--- title: "Golf O'Clock vs Alba (2026): Pricing and Features Compared" description: "Golf O'Clock vs Alba for golf simulator venues: price per bay, payments, door locks, simulator locking with Screen Marshal and SimLock, and who fits which." url: https://golfoclock.com/blog/golf-oclock-vs-alba --- [Back to blog](/blog)Technology # Golf O'Clock vs Alba: two booking platforms for golf simulator venues Oct 14, 20266 min read Golf O'Clock and Alba are both booking platforms built for golf simulator venues, both price by the bay, and both lock the simulator between bookings. Alba costs less per month for a small or mid-sized venue. Golf O'Clock keeps payments in your own Stripe or Square account, connects to Lightspeed for food and drink, and goes deeper on pricing rules and remote bay control. We make Golf O'Clock, so read it with that in mind. Everything about Alba below comes from [Alba's own website](https://www.albaplay.com/) and pricing page, checked on October 14, 2026. Confirm what matters to you with Alba directly. ## The short version Golf O'Clock Alba Price $150/month for 4 bays, +$25 per extra bay, in your currency €29, £29 or $29 per bay/month Fee per booking None None listed Contract Month to month Cancel any time, one month's notice Based in Montreal, Canada Norway Venues 200+ active venues, North America, the UK and Europe 250+ indoor golf venues in 20+ countries Payments Your own Stripe or Square account Through Adyen, set up by Alba In-person sales Lightspeed K-Series or Square Not listed Door access Kisi, Avigilon Alta, RemoteLock, Rhombus, locks with a web connection, QR entry codes, SmartLock Kisi, Zesec, Glutz, Avigilon, Unloc, TTLock, Seam, Entro, UniFi, Kulku, Keyfree Simulator locking Screen Marshal, with a Command Center for every bay SimLock, included Pricing rules Peak, member, tier, package and utilization conditions Smart pricing by hour, day and bay Gift cards Store credit; coded gift cards through your POS Gift cards and value cards AI and API AI assistant that sets things up, read-write API, webhooks, MCP AI assistant for questions, read-only partner API, MCP Interface language English and French Ask Alba ## What it costs at your bay count Both price by the bay and charge in your currency, so the comparison is direct. Here it is in dollars; the same numbers apply in pounds or euros. Bays Golf O'Clock (per month) Alba (per month) 4 $150 $116 6 $200 $174 8 $250 $232 10 $300 $290 Alba is cheaper at every size up to 12 bays: by $34 a month at 4 bays and $10 at 10. Golf O'Clock's first 4 bays cost more, and each extra bay costs less ($25 against $29), so the gap closes as you grow. Alba lists no setup fee. More on the pricing models in [what golf simulator software costs](/blog/golf-simulator-software-cost). ## Where the two are close Both are built only for simulator venues, both price by the bay with no fee per booking, and both lock the simulator between bookings and let customers extend a session that's running. Both handle memberships, lessons, staff roles, discount codes and reporting. Both list an AI assistant and an MCP integration, so tools like ChatGPT and Claude can work with a venue's data. ## Where Golf O'Clock goes further **Your own payment account.** Payments land in the venue's own Stripe or Square account, so you keep your processor, your payout schedule and any terminals you already use. For food, drink and retail at the counter, Lightspeed K-Series or Square handle the sale. See [payments](/features/payments). **Pricing with more in it.** Peak, off-peak, member, tier, package and promotional rates resolve in order on every booking, and current utilization can itself be a condition. That's 2+ million combinations on a basic setup. See [pricing rules](/features/pricing-rules). **Running every bay from one screen.** [Screen Marshal](/features/screen-marshal) does what SimLock does, and its Command Center lets staff lock, unlock, launch simulator titles and message every bay remotely. **An assistant that builds, and an API that writes.** Golf O'Clock's [AI assistant](/features/ai-assistant) sets up memberships, pricing rules and automations from a description, with every action shown for approval. The API reads and writes, with inbound and outbound webhooks, where Alba lists a read-only partner API. See [developers](/features/developers). **Multi-site sharing (Enterprise plan).