Xola is popular with adventure parks and escape rooms for good reason: it has great marketing tools, OTA distribution, and dynamic pricing. But the commission-based pricing model means you pay more as you grow. And while Xola has waivers and POS, it doesn't have the pre-arrival waiver flow or birthday party claim links that activity parks actually need. wakesys was built specifically for the operational chaos of running a busy park.
wakesys vs Xola
See how wakesys stacks up feature by feature.
Why operators choose wakesys over Xola
Real reasons from real park operators who made the switch.
Waivers done before arrival
Xola has digital waivers, but they're a separate step. wakesys integrates waivers directly into the booking flow. Guests sign at home as part of checkout. By the time they arrive, they're ready.
Birthday parties handled automatically
Host books, shares a claim link. Each parent claims their kids and signs waivers independently. Real-time status shows who's complete. Xola doesn't have this group claim workflow.
Visual check-in manifest
Staff see green (waiver signed, paid) or red (needs attention) at a glance. One tap to check in. Xola's check-in is functional but doesn't give staff that instant visual waiver status.
60-second mobile booking
80% of guests book on phones. Our checkout is built for thumbs with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Xola works on mobile but the checkout isn't mobile-first.
Know your cost before you go live
Xola charges a percentage of every booking, so the more successful you get, the more you pay. wakesys is free for 2026, and pricing after the free period is confirmed in writing before you go live.
Built by park operators
We run parks ourselves. Every feature exists because we needed it at our own venues. Xola was built for the broader tours and experiences market.
What sets wakesys apart
Features you won't find anywhere else.
Pre-Arrival Waivers
Guests sign waivers as part of booking, on their phone, before they leave home. Group organizers share a claim link and every parent signs independently. Xola has waivers, but they're not woven into the booking flow the same way.
Group Claim Links
Birthday parties, corporate events, school groups: the host books, shares a link, and each person claims their spot and signs their waiver. Real-time dashboard shows completion status. Xola doesn't have this feature.
Costs you can see upfront
Xola's business model is built on taking a percentage of every booking, so as your park grows, your software costs grow with it and you only find out on the statement. With wakesys you know the number before you go live, in writing.
Built by Park Operators
We run activity parks ourselves. We understand the difference between a guided tour with 8 people and a Saturday at a trampoline park with 300 guests, 5 birthday parties, and 50 walk-ins.
How to switch from Xola
Most parks are live within a single day. Here's the typical migration path.
Book a Demo
See wakesys in action. We'll show you how pre-arrival waivers and birthday party workflows work.
Set Up Activities
Configure your sessions, experiences, or rooms with time slots, capacity limits, and pricing.
Configure Waivers
Create waiver templates. They'll automatically attach to every booking, and guests sign before arriving.
Connect Payments
Link your Stripe account. During 2026 you pay Stripe's standard processing rate and nothing on top.
Embed on Website
Add a Book Now button to your website. Works on any platform, no code.
Go Live
Start accepting bookings with integrated waivers. Stop paying commission fees on every booking.
Switching from Xola?
Common questions answered.
Xola is a booking platform for tours, attractions, and experiences with strong marketing and distribution features. wakesys is built specifically for activity parks. The key differences: wakesys has pre-arrival waivers integrated into booking, group claim links for birthday parties, and flat-rate pricing instead of commission-based fees.
Yes, Xola has digital waiver functionality. However, waivers in Xola are more of a separate step, while wakesys integrates them directly into the booking flow. Guests sign as part of checkout, not as an afterthought.
Xola charges commission-based fees: a percentage of every booking you process. The more bookings you get, the more you pay. wakesys is free for all of 2026. Pricing after the free period is confirmed in writing before you go live.
Yes! We'll help you set up your activities, time slots, and waivers in wakesys. Most parks are fully live within a day.
Xola has strong marketing tools like abandoned cart recovery and OTA distribution. wakesys focuses on the operational side: booking, waivers, check-in, and POS. For marketing, you can use any email marketing tool alongside wakesys.