Tommy alternative — when custom is cheaper than POS software that does rentals on the side

Tommy does what it says on the tin: POS software that also handles reservations. For a beach bar with a few bikes for rent on the side, or a campsite with a small rental corner — fine. But for a rental business that works in two countries, wants to keep its own brand, or has a process that doesn't fit in a dropdown, it gets cramped fast.

This isn't a hit piece on Tommy. It's an honest sketch of what the software was built for, where it breaks for rental operators, and when a custom rental booking system ends up cheaper than you'd think. Want a broader view first before zooming in on one package? Comparing rental software in 2026 puts Tommy next to Booqable, Avantio and custom builds.

What Tommy was built for

At its core, Tommy is POS software for the Dutch recreation and hospitality market: campsites, holiday parks, beach restaurants. Reservations and rentals are bolted on, but the DNA is "ring it up at the counter". You see it in the flow: the software thinks in transactions, not in rental contracts with a deposit, a duration and check-in instructions.

For the type of business it was made for, that works well: one till, one market, one language, a manageable catalogue. Quick to set up, affordable, Dutch-language support. If your business looks like that — read on, but you probably don't need to change anything.

Where it breaks for rental operators

1. Two languages: a Dutch customer and a Spanish customer on one system

This is the breaking point I see most often, and the reason it's my specialism. If you rent from the Netherlands to Spanish customers, or as a Dutch entrepreneur on the Costa Brava to a mixed audience — you have one customer who wants a Dutch confirmation and one who wants a Spanish one, invoices with BTW and with IVA, rental contracts in two languages. Tommy is a Dutch-market tool. The second language you do manually, with separate documents, or not at all. For an operator who rents internationally that isn't a detail — it's extra work on every booking and a bigger chance of mistakes.

A bilingual system isn't "Dutch with a translate button". It's two equal rails: prices, terms, invoices, emails, contracts all live in both languages from day one. More on what that actually means here.

2. Accounting that actually fits

Do you work with Holded (Spanish accounting) or e-Boekhouden (Dutch), and do you want rental orders to land there automatically with the right ledger accounts, BTW/IVA codes and invoice numbering? Then you bump into the limits of what an off-the-shelf integration can handle. Tommy connects with what it connects with; outside that, it's export, import, manual corrections. A custom system connects to your accounting the way your bookkeeper wants it — not the other way around. How that connection works in practice is here.

3. Your own brand, your own checkout

With a POS tool, the online booking module is often their subdomain, their look, their email address. For a business built on trust and recognition — a guest who's booking your caravan for the second summer in a row — that's a missed opportunity. Your own system runs on your domain, in your house style, with emails from your address. The guest sees you, not the software.

4. Workflows that don't fit in a dropdown

Got a process that's a bit different — a licence check before confirmation, a tiered discount for returning customers that isn't standard, an approval step for deposits over a certain amount? In POS software you force it into the existing fields, or it just can't be done. In a custom build your process is the starting point.

When custom is cheaper than SaaS

The sum people forget to do.

Tommy: depending on package and modules, expect around €45–80 per month. Over 36 months: roughly €1,600–2,900. Cheap on the invoice. But add to that: the hours you and your team spend every week patching the second language by hand, the accounting corrections after the fact, the bookings you miss because the checkout isn't yours. Those costs are nowhere on a line item, but they're real — and for an operator working internationally they add up fast.

A custom system from me: a Rental Panel costs €895/month, everything included — build, hosting, monitoring and ongoing development. First working version within four weeks. No separate project invoices, cancel monthly. Over 36 months: €32,220. On the bare invoice clearly more expensive than Tommy. But you get a system that fits exactly, runs in two languages, sits on your brand and connects to your accounting — no more manual work, no more missed bookings, no more checkout that isn't yours. Add the hours saved (€800–1,200/month for someone working internationally) and the gap closes quickly.

The same break-even logic, applied more generally, sits in SMB custom software: when it fits and when it doesn't.

When Tommy is still the right call

Be honest with yourself. Tommy (or a similar POS tool with rentals on the side) stays the smart choice if:

• You have fewer than ~5 rental items and rentals are a side activity.
• You serve one language area — Dutch customers only, no international bookings.
• You have no unusual workflow that falls outside the standard fields.
• You're fine with the online booking module not being your brand.

Recognise yourself in that? Stick with Tommy. Custom would be more expensive without you capturing the upside — and I'd rather say that up front than have you learn an expensive lesson.

Conclusion

Tommy is solid POS software that does rentals on the side. The moment rentals become your main activity — especially if you work internationally, want your own brand, or have a process that doesn't fit in a dropdown — you're working against the software instead of with it. At that point a custom rental booking system isn't a luxury, it's the logical next step.

Not sure where you stand? Send me how you do it now and where it hurts — honest answer within a day, no pitch deck. Want to see what a project like this actually looks like first? Read the Caravanverhuurspanje case, or have a look at the other comparison: Booqable vs custom.