Yes, we are one of the two products in this comparison, so read accordingly. To keep ourselves honest we follow three rules: every claim about DiversDesk is quoted from their own public pages with the date we read them; where their site does not mention something we say exactly that, rather than pretending it does not exist; and we tell you plainly where DiversDesk is the better choice — because it sometimes is.
The short version
- Both take 0% commission. DiversDesk's pricing FAQ says so, and so do we. Anyone selling you "we're the ones without commission" in this match-up is misleading you.
- For a dive center that mostly needs a CRM and a planner, DiversDesk's lower tiers are cheaper than DiveHQ, and their scheduling planner is genuinely deep. That is a real advantage and we do not pretend otherwise.
- For a liveaboard, the difference is not a feature — it is existence. As of 5 September 2026, DiversDesk's own liveaboard campaign page says, verbatim: "In development now. Join the waitlist." DiveHQ's liveaboard product runs real fleets in production today, and has since early 2026.
- For a dive resort — rooms, rate plans, one folio per guest across lodging and diving — DiveHQ ships an accommodation module (€150/month, early access); DiversDesk lists accommodation as a premium add-on without a published price.
Pricing, as published
Figures below are quoted from each product's public pricing page on 5 September 2026. DiversDesk prices are USD, billed annually; DiveHQ prices are EUR, net, monthly or yearly.
| DiversDesk | DiveHQ | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | CRM Go — $27/mo (annual billing) | No CRM-only tier — nearest is Dive Center at €50/mo |
| Dive center | Starter — $42/mo · Pro — $64/mo (annual billing) | €50/mo, one flat tier, unlimited users |
| User limits | 5 / 10 / 20 users by tier (unlimited on Enterprise) | Unlimited users on every plan |
| Liveaboard | $1,000 USD / year per boat — module marked "In development now. Join the waitlist" | €75/mo or €750/yr, up to 2 boats included — live in production |
| Resort / accommodation | Premium add-on, price not published | €150/mo published, early access |
| Commission | 0% | 0% |
| Free trial | 14 days | 3 months on Liveaboard; agreed at onboarding for Center/Resort |
Read that table fairly and two things are true at once: a small dive center watching every dollar gets a lower sticker price at DiversDesk, and a growing operation hits their user caps while DiveHQ's flat tier does not care how many staff log in. Price the plan you will need in year two, not the one you can squeeze into today.
Where DiversDesk is genuinely strong
Credit where it is due, from their own materials and product pages:
- The planner. Multi-activity scheduling across locations, boat and group swaps, safety logic tied to certification levels, tanks and Nitrox on the manifest. For a busy day-boat operation this is a real scheduling product, not a calendar with dive names.
- Digital waivers. PADI, SSI and SDI/TDI templates, an audit trail, OTP signing, validity periods, thirteen languages. A deep waiver product by any standard.
- QuickBooks included, and a Green Fins partnership — details that matter to established shops.
- Named customers, several of them in Indonesia — which happens to be our home water, so we take the competition seriously.
What their public site does not mention
We checked every page in their sitemap on 5 September 2026 for the operational details that fill our own support inbox. None of the following appears anywhere on their public site — which is not the same as saying they cannot do it, so ask them directly if any of these run your business:
- Offline operation — the word "offline" does not appear. DiveHQ's onboard POS is offline-first, because the ocean has no wifi.
- Marine park fees as computed line items — park fees appear only as an example of an extra a guest can tick. Komodo charges per diver per day; a 3-night and a 7-night trip produce different amounts from the same rule. DiveHQ computes them from the itinerary and keeps them out of agency commission.
- Indonesian PB1 or GST handling — no mention. DiveHQ computes PB1 in strict integer math, reviewed by accountants operating in-country.
- RSTC / PADI 10086 / 10087 e-waiver forms — their waiver system is deep, but these specific liveaboard-standard forms are not referenced.
- PADI IDC / DMT professional tracking, housekeeping for rooms, a Google Merchant Center feed, agency price privacy — none referenced.
The liveaboard question, plainly
If you run a boat, this is the only section that matters. DiversDesk advertises a liveaboard offering at $1,000/year per boat, and their campaign page for it reads, as of our last check: "A complete operating system for your liveaboard fleet. In development now. Join the waitlist to get updates and early access." We keep a dated archive of that page and will update this article the day it changes — genuinely: more good software in this industry helps everyone.
DiveHQ's liveaboard module is not a roadmap item. Cabin-based booking with shared cabins and single supplements, agency portal with automatic commission and price privacy, offline POS, crew and cost tracking, availability feeds to LiveaboardHub and ScubaDates — all of it runs real fleets in production today, and has for every departure since early 2026.
Who should pick what
- Pick DiversDesk if you run a day-boat dive center, live inside a scheduling planner all day, want QuickBooks out of the box, and $27–64/month fits better than €50. Their lower tiers are honest value.
- Pick DiveHQ if you run a liveaboard today, a dive resort with rooms, an operation in Indonesia with PB1 and park fees, an agency distribution network, or a team big enough to feel user caps. And if you want the vendor to also be an operator: the people answering our support run boats on this software every week.