** Sites in a group can share pricing, memberships and credit balances while keeping their own hours, bays and branding. ## Where Alba goes further **Price.** Lower per month up to 12 bays, with every feature and SimLock included in the per-bay price. **No merchant account to open.** Alba runs payments through its own Adyen setup, with cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The trade-off is that payments move to Adyen; ask Alba for its card rates, since that's where the rest of the monthly cost sits. **More lock brands.** Eleven listed, including Zesec, Glutz, TTLock, UniFi and Seam, several of them common in Europe. **Gift cards built in.** Coded gift cards and value cards come with the platform. On Golf O'Clock you sell store credit, and coded gift cards go through your POS. ## Which one fits your venue Pick Alba if you want the lowest monthly price for a small or mid-sized venue, you need an interface in a language other than English or French, you'd rather not open a merchant account, or you already use one of its European lock brands such as Zesec or Glutz. Pick Golf O'Clock if you want payments in your own Stripe or Square account, food and drink through Lightspeed, RemoteLock or Rhombus locks, pricing with members, tiers and packages in it, or staff running every bay from one screen. From 13 bays it also costs less. Our [comparison of nine booking platforms](/blog/best-golf-simulator-booking-software) covers the rest of the field, with [Golf O'Clock vs Birdie](/blog/golf-oclock-vs-birdie) and [Golf O'Clock vs Birrdi](/blog/golf-oclock-vs-birrdi) for the other two most common shortlists. Alba, SimLock and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify their products. Golf O'Clock is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Details about other platforms come from its public website as of October 14, 2026 and may have changed since. If anything here is out of date or wrong, email [info@golfoclock.com](mailto:info@golfoclock.com) and we'll correct it. Written by [Mathieu Morin](/about), CRO at Golf O'Clock. Based on operating data from 200+ indoor golf venues. ## Frequently asked questions **Is Golf O'Clock or Alba cheaper?** Alba, on the subscription alone. Alba is $29, €29 or £29 per bay per month, so $116 for 4 bays and $290 for 10 (the same numbers in pounds or euros). Golf O'Clock is $150 a month for the first 4 bays and $25 per extra bay, so $300 for 10, charged at the same numbers in your venue's currency. The gap narrows with each bay, and Golf O'Clock costs less from 13 bays. Processing fees are separate on both: Alba's run through its own Adyen setup, Golf O'Clock's through your own Stripe or Square account. **What is the difference between SimLock and Screen Marshal?** Both keep the simulator locked between bookings and open it for the customer who booked. Alba's SimLock shows a branded lock screen and opens the session when the booking starts, with reminders and extensions. Golf O'Clock's Screen Marshal runs on each bay's Windows PC and unlocks with a per-booking PIN or link; customers can extend from their phone and the bay unlocks again, and staff get one Command Center to lock, unlock, launch simulator titles and message every bay. **Which payment processors do Golf O'Clock and Alba use?** Alba processes payments through Adyen and sets it up for you, so you don't need your own merchant account. Golf O'Clock takes payments into the venue's own Stripe or Square account, and in-person sales run through Lightspeed K-Series or Square. **Do Golf O'Clock and Alba both have an AI assistant?** Yes, both list one, and both offer an MCP integration so AI tools can work with venue data. Golf O'Clock's assistant also sets the venue up from a description, such as memberships, pricing rules and automations, with each action shown for approval. Golf O'Clock's API is read and write with webhooks; Alba lists a read-only partner API. **Can I switch from Alba to Golf O'Clock?** Yes. Export a spreadsheet from Alba and Golf O'Clock imports your customers, tags, notes, marketing consent and active memberships with their renewal dates. Past bookings stay in the old system, and saved cards don't come over, so customers add a card on their next booking. More in [switching booking systems](/help/switching-booking-systems). ## Ready to see Golf O'Clock in action? Book a demo and we'll walk you through the platform with your venue setup in mind. [Book a demo](/demo)