RentKit vs Event Rental Systems
A candid look at two party rental platforms and who each one is built for.
Event Rental Systems (ERS) has been around since 2009 and has built a sizable customer base of 1,300+ businesses, primarily in the bounce house and inflatable rental space. Their all-in-one approach - website builder, booking engine, operations management, and marketing services bundled together - appeals to operators who want everything under one roof. If you value having a single vendor handle your website, software, SEO, Google Ads, and payment processing, ERS offers that.
The tradeoffs are real, though. ERS's own FAQ states their typical onboarding timeline is 30 business days - that is six calendar weeks before you are live. Their routing system has been described by users as "overcomplicated and redundant," and the company has acknowledged it needs an overhaul. There is no weekend support, which is hard to justify for an industry that runs on Saturdays and Sundays. And their Android app carries a 3.42/5 rating with documented crash issues.
RentKit is built for fast onboarding, offers evening and weekend support, and gives you a native mobile app that works reliably on both iOS and Android. At $99/month with two users included ($35/month per additional), the pricing is straightforward. The key difference in philosophy: ERS bundles your website into the platform (which means you lose it if you leave), while RentKit works with whatever website you already have or want to build.
ERS bundles everything into one vendor - including your website. RentKit gives you operational depth with the freedom to own your web presence independently.
Side-by-Side
| Feature | RentKit | Event Rental Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $99/mo (2 users incl, +$35/user) | $99.95-$499.95/mo + $99/yr hosting fee |
| Onboarding Time | Fast setup (days) | 30 business days (~6 calendar weeks) |
| Weekend Support | Yes (evening & weekend hours) | No weekend support |
| Mobile App | Native iOS & Android | DriverApp: iOS decent, Android 3.42/5 |
| Route Optimization | Built-in | Available but "overcomplicated" per reviews |
| QuickBooks Online | Yes | Yes |
| QuickBooks Desktop | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Website Builder | No (embeddable catalog widget) | Yes (integrated, tied to platform) |
| Website Ownership | You own your site independently | Lose your website if you leave ERS |
| Customer-Facing Catalog | Embeddable widget, any platform | Built into ERS website only |
| Revenue Reporting | Built-in | Yes |
| Payment Processing | Stripe (3.5% + $0.30) or in-house (3.0% + $0.25) | ERSPay (2.89% + $0.30 + pass-through) |
| Marketing Services | No | Google Ads, SEO, HighLevel (add-on) |
| Built by Operators | Yes | Yes (founder owned a bounce house company) |
Where Event Rental Systems excels
ERS fits operators who want one vendor to handle software, their website, and marketing services.
All-in-one bundling
ERS combines your website, booking engine, operations software, payment processing, and marketing services into one vendor relationship. If you are starting a rental business from scratch and want one company to handle everything, that simplicity has value.
Marketing services
ERS is a certified Google Ads Partner and offers managed PPC campaigns, Facebook/Instagram ad management, and SEO services. They also integrate with HighLevel for marketing automation - abandoned cart texts, review management, and automated follow-ups. RentKit does not offer managed marketing services.
Waiver system
ERS has a built-in waiver and liability system designed for inflatable operations. For bounce house companies, this is a daily operational need.
Automated marketing communications
ERS includes automated email reminders for payments and pickups, abandoned cart text messages, quote follow-up reminders, and post-event surveys. These workflow automations are built into the platform.
Established customer base
With 1,300+ customers and 17 years in the market, ERS has a track record. They are a known entity in the bounce house and party rental community.
Financial backing
ERS was acquired by Fullsteam in 2018, giving them private equity backing for continued development and operations.
Where RentKit leads
Onboarding speed
ERS states their "typical timeframe for go-live is 30 business days, inclusive of any special configuration requests and customizations." That is six calendar weeks. One reviewer reported the process taking three months. RentKit is designed for fast onboarding - days, not weeks or months.
Weekend and evening support
ERS has no weekend support. As one reviewer put it: "There is no support on the weekends when you really need them. Event rental is a weekend business - when things go wrong on the weekend there is no real support." RentKit offers evening and weekend support hours because that is when rental operators are working.
