5 Best Event Management Software of 2023: Reviewers' Choice

January 9, 2023
By Imran Anwar, Independent Blog Writer
Disclaimer: This blog post is provided to help event professionals select the best software for their needs. The product reviews and comparisons are based on the publicly posted customer reviews and the information available at the time of writing this blog.

As an event professional, you are doing one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Event planners and managers often have to work long hours - planning the agenda, coordinating activities, inviting and registering attendees, collecting payments, and managing the proceedings on the event day. Using the best event management software can help you save time and focus on the details that make your event successful.

Best Event Registration Software

To help you select the best event registration system, we deep dived into the features and customer reviews of the most widely recognized software and have emerged with five that stand out, based on their key features, pricing, and pros and cons. To evaluate the customer services that each software provides, we have also considered employee reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed, as unhappy employees never make happy customers. Let's jump right in and compare the five best event management apps:

Eventleaf

Software Overview

Eventleaf is the most highly rated event management software on customer review websites such as G2, Capterra and TrustRadius. Developed by Jolly Technologies, it includes a feature-rich event management portal and three mobile applications. You can use the Eventleaf browser-based portal to plan and manage all types of events — in-person, virtual or hybrid conferences, seminars, trainings, trade shows, and more. The mobile apps allow event managers, attendees, and exhibitors to manage and interact with the event on the go.

Eventleaf Software Overview
Eventleaf Features

Key Features

  • • Easily create a free event website and invite attendees to register online
  • • Create different pricing plans, sell tickets and collect payments
  • • Mobile app and online portal to engage attendees
  • • A mobile app for your staff to check in attendees at the door
  • • Leads mobile app for exhibitors to extract leads from events
  • • Virtual and hybrid events using Zoom, WebEx, and other popular software

Eventleaf Price

The event registration software is free to use for up to 100 attendees per year. If you need to host more than 100 people or use event mobile apps, you can upgrade to the Basic or Professional plan for as low as $1 or $2 per attendee, respectively.

Eventleaf Price
Eventleaf Pros and Cons

Pros & Cons

  • + Very easy to use with almost no learning curve
  • + Affordable upfront pricing with no hidden charges
  • + A robust free plan good for up to 100 attendees per year
  • + Customizable attendee registration process to capture targeted information
  • − The plain and minimalist interface lacks graphics and visualization
  • − May lack certain advanced targeting features

Eventleaf Employee Reviews

Employees have rated Jolly Technologies a 4.9 out of 5 on Glassdoor, indicating high employee satisfaction.

Eventleaf 5-Star Reviews

Cvent Event Management Platform

Software Overview

Cvent is an all-in-one event management platform with an extensive feature set, which also makes it difficult to learn and use. The popular event management software is suitable for managing all types of events, including conferences, trade shows, sales events, and internal events. It comes with customizable mobile apps for attendees including the Attendee Hub app and portal, which boast almost every feature that an event manager could need, although many may never get to use all the features.

Cvent Software Overview
Cvent Features

Cvent Key Features

  • • Online portal and mobile app allow you to plan and manage your event
  • • Extensive customizability options for marketing and managing your events
  • • Create branded events with Flex, Cvent's native planning tool
  • • Find venue and hotels inside the Cvent platform
  • • Use mobile apps and online tools to help attendees engage with your events

Cvent Price

Cvent does not reveal the pricing on its website. You need to contact sales and request a quote before you can use the event registration software.

Cvent Price
Cvent Pros and Cons

Cvent Pros & Cons

  • + Truly extensive platform with advanced features
  • + Detailed customization options to engage current and prospective attendees
  • + Full cycle event planning, marketing and management
  • − Almost half of Trustpilot reviewers rated Cvent a single star, saying the app is overpriced, difficult to use, and has terrible customer service
  • − May be expensive and not a great fit for small and mid-sized businesses as per Trustpilot and G2 reviews

Cvent vs Eventleaf: Reviewers' Choice*

*Based on G2 customer reviews as of December 21, 2022.

Cvent vs Eventleaf Comparison Reviews
Cvent Reviews

Cvent Employee Reviews

Cvent has an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5 on Glassdoor, with 76% recommending working for the company.

Bizzabo Event Management Platform

Software Overview

Bizzabo is a Cvent alternative with almost identical features. It is suitable for managing all event formats including virtual, in-person, and hybrid and supports multiple use cases including conferences, field marketing events, and internal events. It boasts a feature-rich Command Center for managing your event from end to end, including attendee registration, onsite check-in, badge printings, ticketing, and engagement features.

