for SaaS and 12 to 20 weeks for custom work. For a May opening, sign by January so you can test the data migration in March.
How many past seasons should we migrate?
Three to five seasons are enough to keep repeat guests and compare occupancy. Older data can live in a CSV archive, which is cheaper than a full migration often billed at 2 000 to 6 000 CAD.
Does a hotel PMS work for an RV park?
Only if cabins bring in more than 60 % of revenue. Hotel systems rarely handle RV length, hookups and pull through pads well.
When does a custom app make sense?
From three parks, or when vendors refuse a business critical rule. With a 45 000 to 130 000 CAD budget, insist on source code ownership and a priced maintenance contract in the quote.
What does a custom add on module cost?
At Kolonell, a simple app is 3 810 to 6 100 EUR (2 500 000 to 4 000 000 FCFA). It must use the vendor's API, so confirm the API exists before you sign the subscription.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site count, current tools and opening date, and we will price a targeted module or a full app with an indicative budget and a timeline that fits your season. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
