Sawyer Alternative for Canadian Camps and Programs
Comparing Sawyer for a Canadian camp or program? How commissions, booking fees, family accounts, French and sales tax differ, and how to switch.
Sawyer is booking software and a family marketplace for kids’ camps, classes and after-school programs. If you run a program in Canada, check three things before you renew: what you pay on each booking, whether families need an account, and how it handles French and Canadian sales tax.
Campix is our product. Every statement about Sawyer comes from Sawyer’s own pages, checked on October 6, 2026. When a point is not listed there, the table says so. Ask Sawyer about anything marked not listed.
What you pay on each booking
Sawyer lists three monthly plans: Launch at $79, Grow at $219 and Scale at $399, or $71, $189 and $379 a month billed annually, plus processing fees. The pricing page does not state a currency. Bookings that come through the Sawyer marketplace carry a commission: 30% on Launch, where the marketplace is required, 20% on Grow and 15% on Scale, where it is optional.
Families also pay a Sawyer booking fee on orders over $30: $1.99 or $3.99 on your own site, and $2.99 or $3.99 on the marketplace. The pricing page says you can ask to absorb it. The help centre says businesses cannot waive it. Ask Sawyer which applies to you.
Campix has no marketplace and no commission, and adds no booking fee to the family’s order. Online payments carry a platform fee of 2% down to 0.5%, depending on the plan, plus Stripe’s card fee. By default families pay the card fee, and you can turn that off in Settings.
Families register without an account
Sawyer asks families to create a Sawyer account as soon as they open or book an activity. With Campix, a parent registers and pays on your link without creating an account. To come back later, they open the family portal and enter a code sent to their email.
French and Canadian sales tax
Campix shows the registration page, the family portal and every email families receive in English or French. Prices are in Canadian dollars, and you set your provincial tax rate for each location. The Sawyer pages we checked do not mention French, Canadian dollars or Canadian sales tax.
Features side by side
| Feature | Campix | Sawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Free Solo plan. Team $79 CAD a month | From $79 a month, or $71 billed annually. Currency not stated |
| Fee on each booking | Platform fee of 2% down to 0.5% by plan, plus card fees | Processing fees, plus 15% to 30% on marketplace bookings |
| Fee paid by families | The card fee by default. You can turn it off | $1.99 to $3.99 on orders over $30, unless Sawyer lets you absorb it |
| Family account | None: families sign in to the family portal with a code sent to their email | Required to book |
| Marketplace listing | None | Sawyer marketplace |
| Payments | Stripe, paid into each location’s own account | Stripe |
| Waivers | E-signed in the registration form, on every plan | E-signature agreements on Grow and Scale |
| Check-in and pickup | Tap check-in on every plan. QR kiosk on Team and up. Authorized pickup list with optional PIN or signature | Check-in and check-out, authorized caregivers |
| French | Registration page, family portal and family emails | Not listed |
| Canadian sales tax | Your provincial rate, set per location | Not listed |
A season-safe switch checklist
- Export your families and participants from Sawyer as a spreadsheet
- Load them on the Import screen, which matches common column names such as Parent Email, then check a few rows
- Set up programs, weekly prices, sibling discounts and your tax rate
- Connect Stripe for each location and run one test payment
- Recreate your waivers and consent forms
- Put your new registration link on your website and send families a short note
- Keep your final Sawyer export as an archive
What Campix costs
| Plan | Price (CAD) | Fee on online payments | Sites | Programs | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Free | 2% | 1 | 3 | 100 |
| Team | $79 a month | 1.5% | 2 | 10 | 500 |
| Multi-site | $149 a month | 1% | 5 | 25 | 3,000 |
| Network | Custom pricing | 0.5% | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Every new organization starts with a 30-day Team trial, with no credit card. Stripe’s card processing fee comes on top of the platform fee, and you can pass it on to families.
For what to weigh beyond fees, read our guide on choosing camp management software in Canada. Start free or see plans and pricing.
More comparisons
Common questions
Does Campix take a commission on bookings?
No. Campix has no marketplace and takes no commission. Online payments carry a platform fee of 0.5% to 2%, depending on the plan, plus Stripe's card fee.
Do parents need an account to register?
No. Parents register and pay through your link without creating an account. To come back later, they open the family portal and enter a code sent to their email.
Can I bring my families over from Sawyer?
Yes. Export your families and participants from Sawyer as a spreadsheet, then load them on the Import screen. Campix checks every row and shows how many will be added, skipped or need fixing before anything is saved.
Is Campix available in French?
Yes. The registration page, the family portal and the emails families receive are in English and French.
Run your camp on Campix
Online registration, waivers, payments, and phone-friendly check-in, built for day camps, after-school programs, and youth sports. Start free, no card required.