Bizzabo Software Overview
Bizzabo Features

Bizzabo Features

  • • Create segmented and personalized attendee journeys
  • • Design beautiful no-code event websites
  • • Engagement features include chat, polls, surveys, Q&A, and social sharing
  • • Embedded audience reactions for virtual events, such as clapping sounds
  • • Mobile apps for contactless check-in, attendee engagement, and lead capturing

Bizzabo Price

Bizzabo pricing is not available on the company's website. As per the review website Capterra, Bizzabo has a usage based pricing model with annual payment plans starting from $15,000.

Bizzabo Price
Bizzabo Pros and Cons

Bizzabo Pros & Cons

  • + Site builder can create aesthetically pleasing branded websites
  • + An intuitive backend event planning and management experience
  • + Great customer support
  • − The platform faces occasional downtimes and crashes as per G2 and Trustpilot customer reviews
  • − The email service can block messages due to strict security settings
  • − The mobile app has multiple issues, has poor ratings on Google Play and App Store

Bizzabo vs Eventleaf: Reviewers' Choice*

*Based on G2 customer reviews as of December 21, 2022.

Bizzabo vs Eventleaf Comparison Reviews
Bizzabo Reviews

Bizzabo Employee Reviews

Bizzabo has a Glassdoor rating of 4.0 out of 5, and 77% of employees recommend working for the company.

Whova Event Management Platform

Software Overview

Whova is an all-in-one software with dedicated and detailed features for managing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. It sports all the standard functionalities that the best event management software offer — an event website, online registration, ticket sales, badge printing, event apps for conferences and expos, agenda, and document sharing — plus a bunch of extra features to boost your event's engagement and networking experience.

Whova Software Overview
Whova Features

Whova Features

  • • Event website, online registration, ticketing and payments
  • • In app venue maps and floor plans
  • • Social media marketing integration
  • • Virtual event features such as virtual lobby and built-in webcasting
  • • Networking features: attendee profiles, one-on-one chat, group chat, and more
  • • Real time event tracking and post event analytics

Whova Event Management Software Price

Whova price is not available publicly. You can request a quote to obtain the pricing.

Whova Price
Whova Pros and Cons

Whova Pros & Cons

  • + Convenient platform with all the necessary features
  • + Ability to create and share event e-brochures and photos
  • + Strong networking features
  • + Location maps and floor plans
  • − Poor customer support as per at least one Trustpilot review
  • − Unclear pricing
  • − May be difficult to use for attendees as some G2 customer reviews indicate

Whova vs Eventleaf: Reviewers' Choice*

*Based on G2 customer reviews as of December 21, 2022.

Whova vs Eventleaf Comparison Reviews
Whova Reviews

Whova Employee Reviews

Whova scores an overall employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Glassdoor. 66% of employees would recommend working for Whova to their friends.

Hopin Event Management Platform

Software Overview

Hopin is a powerful event management app geared towards virtual events, although you can use it to manage hybrid and in-person events with equal ease. It is the first software that can most closely convert an in-person event into a virtual one, thanks to its immersive live streaming and video features. Hopin may be perfect for hybrid companies looking to jazz up their online and hybrid events.

Hopin Software Overview
Hopin Features

Hopin Features

  • • Event creation, user registration and payment processing
  • • On-site check in, ticket sales and registration through the Hopin Organizer app
  • • Marketing tools such as event website, email automation, and contact list management
  • • Event agenda, schedules and attendee networking through the Hoppin mobile app
  • • Virtual Venue and Studio to create digital events and high-quality video streams

Hopin Price

Hopin is free to use for up to 100 attendees, but you have to pay 15% ticket commission. The paid plans are priced from $999 and $8000 per year and allow up to 1200 attendees.

Hopin Price
Hopin Pros and Cons

Hopin Pros & Cons

  • + Easy to use iconographic interface
  • + Create sharp and professional webinars and roundtables
  • + A Virtual venue feature with stage, chat, video networking, sessions, and expo area
  • − Audio and video quality is often bad as per more than one G2 reviewers
  • − May be expensive for in-person events
  • − Several Trustpilot reviewers rated Hopin a single star, saying the app is “useless” and “unreliable”

Hopin vs Eventleaf: Reviewers' Choice*

*Based on G2 customer reviews as of December 21, 2022.

Hopin vs Eventleaf Comparison Reviews
Hopin Reviews

Hopin Employee Reviews

Employees have rated Hopin an overall 3.3 out of 5 on Glassdoor, with only 46% recommending working for the company.

The Best Event Management Software for Your Event

The event management software that we reviewed and compared in this post all have great features, but one of these apps is just right for your needs. Your choice would depend on factors such as the type of events you want to host, the number of attendees, the venue - "virtual, hybrid, or in-person" and your budget. Make sure you understand the features, strengths, and limitations of the software you're considering, read their customer and employee reviews, and compare their prices before making a decision.

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