Mobile app reliability
ERS's DriverApp has a 3.42/5 rating on the App Store with 24 ratings. Documented issues include Android crashes, the keyboard becoming unavailable after using navigation, and load sheets not being found. RentKit's native iOS and Android app is built for reliable field use.
Route optimization that works
ERS's routing has been specifically called out in reviews as "overcomplicated and redundant." The company itself has acknowledged the problem and stated a new routing system is in development. RentKit's built-in route optimization is functional today.
Website independence
This is a critical difference. ERS integrates your website into the platform - your website IS your ERS account. If you leave ERS, you lose your website, your SEO rankings, your Google Ads campaigns, and your payment processing all at once. RentKit works with any website. You own your site independently, and you can switch software without losing your web presence.
Straightforward pricing
RentKit is $99/month with two users included and $35/month per additional seat. ERS starts at $99.95/month for Standard, jumps to $119.95 for Pro+, and leaps to $499.95 for Elite. There is also a $99/year hosting fee on top of the subscription. Multiple reviewers note that prices have increased over time.
Simpler UX
Multiple ERS reviewers describe the features as "more complicated than most users probably want or need" and the software as "hard to navigate." RentKit is built to be straightforward without requiring weeks of training.
Works across all rental categories
While ERS was built for bounce houses and has expanded to broader party rental, RentKit works across all event rental categories from day one - tents, tables, chairs, linens, staging, lighting, inflatables, and everything in between.
What users say about Event Rental Systems
These are sourced from verified reviews on Capterra, GetApp, and Software Advice.
On weekend support
“There is no support on the weekends when you really need them. You will get your responses back on Monday or when the specialist is in. Event rental is a weekend business - when things go wrong on the weekend there is no real support.
On complexity
“A lot of features are much more complicated than most users probably want or need.
“Routing seems overcomplicated and redundant.
“Hard to navigate.
On onboarding
“Horrible, gave them two chances and they wasted 3 months, wish I could get my money back.
On mobile app
“The Android version is problematic. Once navigation is used, the keyboard becomes unavailable in text messages and notes.
“Load sheets are never found even though they've been assigned to the user.
On billing
“One customer reported being charged after requesting cancellation, and when they asked for a refund, the company claimed to have issued one but the credit card company had no record of it.
On tax handling
“Some states with complicated tax rate systems are not supported by the software, so sales tax has to be manually calculated.
Which platform fits?
ERS may be the better fit if:
- You want one vendor to handle your website, software, payment processing, and marketing
- You need managed Google Ads and SEO services and prefer not to handle that yourself
- You are starting a new bounce house business from scratch and want an all-in-one starting point
- You have the patience for a 6-week onboarding process and do not need to be live quickly
- You primarily operate during weekdays and do not need weekend support
- The lock-in tradeoff (losing your website if you leave) is acceptable to you
RentKit is likely the better fit if:
- You need to get up and running quickly - not in six weeks
- You need support during evenings and weekends when your events are happening
- You want to own your website independently of your software vendor
- You need route optimization that works reliably without being overcomplicated
- You need a mobile app your drivers can depend on, including on Android
- You want straightforward $99/month pricing without annual hosting fees or price escalation
- You rent across multiple event categories, not just inflatables
- You want QuickBooks Online or Desktop integration
- You do not want to be locked into a single vendor for your website, ads, SEO, and payments
Thinking About Switching from ERS to RentKit?
The biggest concern operators have about leaving ERS is the website. Because ERS bundles your website into the platform, switching means rebuilding your web presence. That is a real cost, and we will not pretend otherwise.
A website locked to a software vendor gets harder to move each year. Operators leaving ERS typically set up a site on WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or another platform, then embed RentKit's catalog widget. SEO authority stays with the domain, so keeping the same domain preserves that history.
RentKit is designed for fast onboarding. Your inventory, customer data, and order history can be migrated without the six-week timeline ERS requires for initial setup.
Your SEO rankings are tied to your domain, not to ERS. If you keep your domain, you keep your search authority.
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The RentKit team wrote this comparison. If anything is outdated or inaccurate, contact us and we will correct it.
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