In short
- LodgeRunner and The Flybook describe lodging, meals and activities in one booking; GraceSoft and ReservationKey describe fixed packages.
- Per-guest forms and waivers are where they differ most: LodgeRunner, Checkfront and YellowStone describe them clearly.
- None of the seven mention recording each rider's skill level, which is the first thing a wrangler needs.
What a guest ranch asks of a reservation system
- A package, not a night. Three, four or seven nights with fixed arrival days, priced per person, with meals and riding included.
- Every guest known before arrival. A waiver from each adult, a parent for each child, ages, dietary needs and riding experience.
- Deposits and a payment schedule for bookings made months ahead.
- The kitchen and the barn told in time: meal counts and diets for the cook, riders and skill for the wranglers.
- Groups and returning families, and, for some ranches, the travel sites.
The Dude Ranchers' Association lists several of the systems below for its members. Its guest FAQ answers the questions families ask most: all-inclusive means rooms, meals and most activities; riders are grouped by skill; minimum ages for trail rides vary by ranch.
The seven, side by side
| Product | Price as listed | Stay and activities | Per-guest forms | Meals and diets | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GraceSoft | Quoted; four tiers | 3 to 7 night packages with fixed arrival rules; activity add-ons | Digital registration; e-signature on top tiers | Not mentioned | Not stated |
| YellowStone | On request | Cabin assignment, guide and activity scheduling | E-waiver with guest details before arrival | Not mentioned | Demo |
| The Flybook | 4% of online bookings or 2% of all; negotiated plans | Lodging, dining, rides and add-ons in one booking | Waiver reminders | Dining in the booking | Demo |
| ThinkReservations | On request | Activity upsells (ranch case study) | Not mentioned | Requests such as diets tracked | Not stated |
| LodgeRunner | Flat monthly rate, quoted | Packages with lodging and guides; activities per booking | E-signed documents for every adult or chosen guests; minors added | Diets kept per guest; kitchen reports | Demo |
| ReservationKey | From $41 a month (4 units) to $835 (500 units); no commissions | Package-based stays | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | 30 days |
| Checkfront | $99 a month plus 3% on online bookings | Activities and rentals | Built-in waivers; a form for each guest | Collected on the guest form | Demo |
Notes on each
GraceSoft
General lodging software with a dude ranch page built around 3 to 7 night packages with fixed arrival rules. E-signatures, the channel manager and dynamic pricing are on its two top tiers. Price is quoted.
YellowStone (Romeo Bravo Software)
Built for ranches, lodges and outfitters: cabin assignment, guide and activity scheduling, and an e-waiver that collects signatures and guest details before arrival. Price on request.
The Flybook
Activity booking with a dude ranch page: lodging, dining, rides and add-ons in a single booking flow, with all-inclusive stays and waiver reminders. Its standard pricing is a percentage of bookings.
ThinkReservations
Inn and bed and breakfast software with a full channel manager. Its ranch case study shows activity upsells and a task tool that tracks requests such as dietary restrictions.
LodgeRunner
Made for hunting and fishing lodges and pitched to guest ranches: per-guest e-signed documents, dietary preferences that carry over to future stays, meal schedules and kitchen reports. It says plainly it may not suit ranches that rely on the travel sites.
ReservationKey
The low-cost choice for cabins and rooms, priced by number of units, with deposits and partial-payment rules and no booking commissions. Activities and guest forms are not mentioned.
Checkfront
Activity and rental booking with built-in waivers and a guest form each guest fills in after payment, which can collect dietary needs. A monthly fee plus a fee on online bookings.
How to choose
- Start with how guests book. If most come through travel sites, a channel manager decides it (GraceSoft top tiers, ThinkReservations, ReservationKey). If most come direct, the booking flow and guest forms matter more.
- Walk one family through it. Two adults and two children for four nights: does each adult sign, does a parent sign for each child, do the diets reach the kitchen?
- Ask how riders are recorded. None of the seven mention riding experience. Ask whether a custom guest field can carry it to the barn's list.
- Price your season. A percentage of bookings is cheap in a slow year and expensive in a full one; a flat fee is the reverse.
Where Kavalo fits
Most ranches keep the reservation system they have. What sits around it is the conversation: the family that calls about a July week, the inquiry that never got an answer, the reminder to finish the waivers. Kavalo Front Office covers that: your website, a customer list that follows up every inquiry, a waiver for every rider, reminders by email and text, payments and a text back to every missed call; AI Ranch Hand answers the phone with your approved answers. The morning roster, meals and diets by guest, horses matched to riders and seasonal staff schedules are not part of Front Office; White Glove sets those up. Our guide A waiver for every rider covers the waiver side.
Questions people ask
Do guests need riding experience?
Usually not. The Dude Ranchers' Association says ranches group riders by skill, which is why recording each rider's experience before arrival matters.
Can I take deposits and the balance later?
ReservationKey describes deposits and partial-payment rules; GraceSoft describes payment links and automatic payments; YellowStone says it ends chasing guests for deposits.
Can each guest sign their own waiver?
LodgeRunner lets you require documents from every adult or only the primary contact, and adds minors automatically. Checkfront sends a guest form to each guest after payment.
Will it send diets to the kitchen?
LodgeRunner describes kitchen reports and diets carried to future stays; ThinkReservations and Checkfront describe collecting dietary needs.
Do I need a channel manager?
Only if travel sites bring you guests. Many ranches book direct and by referral; a channel manager adds cost and the sites' commissions.
Sources
Every price and feature above is as listed on each company's own pages, checked October 26, 2026. A feature marked "not mentioned" may still exist; ask the company.
- Dude Ranchers' Association, member resources
- Dude Ranchers' Association, 9 FAQs of dude ranching
- GraceSoft for dude ranches
- GraceSoft pricing
- Romeo Bravo Software for ranches and lodges
- The Flybook for dude ranches
- ThinkReservations, Zion Ponderosa case study
- LodgeRunner for dude ranches
- LodgeRunner e-signatures
- ReservationKey pricing
- Checkfront pricing
- Checkfront guest form
