The figure everyone quotes — "15 % commission" — means little until you run it through your own numbers.
What you pay
Take your last statement and divide total commissions by total collected. That is your real rate. On a €1,000 stay, 15 % is €150. Over twenty stays a year, €3,000 — paid every time, including for the guest who has come back five years running.
What direct booking does not replace
Platforms bring visibility a website alone does not have, especially in the first year. Cutting them overnight costs bookings, and nobody serious should advise it.
The goal is narrower: stop paying commission on the bookings you would have had anyway — regulars, recommendations, people who found you on Google.
When it pays for itself
Divide your monthly subscription by the commission saved on one night. At €39 a month and a €100 night at 15.5 %, three direct nights in the month cover the subscription.