Creating a travel website is like getting ready for a big trip. You need the right tools to make sure everything goes smoothly.
A good travel booking plugin helps with managing bookings, handling payments, and making the site easy to use.
WP Travel Engine and WP Travel are two great plugins that can turn your site into a super-efficient booking platform.
They both have cool features like advanced search, tools to help you get more customers, and support for different themes.
Let’s dive deep to see which one will make your website run smoothly and stress-free.
Table of Contents
WP Travel Engine vs WP Travel – 16 Features Compared
1. Ease of Installation
WP Travel Engine makes installation a breeze. You can grab the free version straight from the WordPress dashboard; for the Pro version, you can buy the license from their official website. The setup wizard guides you through every step, making sure you don’t end up with a mess.
WP Travel also has a free and paid version with the same installation process.
Winner: Tie. There are no notable differences when it comes to installation.
2. Setup and Onboarding
With WP Travel Engine, setting up your site is like being shown around a new theme park. The setup wizard, leads you through configuring settings and integrating plugins. Just in case you feel stuck there’s plenty of thorough documentation and video tutorials to assist you.
WP Travel has a formal onboarding process but suggests integrations that may be irrelevant to the user starting from scratch.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its stress-free setup process.
3. Theme Support
WP Travel Engine offers a selection of around ten travel agency WordPress themes, each like a perfectly tailored suit for your site. These themes are designed to work seamlessly with the plugin, ensuring the site looks professional.
WP Travel also provides over 20 travel WordPress themes, which are unique and diverse in their own way.
Winner: Tie. Every user has a different taste when it comes to selecting a theme. Both are great options.
4. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
WP Travel Engine excels with the secrets of Google’s algorithm. It includes Rich Schema Markup, which helps search engines understand and rank your content.
Plus, it is compatible with SEO plugins like Rank Math, making sure your site doesn’t get lost in the digital wilderness. It is also speed-optimized to ensure your site loads quickly.
WP Travel also comes with SEO-focused tweaks for search engine rankings and appropriate speed optimization for faster load times.
Winner: Tie.
5. Payment Gateways
WP Travel Engine supports PayPal and Bank Transfer in their free version. Buying the Pro version will give you access to 9 more payment gateways including the integration of WooCommerce which will further add flexibility to accept payments on your site.
WP Travel offers PayPal and Bank transfers in their free version. Buying the Pro version will give you access to 10 more options. WooCommerce is not included with WP Travel.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its seamless WooCommerce payment integration.
6. Conversions
WP Travel Engine includes effective add-ons to enhance bookings. Features like Trip Reviews and Social Proof encourage visitors to book immediately.
The Progress Booking Bar creates a sense of urgency by showing how many spots are left, while Social Proof highlights how many people have already made bookings, increasing the appeal of your offers.
WP Travel lacks conversion add-ons to create that sense of encouragement for customers to book trips.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its advanced conversion features that turn browsers into bookers.
7. Upsell and Cross-Sell
Upselling and cross-selling are powerful strategies that can significantly boost revenue for travel agencies.
WP Travel Engine offers upselling and cross-selling features like group discounts and extra services to make sure you can boost your revenue with ease.
WP Travel also offers upselling and cross-selling features, but they are not as comprehensive as those in WP Travel Engine.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its extensive cross-sell and upsell features.
8. Advanced Search Engine
Advanced search capabilities are identical to having a veteran tour guide. Custom filters for destinations, trip types, and dates ensure visitors can quickly find what they’re looking for.
WP Travel Engine offers an advanced search engine in both free and paid versions.
However, the advanced search filter is available only in the WP Travel PRO version.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its advanced search that’s like a GPS for your travel site.
9. Marketing
WP Travel Engine enhances marketing with features designed to attract and engage customers. The Partial Payment option makes high-value trips more accessible, encouraging more bookings.
The Trip Embedder allows you to share trip details across various platforms, boosting visibility and reaching a wider audience.
