The trade-off
- Aggregator: some discovery, but commission on every booking
- Aggregator: your customer is theirs, not yours
- Own system: your brand, data, and margin
- Own system: higher up-front cost, no per-booking tax
The usual answer
Most established businesses run their own system as the core and treat aggregators as one marketing channel — not the foundation. Once you have regulars, every commission you pay is margin you're giving away.