PermitSnag vs Arvie
Arvie does something genuinely different from a typical scanner: its AgentBook feature tries to book the cancelled site for you and only charges a fee when it succeeds. It is built for campsites, not wilderness permit lotteries. Here is an honest look at where each tool fits.
As of July 16, 2026, Arvie runs live agents that automatically book cancelled campsites through its AgentBook feature, charging a flat $19 fee only on a successful booking, and claims a 65% win rate across 4,700+ parks. PermitSnag tracks 682 US wilderness permits with lottery tooling, group pools, and Fast Lane booking links.
Facts checked against Arvie's public site on July 16, 2026. See every tool we compare on the PermitSnag alternatives hub.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Enchantments Core Zone were gone within 10 minutes.
Feature comparison
| Feature | PermitSnag | Arvie |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Wilderness permits + lotteries, plus 118,000+ campsites | Campsite availability search and auto-booking of cancellations |
| Coverage | 682 US permits + 3,900+ campgrounds | 4,700+ state and national parks, 269,000+ searchable and bookable campsites |
| Lottery support | Lottery calendar, open/close/result reminders, group pools, published odds pages | No lottery tooling, campsites only |
| Booking method | Fast Lane deep links to the exact permit page, you complete the booking | AgentBook auto-books the cancellation for you, free to start, flat $19 fee only when it succeeds |
| Pricing | Free tier with 1 alert (hourly scans). Pro $7.99/mo or $79.99/yr with about 1-minute scans, unlimited watches, SMS included. A la Carte $19 for a single permit: unlimited date windows and the whole permit family, until your trip dates pass. | Free tier (5 scans), Alert Me $5/scan, AgentBook pay-on-success $19, Arvie Pro roughly $59-79 first year (promotional pricing varies), $149/year standard |
| Scan speed | About every minute on Pro | 1-2 minutes on Pro and AgentBook, 10 minutes on Alert Me |
| Alert channels | Push, SMS, email, and browser notifications | Text and email for Alert Me, automatic booking confirmation for AgentBook |
| Mobile app | Installable web dashboard with browser and mobile push | Mobile browser only, native app listed as coming soon |
What one purchase covers
$19 is 1 to 2% of the trip it unlocks. The price is set against what you lose if the permit never opens, which is the trip.
- Unlimited date windows on that permit. Watch one date or thirty, and change them any time before your trip dates pass.
- The whole permit family. For Mount Whitney that is the day hike, the overnight, and the trailhead quotas: six watches in one purchase.
- Checks about every minute. Coverage runs until your trip dates pass.
$19 one permit · $79.99/yr every permit — cheaper from your fifth permit on.
Choose PermitSnag if…
- You need a wilderness permit lottery: calendars, deadline reminders, group pools, and odds. Arvie doesn't track permit lotteries at all.
- You want a flat monthly subscription rather than a per-scan or per-booking fee structure.
- You want alerts across permits and campsites in one account.
Choose Arvie if…
- You specifically want done-for-you booking. AgentBook's pay-only-on-success model is a genuinely different value proposition. You don't have to be at your phone when a cancellation appears.
- You mostly camp at car-accessible campgrounds and want the widest searchable and bookable inventory.
Try PermitSnag free
One free alert, no card required. See the lottery calendar, browse 682 permits, and set your first watch in under a minute.
Common questions
What is the difference between PermitSnag and Arvie?
PermitSnag tracks wilderness permit lotteries (calendars, reminders, group pools, odds) plus campsites, and sends you an alert with a Fast Lane booking shortcut. Arvie is campsite-only, and its AgentBook feature can auto-book a cancellation for you, charging a flat $19 fee only when it succeeds.
Does Arvie handle permit lotteries like Half Dome or Whitney?
No. Arvie is built for campsite reservations, not wilderness permit lotteries. For lottery permits, you need a tool like PermitSnag that tracks application windows and results.
Is Arvie's AgentBook worth it?
If you want a cancelled campsite auto-booked without watching your phone, the pay-on-success model (free to start, $19 only if it books) is a fair deal. It solves a different problem than PermitSnag, which alerts you and hands you a Fast Lane link to the page that sells it, so you book it yourself.