User History helps tailor marketing efforts by tracking user preferences, enabling targeted promotions that increase conversion rates.
Meanwhile, the Itinerary Downloader provides potential customers with detailed trip information, keeping them engaged and interested in your offerings.
WP Travel offers basic marketing tools like Partial Payments and Travel Itinerary.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its comprehensive marketing toolkit, which is a
marketer’s dream.
10. Compatibility
WP Travel Engine integrates seamlessly with popular page builder plugins like Gutenberg and Elementor, making it flexible.
You can design and customize your site with ease, and add other niche features to truly make it your own.
It is also compatible with WPML and Polylang, which helps translate your website into any language.
WP Travel also supports most popular plugins like Elementor for customization and other plugins such as WPML and Polylang offering translation features to the website. It also offers a mobile app.
Winner: Tie. Both plugins offer excellent support for modern WordPress editors.
11. User Experience
WP Travel Engine enhances user experience with tools like the Advanced Itinerary Builder, which allows users to easily create and customize their trip plans, and the Currency Converter, which simplifies transactions for international travelers.
Its intuitive user interface ensures smooth navigation and a highly engaging experience.
WP Travel offers simple tools like a Calendar for planning, a simple Currency Converter and a Gallery to showcase pictures.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its superior user experience that’s like a 5-star stay.
12. Automation
WP Travel Engine supports Zapier, a magical assistant that handles repetitive tasks and keeps everything running smoothly.
It automates processes like syncing customer data with CRM systems, sending automated email marketing campaigns, and managing bookings without manual intervention.
This reduces manual effort, minimizes errors, and ensures smooth, efficient operations across different platforms.
WP Travel also supports Zapier, providing similar automation capabilities.
Winner: Tie. Both plugins offer effective automation to keep your site running like a well-oiled machine.
13. Community
WP Travel Engine has an active community on their Facebook Group. They make sure that you’re never left out in the cold.
WP Travel also has a Facebook Community where they won’t hesitate to help you out. They are also on Trustpilot and actively promote unbiased reviews.
Winner: A tie, as both of the plugins have an amazing community.
14. Documentation
WP Travel Engine offers detailed documentation, including guides, video tutorials, and a comprehensive knowledge base. It’s like having an encyclopedic travel guide that covers every possible question you might have.
WP Travel also provides good documentation to use as a reference but doesn’t have as much content as WP Travel Engine.
Winner: WP Travel Engine, for its thorough and helpful documentation that’s your go-to for all things plugin-related.
15. Support
WP Travel Engine has various ways for customers to reach out like email, facebook group and a live chat where they will assist you with your issues and queries.
WP Travel also has the same features as WP Travel Engine.
Winner: Tie. They have no differences between their support systems.
16. Pricing
WP Travel Engine offers four yearly and lifetime plans with the listed prices for each plan.
Yearly Pricing Plan of WP Travel Engine:
- Personal – $9/month
- Growth – $19/month
- Travel Agency – $24/month
- Development Company – $35/month
WP Travel offers three monthly and yearly plans at cheaper prices.
Yearly Pricing Plan of WP Travel:
- Personal – $8.49/month
- Plus – $17.49/month
- Expert – $50.49/month
Winner: A tie. Cheaper pricing doesn’t necessarily equate to getting a better value. It ultimately depends on the needs of the user.
Final Score: WP Travel Engine – 16 | WP Travel – 8
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing between WP Travel Engine and WP Travel, WP Travel Engine is the star performer based on the scores. It offers a full suite of features, top-notch support, and a simple user experience.
WP Travel is a great option too, especially if you’re looking for something budget-friendly and functional. It’s usable for those who enjoy a little bit of tweaking or tinkering.
So, whether you want to set sail on a feature-rich cruise or embark on a budget-friendly road trip, both plugins have something to offer. Choose wisely, and happy travels in the world of WordPress plugins!
